Member Avatar for Cobulson

I am running Windows XP with Outlook Express 6. I have noticed over the last few monthes that my Spelling option in Outlook Express has been grayed out. I am unsure as to why this is happening, but I have been dealing with it so far. I have AVG's latest version and it hasn't caught anything yet, so if you have any thoughts, please let me know. Thank you in advance for your help.
Cobulson

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— the Spelling menu in Outlook Express 6 commonly becomes unavailable when the proofing components OE relies on are missing or incompatible. Outlook Express does not ship its own checker; it uses system/Office proofing files, and installing Office 2007 replaced older proofing files with versions OE cannot use (Microsoft acknowledged this behavior). (support.microsoft.com)

Quick troubleshooting (fast checks that often fix the greyed-out item): open Tools > Options > Spelling and explicitly reselect the default language (select a different entry, Apply, then set English back and OK), then restart Outlook Express and try Spell. If the language list is empty or only shows one language (for example French), that indicates missing/incompatible proofing files rather than an AV issue. (support.microsoft.com)

If Office 2007 is present, two practical remedies are common: a) restore the older proofing files from an Office 2003/XP installation (add the Proofing Tools via a custom install, then reopen OE), or b) use a reputable third‑party on‑the‑fly spell checker or move to a client that bundles proofing (Windows Mail / Windows Live Mail). Detailed steps for restoring Office 2003 proofing tools are documented by independent Office experts. (gmayor.com)

Notes and cautions: was correct to suggest a third‑party workaround and ’s pointer shows those options exist, but avoid untrusted downloads — prefer official or well‑known freeware sites. If proofing files still fail, consider running a system file check or repairing Office/Windows components before deeper troubleshooting. Antivirus such as AVG rarely causes the Spelling menu itself to be greyed out; missing or incompatible proofing files are the usual culprit. (office-forums.com)

Member Avatar for leewill

I had the same problem. If one does not have MS Word, the spell check may not work in IE 6.0/Outlook Express.
I went to google, and searched for spell checker, and found one that installs specifically for IE/OE 6.0. It works fine, so you could do the same.
Leewill

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