Editing AutoCorrect ACL Files

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 30, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Siegfried uses the AutoCorrect feature to save many abbreviations in five different languages. He wonders if there is any way of opening an ACL file in an editor, editing some entries, and saving it such that it can be used in the AutoCorrect function with the edited changes. In other words, he would like to edit ACL files for different languages without having to go through the one-by-one entries via the AutoCorrect menu.

Over the years there have been several macros developed that allow ACL files to be exported and imported, most notably so they could be moved from one machine to another. In the process of exporting, the ACL file is in a condition that can be edited prior to importing it again.

One such macro is mentioned at the Microsoft Knowledge Base, at this address:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/207748

This macro will work with Word 2000 or (it appears) with later versions. There are problems with it, however, as it won't work well on more complex ACL files, such as those using multi-paragraph corrections. In that case, you will want to check out the explanations (and associated macros) at the Word MVP site, located here:

http://wordmvp.com/FAQs/Customization/ExportAutocorrect.htm

The macros at this site are much more robust than those at Microsoft's site. When you export the AutoCorrect entries, they are in a text file that can be easily edited using a text editor.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (434) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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