Microsoft Word Custom Dictionary Location - Find & Manage

Preserving Your Custom Word Dictionary After a Windows Reinstallation

Developing a comprehensive custom dictionary within Microsoft Word is a gradual process, achieved through the addition of terms as needed. However, the benefits of a well-populated dictionary significantly enhance the document creation experience.

A common concern arises when a Windows reinstallation becomes necessary: how can you safeguard your painstakingly built custom dictionary from being lost?

Locating and Backing Up the Dictionary File

The custom dictionary in Microsoft Word is stored as a file on your computer. Before reinstalling Windows, it’s crucial to locate and back up this file.

This process involves identifying the specific file location and creating a copy for safekeeping.

Where Word Stores Custom Dictionaries

Word stores custom dictionaries in a specific folder. The location varies slightly depending on your version of Windows and Word, but it’s generally found within your user profile.

Typically, the file is named custom.dic and resides in a path similar to: C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Office\*.

Backing Up Your Custom Dictionary

Once you’ve located the custom.dic file, simply copy it to a safe location. This could be an external hard drive, a USB flash drive, or a cloud storage service.

Ensuring you have a backup before proceeding with the Windows reinstallation is paramount.

Restoring Your Dictionary After Reinstallation

After reinstalling Windows and Microsoft Word, you can restore your custom dictionary. Copy the backed-up custom.dic file back to its original location.

Word should automatically recognize and load the restored dictionary, allowing you to continue working with your personalized word list.

Source of Information

This information originates from a question and answer exchange on SuperUser, a part of the Stack Exchange network of community-based Q&A websites.

SuperUser provides a valuable resource for technical troubleshooting and knowledge sharing.

Locating and Preserving Custom Dictionary Words in Microsoft Office

A SuperUser user, Shaqpad, has inquired about the process of locating and backing up personalized dictionary word lists within Microsoft Office applications.

The core issue revolves around the loss of these custom word lists following a Windows reinstallation.

The Problem

Shaqpad utilizes Microsoft Office's Proofing Tools and has diligently constructed a custom dictionary over time.

However, a planned Windows reinstallation presents a challenge: the custom word list will be erased upon system reset.

The user is seeking a method to preserve this list for convenient restoration after the operating system is reinstalled.

Finding the Custom Dictionary Files

Rather than rebuilding the dictionary from scratch, it's significantly more efficient to locate and save the existing files.

The location of these files varies depending on the version of Microsoft Office and the user's Windows profile.

• For Microsoft Office 2007 and later, the custom dictionary is typically stored in a .dic file.
• These files are usually found within the user's AppData folder.

The specific path is generally:

C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Office\[Office Version]\Proofing\Custom Dictionary

Replace "[Your Username]" with your actual Windows username and "[Office Version]" with the appropriate folder name (e.g., 16.0 for Office 2016/2019/365).

Saving and Restoring the Dictionary

Once located, the .dic file can be easily copied to a safe storage location, such as an external drive or cloud storage.

After reinstalling Windows and Office, simply copy the .dic file back to its original location.

Office will automatically recognize and incorporate the restored custom dictionary.

This approach avoids the tedious task of manually re-entering all previously added words.

Additional Considerations

It's prudent to back up all important files before a Windows reinstallation.

This includes not only the custom dictionary but also other personalized settings and data.

Regular backups ensure a smoother and less disruptive recovery process.

Locating and Transferring Your Custom Word Dictionary

Solutions to the question of where Word 2010 stores custom dictionary entries were provided by SuperUser community members mkruzil and and31415.

mkruzil's Initial Response

According to mkruzil, adding a new word to your dictionary within Word 2010 results in that word being saved to a specific text file.

This file is located at: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\UProof\CUSTOM.DIC.

Transferring this file to a new Word 2010 installation will effectively restore your personalized dictionary.

and31415's Clarification

and31415 offered a more adaptable approach, acknowledging potential variations in user names and installation drives.

They suggested utilizing the following path, which is less dependent on specific system configurations:

%AppData%\Microsoft\UProof\CUSTOM.DIC

This method ensures the correct file is located regardless of the user account name or the drive where Windows is installed.

Simplified Dictionary Management

Knowing the location of the CUSTOM.DIC file allows for straightforward preservation of your custom dictionary during Windows re-installations.

This eliminates the need to manually re-enter frequently used, specialized terms.

Further insights and contributions are welcome in the comments section.

For a more comprehensive discussion and additional perspectives, the original Stack Exchange thread can be accessed here.