Vista - Spell checker for British people and custom dictionary

1. How do I edit the custom dictionary in Windows Mail? I misspelt
"neighbour" as "nieghbour" and cannot undo it.
2. Is there a BRITISH spell checker for the app? It is becoming very
tedious to have to add words like "favourite", "neighbour", "realise", and
"colour" to the AMERICAN one...

The custom dictionary can be edited:
Windows Mail Spell Checker Dictionary

Windows Mail does not have a British (UK) dictionary.
If you upgrade to Windows Live Mail, it has an easy fix to add UK spell checking.
http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview

--
Gary VanderMolen, MS-MVP (Mail)


"Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre" <Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:B10532BA-81CB-4215-A4F5-F8F82C014B7D@xxxxxx

Why does Windows Mail not have a British(UK) spell checker? And why should I
be expected to upgrade to LiveMail to enjoy the benefits that millions of
Americans seem to enjoy already with WinMail? To be honest I am starting to
dispair of Microsoft: they seem not not care one hoot for anyone speaking any
form of English but American. I suspect the Canadians, the Australians, and
the Irish feel the same! FireFox here I come...

Also why is there no button in WinMail taking you directly to the custom
dictionary? You can add daft made up words like "wigglyboofbaf" at any time
but in order to remove them you have to do all this (I love the comment at
the end BTW, very ironic!):

1. Open Folder Options.
A) Dot Show hidden files and folders in Folder Options.
NOTE: For how, see OPTION TWO here: How to Hide or Show Hidden Files and
Folders in Vista
B) Click OK, and close Folder Options.

2. Open the Start Menu.
3. In the white line (Start Search) area, type notepad and press Enter.
4. In Notepad, click on File on the menu bar. (See screenshot below)

File.jpg

5. Click on Open. (See screenshot below)
6. Click on the drop down menu arrow to the right of Text Documents (*.txt)
and change it to All Files (*.*) instead in the bottom right corner of the
Open window.
7. Navigate to: C:\Users\(your username)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail
NOTE: AppData is a hidden system file. To unhide it, see (Step 1) :How to
Hide or Show Hidden Files and Folders in Vista
A) Click on the UserDictionary.lex file to highlight it, then click on Open.

open.jpgText.jpg

8. This will now open the Userdictionay.lex file inside of Notepad from
where you can now add, delete, or edit any word(s) you choose.
(See Example screenshots below)
WARNING: Make sure that there are no blank lines left between the words by
your deletions, additions, or edits.
NOTE: If you did not add any words before in Windows Mail or manually here,
this will be empty.

BEFORE Example
NOTE: Deleted the one boxed in red below.
Before.jpg

AFTER Example
NOTE: Notice not to leave a blank line inbetween the words.
After.jpg

9. When done, click on File in the Notepad menubar and click Save.
10. Don't forget to go back to step 1 and dot Do not show hidden files and
folders instead in Folder Options.


That's it,
Shawn

I don't work for Microsoft, and it certainly isn't my job to come up with
plausible excuses for why Windows Mail is the way it is.

Incidentally, Windows Live Mail (WLM) has an easy Edit button for its
custom dictionary. It really is a much better program. When you install it,
WLM automatically imports all your WM emails, folders, accounts and
settings.

http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview

--
Gary VanderMolen, MS-MVP (Mail)


"Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre" <IainAndrewDonaldMcIntyre@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:265F07B3-D606-4740-9DB4-979C2FA94115@xxxxxx

Hi Gary,

Sorry for my rant last night! I am fully aware that none of the MS-MVPs work
for Microsoft. It actually brings up another point: how come we can't
actually contact MS directly like any other company in the world? Oh well,
another rhetorical question that will never be answered...

Thank you for your help anyway: it is much appreciated.

Gratefully (and embarrased!)

Iain

"Gary VanderMolen" wrote:

Microsoft hasn't set up a communication channel for Windows Mail
comments or suggestions because (for all practical purposes)
it is a dead product. Compare that to the more elaborate support
and feedback channels for the newer Live family of programs:

https://support.live.com/

and

https://feedback.live.com/

Regrettably, both of those servers seem to be down at the moment.

--
Gary VanderMolen, MS-MVP (Mail)


"Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre" <IainAndrewDonaldMcIntyre@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3BEBF2E1-5732-4BF4-B8BB-CF33E5720DBD@xxxxxx

"Dead product" - yeah I'm not surprised! OE should have been ditched years
ago. Why they bothered changing the name for Vista rather than binning it
and offering MS Outlook instead is anyone's guess...

doo doo doo... another one bites the dust
hehehe!

Iain

Those Live servers were back up as of about three hours ago.

You can buy Outlook and run it on Vista if you want. Outlook has never been free.
It's not really kosher to compare a free email program with one that costs quite
a bit.
--
Gary VanderMolen, MS-MVP (Mail)


"Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre" <IainAndrewDonaldMcIntyre@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:BC4BCF2E-158F-44EF-8154-79E59B2F5E3E@xxxxxx

>> Also why is there no button in WinMail taking you directly to the customJust came up with this tool, as a workaround:

Custom Dictionary Editor for Windows Mail - The Winhelponline Blog:
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/cu...-windows-mail/

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
The Winhelponline Blog: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog
Windows® Troubleshooting: http://www.winhelponline.com


"Iain Andrew Donald McIntyre"
<IainAndrewDonaldMcIntyre@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:265F07B3-D606-4740-9DB4-979C2FA94115@xxxxxx

"Ramesh, MS-MVP" <ramesh@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:upECtpR3IHA.4500@xxxxxx[snip]
I tried looking at that web page, but got a 404 error instead.