Knowledge Base

Works Err Msg: Cannot Find Spell Files. Run Setup Again...

Article ID: 95741

Article Last Modified on 10/8/2003

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Works 2.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Works 2.0a
Microsoft Works 3.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Works 3.0a
Microsoft Works 3.0b

This article was previously published under Q95741

SUMMARY

Microsoft Works for Windows displays one of the following error messages when you try to check the spelling of a document if the program cannot find the spelling checker files:

Cannot find Spell files: Run Setup Again to Install Spell Files

-or-

Cannot load dictionary.

-or-

Dictionary not valid. (Works 2.0 only)

MORE INFORMATION

The above error message may occur for any of the following reasons:

The Works for Windows spelling checker and thesaurus haven't been installed.
The WIN.INI file has been deleted, corrupted, or renamed.

The [MS Proofing Tools] section of WIN.INI is missing or incorrect.

With Works 2.0, the lines in the [MS Proofing Tools] section should be as follows

     [MS Proofing Tools]
     Spelling 1033,0=<Windows path>\msapps\proof\msspell.dll,<Windows
          path>\msapps\proof\mssp_am.lex
     Custom Dict 1=<Windows path>\msapps\proof\custom.dic

where "<Windows path>" is the path to your Windows folder. For example, c:\windows.

With Works 3.0, the lines should be

     [MS Proofing Tools]
     Spelling 1033,0=<Windows path>\msapps\proof\msspel2.dll,
         <Windows path>\msapps\proof\mssp2_en.lex
     Spelling 2057,0=<Windows path>\msapps\proof\msspel2.dll,
         <Windows path>\msapps\proof\mssp2_en.lex
     Custom Dict 1=<Windows path>\msapps\proof\custom.dic

where "<Windows path>" is the path to your Windows folder. For example, c:\windows.

NOTE: All indented lines are continuations from the previous line.

The MSWORKS.INI file has been deleted, corrupted, or renamed.
The spelling files the WIN.INI [MS Proofing Tools] section points to have been deleted, moved, or renamed. In Works 2.0 these files are MSSPELL.DLL and MSSP_AM.LEX, and in Works 3.0 they are MSSPEL2.DLL and MSSP2_EN.LEX. These files should be in the following location:

<Windows path>\MSAPPS\PROOF directory (local installation of Works)

Works for Windows shared directory (network installation of Works)

Solution for cases 1-5 above: Reinstall Works for Windows. See the "Installation Notes" section below for more information.
The custom dictionary line in the WIN.INI file is incorrect or missing from the [MS Proofing Tools] section.

Solution: This line should read:
```
      Custom Dict 1=<Windows path>\MSAPPS\PROOF\custom.dic
                    
```
Windows has been started from a memory-resident menu program such as DOSSHELL.

Solution: Remove the shell and restart Windows.
The path line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file may have a relative path for the WINDOWS directory instead of a fully qualified path. For example
```
      PATH=\windows
                        
```
instead of
```
      PATH=c:\windows
                        
```
Solution: To check for a relative path:
1. Choose the MS-DOS Prompt icon from the Main group in the Windows Program Manager
2. Type set at the MS-DOS command prompt.
If the "windir=" line does not include the drive letter, then the path is relative. Edit the PATH= line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that the path is fully qualified.
Windows has been started by a Windows program, making the "windir" path relative, with the same result as above. For example, start Works for Windows by changing to the MSWORKS directory at the MS-DOS command prompt, typing "MSWORKS" (without the quotation marks) at the MS-DOS command prompt and pressing ENTER. The "windir" environment variable reflects a relative path.

Solution: Start Windows before loading Works for Windows.

INSTALLATION NOTES

Works for Windows Version 3.0

Double-click the Works Setup icon in the Works for Windows group.
Choose the Add/Remove button.
Clear the selection of the Proofing Tools box. Choose Continue.
Once setup is complete, double-click the Works Setup icon again.
From the Works Setup screen, choose the Add/Remove button.
Select the Proofing Tools box. Choose Continue. (Do not clear any of the other options unless you want them removed from the system.)
Insert the disk(s) requested by Setup. Choose OK.

NOTE: In Works for Windows version 3.0, the files must first be uninstalled or removed by the Setup program before being reinstalled. Once the files are removed and you reselect the Proofing Tools box, Works 3.0 will reinstall just those files from the floppy disks.

Most Setup applications check for the presence of system/driver files before replacing them. If a corrupted file is present with the right date, Setup may not replace it with the uncorrupted version.

Works 3.0 uses files located in more than one location on the system. The bulk of the files are located in the application's path (C:\MSWORKS); however, there are several system files used for OLE that are located in the Windows and Windows SYSTEM directories.

While it is possible to manually locate each of these files and delete them, it is generally safer and easier to run the Works Setup program and uninstall the application.

Works for Windows Version 2.x

Local Works installation: Run Setup to reinstall the spelling files and update your MSWORKS.INI and WIN.INI files. You can choose Custom Installation to install the spelling checker and thesaurus only.
Network Works installation:
1. If the error message occurs only on one workstation, run the Setup /N command from that workstation.
2. If the error message occurs on all workstations, delete the spelling files in the Works shared directory and run the Setup /A command.

For more information, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

custom and setup and works

Additional query words: 2.00 wp reinstall re-install speller errmsg err msg w_works

Keywords: KB95741

Microsoft KB Archive/95741

Contents