How to Transfer Dictionary Files From Open Office 2.x to Open Office 3 Beta

When upgrading from Open Office 2.x to Open Office 3 Beta for Windows, the personal dictionary files may not load correctly. This necessitates a fix that only takes a few minutes involving the dictionary files from the previous install of the program. In this guide, learn how to exchange the empty dictionary files in the Beta for old ones by cutting, pasting and overwriting. This fix will only work if the previous installation's files are still intact on the hard drive and for those who have administrator privileges.

Instructions

1. Make certain that all versions of Open Office are closed, including the Quickstarter located in the system tray. Double-click on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop. Then, open the hard drive holding the program files.

2. Find the folder called "Documents and Settings" and open it. There will then be several folders for the different user profiles. Choose and open the "Administrator" one.

3. Double-click the folder called "Application Data." It should be lighter than the others, since it's a hidden file. If this file isn't visible, select the "Tools" pull-down menu, and click on "Folder Options." In the "View" tab under "Advanced Settings," there is a line for hidden files and folders. Fill in the button that says "Show hidden files and folders" and press "OK" to close the window.

4. Scroll down the Application Data window to the folder marked "OpenOffice.org2." Double-click this folder to open it. There are two folders named "Share" and "User." Open the "User" folder.

5. At the bottom of the "User" window is a folder called "Wordbook." Open this folder. Inside are the dictionary files sun.dic, soffice.dic and standard.dic. Copy all of these files by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the selection box around all three, or single-click while holding down the Shift key. Hold down the left mouse button to show the menu and select "Copy."

6. Go back out to the Application Data screen. There is also a folder called "OpenOffice.org3." Double click this folder. Inside of this folder is one folder named "User." Open this location.

7. Open the "Wordbook" folder. It has the same files as the OpenOffice.org2 one, but these aren't populated. Hold down Ctrl-V to paste the new files into the folder. Windows will ask if you're certain that you want to overwrite these files. Select "Yes to All."

8. Close all windows. Open an Open Office 3 Beta text document and do a test run. The dictionary files should be updated with the new information.

Tips & Warnings

• As always, beta software is unstable and prone to accidents. It's always wise to keep the last working version intact on your system, even if the beta seems to work perfectly. Retain the old application folder in its entirety to facilitate easy re-installation if the need arises.