Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 9, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Carolyn is looking for a way to make sure her documents are spell-checked before they are closed. She wants to use this as a final check of the document.
There is no way to do this without using a macro, but using a macro to do this is relatively easy. Word includes some special macros that are executed at specific times. One of those macros is executed whenever a document is closed. All you need to do is make sure that the macro has the name AutoClose, and it is run whenever the document is closed.
The following provides an example of how you could construct such a macro.
Sub AutoClose() If Options.CheckGrammarWithSpelling Then ActiveDocument.CheckGrammar Else ActiveDocument.CheckSpelling End If End Sub
The macro first checks to see if Word is configured to check grammar every time spelling is checked. If it is, then the CheckGrammar method is invoked; if it isn't, then the CheckSpelling method is invoked.
Recognizing that you might not want a spelling check done on every single document that you close, you could modify the macro slightly so that the user is asked if a spell-check should be done. This version of the macro provides a way for the user to provide the feedback:
Sub AutoClose() Dim iAnswer As Integer iAnswer = MsgBox("Run spell check?", _ vbYesNo, "Spell check on closing") If iAnswer <> 7 Then If Options.CheckGrammarWithSpelling Then ActiveDocument.CheckGrammar Else ActiveDocument.CheckSpelling End If End If End Sub
The only difference in this macro is that it asks the user whether to run the spell check. If the user does anything other than to answer "yes," then the spell check is skipped and the document continues closing.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3382) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Spell Checking when Closing Documents.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
Unless you are creating a very short document, chances are good that your prose will contain spelling errors. If you want ...
Discover MoreWhen Word checks the grammar it thinks you are using in your prose, it follows a set of rules. Fortunately the program ...
Discover MoreIf you ever need to check the spelling or grammar of a document from scratch, it can be confusing knowing the proper ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2014-09-20 05:11:07
John
Now that was worth the price of admission. Normally a good typer, but younger fingers are lately getting dyslexic :ROFL:
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments