# Apache open office



## Mouse (Oct 25, 2013)

So I had to get a new laptop as the other one's finally given up. This new one has Windows 8 on it. I found out you can't install WordStarter with Windows 8. Useless. So I've had to install OpenOffice and... urgh.

Firstly, it has no grammar checker, so I've had to install one. Secondly - once you have the grammar checker, it won't tell you _why_ it's flagging something up as wrong, or offer suggestions. It'll just blue line it.

Thirdly - the spell check keeps crashing.

Fourthly - you have to save files as odt? Really? I wanted to save my files as they were but it wouldn't let me and I had to save as odt files. So now I have two of everything.

Also, what's with the random predictive text thing it does? How do I turn that off? You'll be typing and it'll start doing suggestions, like a phone does with predictive text. I can't be doing with that. Someone tell me how to kill that, please?

Also, unrelated to OpenOffice but related to my new laptop, my down arrow key is REALLY FLAMING LOUD.


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## chrispenycate (Oct 25, 2013)

I hadn't even noticed the lack of a grammar checker.

Under 'Tools', 'AutoCorrect options', 'Word Completion' you'll find 'Enable word completion'.

Untick.

I _had_ to get rid of that when every time I typed 'the' it suggested I wanted TheDustyZebra. I don't know how it collected that into its 'unceremonious' list.


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## chrispenycate (Oct 25, 2013)

Oh, dear, Safari's slowed right down and I double posted while expecting it to do something. Reboot, methinks.


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## Dozmonic (Oct 25, 2013)

OpenOffice isn't being supported so much now, most of the development team are working on LibreOffice, which is built off OpenOffice. I don't use grammar check, so I can't comment on that. But I do save as various file types, OpenOffice should support plenty of formats. LibreOffice most definitely does.


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## TheDustyZebra (Oct 25, 2013)

chrispenycate said:


> I _had_ to get rid of that when every time I typed 'the' it suggested I wanted TheDustyZebra. I don't know how it collected that into its 'unceremonious' list.



Now why would you want to disable that? It's a very useful function. 

Mouse, you can "Save As" any number of different Word files, HTML, text, and lots of things. There should be a dropdown menu in the "Save As" box. It is a bit of a confusing circular logic thing when the box pops up to ask if you want to keep the current format or whatever, if you just hit save from within a different file format.

I never use grammar checker, but you can run the "spelling and grammar check" on any selection -- not sure if you can set it up to flag as you go, or not. But you already have one of those, anyway.


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## chrispenycate (Oct 25, 2013)

Right, back on Firefox.

Yes, if you do a 'save as' it'll let you save it as .doc, .txt (as if anyone needed to, but it does make for smaller files, its own .odt and my favoured .rtf. Mine won't save docx files, but will read them.

Not perfect, certainly, but I have got quite used to its idiosyncrasies, and it to mine.

Unlike (apparently) Firefox


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## Mouse (Oct 25, 2013)

Thanks, guys. Chrispy, that's perfect, ta!

Re the saving thing. Does it try to save it as odt each time even if you save it as something else?


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## Dozmonic (Oct 25, 2013)

.odt is the default format, just press ctrl a instead of ctrl s to choose what format you save as


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## Mouse (Oct 25, 2013)

crtl a just selects everything doesn't it? I'll figure it out.


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## Dozmonic (Oct 25, 2013)

I change my shortcuts

ctrl shift s

That's what you want


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## Mouse (Oct 25, 2013)

Cool, ta.


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## Mouse (Oct 28, 2013)

Another thing... it doesn't tell you what the word count is? Very helpful. Not.


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## Ursa major (Oct 28, 2013)

I blame the software's writers: they're obviously cowboys....


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## chrispenycate (Oct 28, 2013)

Mouse said:


> Another thing... it doesn't tell you what the word count is? Very helpful. Not.



Now that I know it will do. I've had documents which had it – it appeared in the bottom bar, just to the left of the zoom. And was quite handy. However, I can't find out where that particular preference is (like the page numbering). So I'll go on looking.


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## Abernovo (Oct 28, 2013)

Mouse said:


> Another thing... it doesn't tell you what the word count is? Very helpful. Not.



I use Libre Office, which is pretty similar. The word count there is under tools, about the 3rd or 4th down the list when you click on it.

I must admit, I swear by Libre Office. I wish I could upgrade my version, but I need to upgrade to a new computer first -- this one struggles with the most basic programs.


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## Mouse (Oct 28, 2013)

Yeah, I've found it under properties, but it's nowhere else on screen? On WordStarter it's down in the left hand corner so you can see it change as you type. (Which is hugely helpful when you have 1k word commissions to write!)


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## Abernovo (Oct 28, 2013)

Not that I know of, no. Which is kind of missing an opportunity. I think somebody should drop both companies a feedback email.


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## Mouse (Oct 28, 2013)

It says 'pages' instead and if I click on that it brings up a 'navigator'. Maybe I can get it to show word count somehow. Hmm...


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## Dozmonic (Oct 28, 2013)

OpenOffice doesn't show a running word count. LibreOffice does.


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## Mouse (Oct 28, 2013)

I found an extension (WriterTools) to install but I downloaded it and saved it to the computer but can't install it to OpenOffice. So that was a waste of time. There are some macros for it too, apparently.


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