OE6 "An error occurred while the spelling was being checked". Why?

[All Things Mopar]

Please read this entire post before responding.

I am running Windows XP Pro SP1 with all updates applied. It
was a clean install after an irreparable error occurred on my
HD.

I am running Internet Explorer 6.0 and Outlook Express 6.0. I
am also running the complete MS Office 97 suite including
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.

Prior to having to re-install Win XP, OE6's spell check worked
flawlessly. Now, after the re-install of Win XP /and/ a
successful re-install of MS Office 97, whenever I attempt to
spell check an E-mail or news message, I get the error "An
error occurred while spelling was being checked".

I know what this error means that OE6 cannot find a compatible
32-bit spell engine and custom dictionary. That'd be OK,
except there /is/ a valid spell engine in Office. I've
verified that spell checking and grammer checking work
correctly in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. But, /not/
in OE6.

I searched the MS KB and found this entry:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;178238
#kb1

This KB article specifies how and where to look in the Win XP
Registry to ensure that valid entries are present for a
compatible 32-bit spell checker, such as in Office 97. I have
verified with excruciating detail that all the keys and values
are set as stated in the KB article.

Of course, I've re-started Windows and re-started IE6 and OE6.

Being that this is a clean install of Win XP Pro and a
completely successful install of Office 97, what can be
causing the spell checker error in OE6?

I am completely comfortable with using regedit and would
appreciate any suggestions on how to get spell checking
working again in OE6, as it was before the Win re-install.
Thank you.

 

[All Things Mopar]

On this date, All Things Mopar extended this wisdom for the
consideration of other readers...

Top posting in reply to myself to avoid scrolling...

After I'd exhausted all references to the OE6 spell check error
in the MS KB, I Googled for it, and found a number of
references. This was the best one:

http://www.mac-net.com/706088.page

Basically, it says that some obscure file called csapi3tl.dll
was missing. WTF?! I can't honestly say if this dll was or was
not in my prior install of XP, but it certainly was /not/
anywhere on my HD today.

Apparently, my problem is peculiar to trying to run spell check
in OE6 using the spell engine specifically in Office 97, no
other Office version has the problem. The dll was supposedly on
Win 98 and Win ME install CDs, but not in XP.

I had this problem once before after I'd first installed then
un-installed MS Picture It! graphics. Perhaps Picture It!'s un-
install process deletes this necessary dll?

Anyway, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. It is
working now, and I hope it stays that way! For anyone else
having this problem, here's a few more relevant links:

http://www.tech-pro.net/howto_010.html
http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian/windows/oe_aeowtswbc.htm

 

[PA Bear]

See http://kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_oe.htm#xp_spell_checker or
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/spellcheck.htm

Some users will also need a copy of CSAPI3T1.DLL in %windir%\Program
files\Outlook Express.
--
OE6-specific newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress
OE General newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlookexpress.general

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE) & Security, AH-VSOP

 

[All Things Mopar]

On this date, PA Bear extended this wisdom for the
consideration of other readers...

See http://kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_oe.htm#xp_spell_checker
or http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/spellcheck.htm

Some users will also need a copy of CSAPI3T1.DLL in
%windir%\Program files\Outlook Express.

Thanks, PA Bear! It was the second part of your post that fixed
my problem. I discovered it by Googling a couple hours after my
initial post. I have no clue as to what might've happened to the
file dsapi3t1.dll. I really don't know if it was or was not
there prior to when I had to nuke my HD and reinstall Windows,
but putting it in the OE folder definitely fixed the problem.