Spell-check problems fixed with PRAM reset

The system-wide spell check in OS X has been a welcome addition to the Mac platform, and many developers have implemented it in their programs. However, in some instances this feature may suddenly stop working.

Apple Discussion poster Stephen Todd writes:

"OS X mail was set to check spelling on send. I noticed it's not bringing up the spell-check window anymore. I switched to check spelling as I type, but deliberately misspelled words are not being flagged. I've invoked the spell checker, but no spell-checking window pops up."

For some people, in Mail the spell-check window would not display when set to check the document before sending an e-mail. If these people turned on auto-correction, no incorrectly spelled words would be underlined. If you are experiencing this problem, it seems one potential cause can be faulty PRAM settings.

Fix:

1. Reset the computer's PRAM.

For some reason, the PRAM seems to influence the functionality of the spell checker, and several people with this problem (posting in this Apple Discussion thread) have found that resetting the computer's PRAM has fixed it. To reset the PRAM, reboot the computer and immediately hold the options-command-P-R keys. Allow the computer to reset and make the boot chimes several times, then release the keys and let it boot normally.

Other potential fixes:

1. Boot into Safe Mode.

This problem may also be addressed by booting into Safe Mode (hold shift at bootup) and then running Disk Utility to repair drive permissions. Doing this will run various system maintenance scripts that may fix the problems.

2. Run third-party maintenance utilities.

The popular program "OnyX" will clear system cache files, other temporary files, and perform a variety of system maintenance tasks. These have the potential to clear nonfunctional system features, and as such, we recommend you try this before attempting other more invasive workarounds such as archiving and installing the system.

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