Outlook Express Spell Check

I have just purchased a new HP tower which has Windows XP Media Edition OS. I have set up Outlook Express as my email program and the computer has Microsoft Works Ver 8 installed. How can I set up OE to use Works Word Processor Spell Checker? Thank you!!

 

Pete--Thank you for your response--I have Microsoft Works---not Word--on my new computer. Works has a Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Database section but they are not as sophisticated as other MS offerings -such as Word, for example. I am hoping that the spell checker in the Works Word Processor will work for OE. I looked in Tools-Options-in OE and checked under all the tabs but could not find anything referring to spelling. Do you know if the Works program Spell Checker will work?

 

I tried downloading the spell check from the "Geeks" site but it was for OE ver 2 .3 of something like that and then prior to installation it asked if I wanted to overwrite some files--I didn't have warm and fuzzy feelings so I aborted. I don't have the Works Suite and Word costs a lot of bucks. Good ole MS. Guess I will have to explore other options. Setting up a new computer is a time consuming task!! Thanks for the try guys!

 

bsilverfox--I do not have Word or Works and have a spell checker in my OE. I am pretty sure it is the one from MajorGeeks as mentioned by PeteC--spell.exe is the executable. Perhaps make a Registry backup or make sure you have System Restore making Restore Points. So, if anything goes wrong, you can easily restore.

 

FWIW, I have Works 4.0 which is from the mid 90's era (believe it or not) installed on this XP box and the spell checker in OE works fine. It didnt' before I installed Works however. So, my guess is that any newer version should work also. ?????

 

The Solution

I am not going to list all the "solutions" the folks at HP Support walked me through in trying to get spell checker to function in Outlook Express with just Microsoft Works installed because after hours on the phone, personal on line chats, and emails ---none of their "solutions" worked. I sent them the following copy from the Help Section of a "Welcome to Outlook Express" email from Microsoft which is the first email one receives when beginning with OE on a new computer.

To check the spelling in messages

Outlook Express uses the spelling checker provided with the following Microsoft Office programs: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. If you do not have one of these programs installed, the Spelling command is not available.

In the New Message window, click Spelling on the toolbar, or on the Tools menu, click Spelling.
Note

To customize the way your spelling checker works, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then select the Spelling tab.

Clearly, Works is conspicuous here by its absence. After receiving my email-and having previously put me literally hours of repetitious fixes---they send me the following message:

I sincerely apologize for the inconveience caused to you in resolving
your issue. However, following are the weblinks to download the
"ABCSpell for Outlook Express" that will serve you the best.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/E-mail/Mail-Utilities/ABCSpell-for-Outlook-Express.shtml

I downloaded and installed the program and it works great and also has a dictionery and Thesarus which I never had before with the Microsoft Spell Check. I think it's $16.95 to keep after the trial. I wish they had sent me this a week ago. It is my belief that the info in the Help Section of the letter I got from MS is true. Spell Check doesn't work with Works ver 8. In spite of what a number of web sites imply.
I know there are freebies out there-I felt more comfortable with this solution. Hopefully this might help someone else in the same boat.