This PC had an odd problem: Outlook express would not spell check.
I thought: simple enough: make sure that spell check is enabled, and make sure the correct dictionary is used.
But a quick look at tools -> options -> spelling -> language … and I quickly found that the only language available was: French.
Where was the English dictionary?
After a quick search, the answer became obvious: When you install Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010, Microsoft have decided to create “new” spell check dictionaries that are incompatible with outlook express.
Since Outlook express can no longer use English, German and Spanish dictionaries, it has no choice but to use French… what the ???
It seems the only solution is to install a free OE “plugin” that gives OE the ability to spell check in English again… as long as you spell in “UnitedStatian”, rather than British spelling.
That shouldn’t be a big problem, since British and UnitedStatian spelling is similar enough, and much better than having to teach French to the English world!
The customer was happy to get any spell checking working, so he didn’t care that it wasn’t Australian spelling.
If you are looking for the OE spellcheck addon, its called spelloe, and can be downloaded from: