Spell Checking - Turn On or Off in Windows 8

Turn On or Off Spelling "Autocorrect" and "Highlight" Misspelled Words in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

Windows 8 includes a new built-in spell checking feature that autocorrects and highlights misspelled words in modern apps and in both Internet Explorer (IE10 & IE11) desktop and Windows UI modern versions.

This tutorial will show you how to turn spelling "autocorrect misspelled words" and "highlight misspelled words" on or off in your user account in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

   Note

When autocorrect misspelled words is turned on, it will autocorrect your typed words on the fly if matched with the correct spelling of the word in the dictionary.

When highlight misspelled words is turned on, your typed misspelled words that are not found in the dictionary will be highlighted with a red squiggly line under it. You can then right click on this highlighted misspelled word for more options.

EXAMPLE: "Highlight misspelled word" in IE10 or IE11
NOTE: This is an example when typing a misspelled word here at EightForums in IE10.

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OPTION ONE

Set to "Autocorrect" and "Highlight" Misspelled Word in PC settings

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1. In Windows 8 or Windows RT, open PC settings. On the left side, click/tap on General, and do step 3 and/or 4 below for what you would like to do. (see top screenshot below step 5)​

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2. In Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, open PC settings. On the left side, click/tap on PC & Devices. (see screenshot below)​

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A) On the left side of PC and Devices, click/tap on Typing, and do step 3 and/or 4 below for what you would like to do. (see bottom screenshot below step 5)​

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3. To Turn On or Off "Autocorrect Misspelled Words"​

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A) On the right side under Spelling, move the Autocorrect misspelled words slider left (off) or right (on).​

NOTE: This is turned on by default.​

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4. To Turn On or Off "Highlight Misspelled Words"​

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A) On the right side under Spelling, move the Highlight misspelled words slider left (off) or right (on).​

NOTE: This is turned on by default.​

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5. Close and reopen Internet Explorer (if open) to apply to it.​

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6. When finished, you can close PC settings if you like.​

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OPTION TWO

Set to "Autocorrect" and "Highlight" Misspelled Word using a REG File

   Note

The .reg files below are for the registry key and values below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\TabletTip\1.7

EnableAutocorrection DWORD

0 = Turn off autocorrection
1 = Turn on autocorrection

EnableSpellchecking DWORD

0 = Turn off highlight
1 = Turn on highlight

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1. Do step 2 or 3 and 4 or 5 below for what you would like to do.​

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2. Turn On Autocorrect Misspelled Words​

NOTE: This is the default setting.​

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A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 or 5 below.​

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Turn_On_Autocorrect_Misspelled_Words.reg​

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3. Turn Off Autocorrect Misspelled Words​

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A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 or 5 below.​

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Turn_Off_Autocorrect_Misspelled_Words.reg​

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4. Turn On Highlight Misspelled Words​

NOTE: This is the default setting.​

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A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.​

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Turn_On_Highlight_Misspelled_Words.reg​

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5. Turn Off Highlight Misspelled Words​

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A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.​

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Turn_Off_Highlight_Misspelled_Words.reg​

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6. Save the .reg file to your Desktop.​

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7. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.​

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8. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.​

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9. Close and reopen Internet Explorer (if open) to apply to it.​

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10. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.​

OPTION THREE

To Enable or Disable Spell Checking Feature

   Note

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

This option will affect all users on the computer.

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1. Take ownership of the MsSpellCheckFacility.dll file below, and set permissions to allow the Administrators group "full control" of the file.​

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C:\Windows\System32\MsSpellCheckFacility.dll​

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2. Take ownership of the MsSpellCheckingFacility.dll.mui file below, and set permissions to allow the Administrators group "full control" of the file.​

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   Note

If you do not have a US English Windows installed, then the en-US folder below will be named for your language instead.

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C:\Windows\System32\en-US\MsSpellCheckingFacility.dll.mui​

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3. Do step 4 or 5 below for what you would like to do.​

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4. To Disable Spell Checking Feature​

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A) Rename the MsSpellCheckFacility.dll file to MsSpellCheckFacilityOld.dll, and approve.​

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B) Rename the MsSpellCheckingFacility.dll.mui file to MsSpellCheckingFacilityOld.dll.mui, and approve.​

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5. To Enable Spell Checking Feature​

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A) Rename the MsSpellCheckFacilityOld.dll file to MsSpellCheckFacility.dll, and approve.​

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AND​

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B) Rename the MsSpellCheckingFacilityOld.dll.mui file to MsSpellCheckingFacility.dll.mui, and approve.​

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OR​

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C) Run the SFC /SCANNOW command to restore the default MsSpellCheckFacility.dll and MsSpellCheckingFacility.dll.mui files.​

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Add or Remove Words in Spell Checking Dictionary in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Spelling Correction in Internet Explorer 10 (IE10)
• How to Enable Windows Spellchecker in Microsoft Edge Chromium

 

[Brink]

Ok. Go ahead and post a screenshot of all of PC settings showing your Spelling settings like the screenshot in step 6 of OPTION ONE to see if that may show anything as a possible cause.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2598-screenshots-files-upload-post-eight-forums.html

 

[anthropos]

Ok, I post first of all the screenshots:







This much for the settings I use and used from the start; it never worked on this machine from the start and I installed Win 8 two or three times till today, but now I try to stick to an installation longer.
(The first time, I tried the solution of changing ownership of associated system files and renaming them, but I do not like messing around with system files, so I never did it again the other times when I installed Win 8; to clarify: I have not changed any system files yet.)

Some other info is that I use a German version of Win 8, changed the display language to English (UK) and changed back the Input method to German; but it never made a difference which language I used, except that it determed in which language the spellchecking checks my writing.
(Searching for solutions is a bit better if one knows both English and German terms. )

 

[Brink]

Odd. If you have not already, restart the PC to see if that may apply the settings.

Does this work properly in another user account?

 

[anthropos]

Odd. If you have not already, restart the PC to see if that may apply the settings.

Does this work properly in another user account?

I restarted three times the machine but nothing changed.
And now another odd thing: I wrote this here on my tablet (Winodws 8.1 all in German, by the way), and I checked the modern apps and Internet Explorer desktop and guess what? Spellchecking is disabled! (on the tablet) And with the same settings, my Windows 8.1 desktop machine is unable to disable the spellchecking. (I am using the simple version of Win 8.1 Update 1, not the Pro or Enterprise version.)

The registry entries look like this:

 

[Brink]

As a test, create another user account, sign in to it, and see how spell check works in it.

 

[anthropos]

Ah, another thing I found out: (I take care of three machines, one desktop for my parents and a tablet and a desktop for me,) this problem appears on two of these machines, both desktop machines with simple Win 8, one is 64-bit and the other is 32-bit, only the tablet from Acer with its 32-bit version of Win 8 does not have the problem.

Sadly, after creating a new user account the problem still persists on my desktop machines; a fresh Win 8 installation starts with enabled spellchecking and it says on for me - no matter what - and on every user account.
I bought Win 8 64-bit/32-bit since first publication and it was always like this, before the upgrade to 8.1 and after it and now even after Update 1 for Win 8.1; at first I thought of bad luck and a corrupted installation but now I find this all only odd.

 

[Brink]

I would say that maybe it could be your settings getting synced with your Microsoft Account, but that wouldn't be the case if your spell check settings all show turned off while it actually is still on.

Let me do some more investigating for a way to force spell checking to be disabled other than renaming the MsSpellCheckFacility.dll system file, and I'll post back.

 

[RodHeal]

Hi, Thanks for the replies.

It appears that I also don't have control of the the spell checker nor do I have the addon in IE11 so no chance to control it from there.

I can change the options in PC settings and see them change in the registry setting mentioned. However this doesn't alter the way that the spell checker works.

How do we take control of this?

 

[anthropos]

I would say that maybe it could be your settings getting synced with your Microsoft Account, but that wouldn't be the case if your spell check settings all show turned off while it actually is still on.

Let me do some more investigating for a way to force spell checking to be disabled other than renaming the MsSpell... system files, and I'll post back.

If you would find a solution besides renaming corresponding system files, it would be a unique breakthrough because (as far as I know) there is no other solution (easily) found via Google or Bing or the like.
(I searched the registy for other entries with spell in their names but I was not sure about them.)

 

[Brink]

Well, I don't see any other way to disable the spell checking feature other than renaming the file. I've added OPTION THREE to help make it easier to follow on how to do so.

 

[anthropos]

Well, I don't see any other way to disable the spell checking feature other than renaming the file. I've added OPTION THREE to help make it easier to follow on how to do so.

Hm, what about taking System and TrustedInstaller the rights to use these files? The only problem I have with this solution is that sfc will give error messages about integrity problems and one is unable to see straightaway if it is the intended violation or a real problem.

 

[Brink]

It's not an issue for SFC. If you run SFC, it'll basically just replace the missing file since it has been renamed with a default copy. Since the file is only used for spell checking, it will not affect anything else.

 

[anthropos]

Oh, I just meant, it is a bit annoying if I ran SFC now and then, I would also have to repeat these changes and I would get a false alarm. Another question regarding spell-checking: do we know where the dictionary is saved? Or is it inaccessible?

 

[Brink]

Yeah, that would be a downside to have to repeat Option Three after running SFC.

I haven't found a dictionary yet, and not sure if it's customizable.

 

[anthropos]

Anyway, thank you for your efforts! Was worth a try and maybe Microsoft will fix it someday.

 

[viper2014]

I am having same issue auto correct and auto highlight are on but words do not auto correct

 

[Brink]

Hello Viper, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Yeah, I noticed that most of the time, misspelled words just get underlined in red and very little if any autocorrecting is done.