Did you know that Windows 10 comes with a built-in autocorrect tool? The tool does what it’s intended for – detects grammar mistakes as you type – and does it smartly. The Windows autocorrect tool highlights misspelled words as you type in certain apps to draw your attention and allow you to fix these errors. You can even allow autocorrect to automatically correct misspelled words. If the autocorrect is not working on your Windows 10 PC for some reason, refer to the solutions in this guide to revive your PC’s autocorrect.
Before continuing, it’s important to note that autocorrect (on Windows) only works with Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps (i.e. Windows Store apps). Apps developed by Microsoft or installed from the Microsoft Store fall into this category. Examples include Outlook, Microsoft Edge, Mail, etc.
If Windows doesn’t select autocorrect grammar errors when typing in third-party apps, the tool is designed to work that way (it’s not). However, if autocorrect is not working for native Windows Store apps, it’s a cause for concern. Here are some solutions you should try.
1. Re-enable AutoCorrect
Close the autocorrect tool, restart your computer and turn it back on. There are several ways to do this.
From the Settings Menu
Stage 1: Launch the Windows Settings menu and select Devices.
Step 2: Click Typing in the left menu.
Stage 3: In the Spelling section, disable both the ‘Autocorrect misspelled words’ and ‘Highlight misspelled words’ options.
Step 4: Restart the computer.
Step 5: Revisit the Windows Typing menu (Settings > Devices > Typing) and change both options in the Typing section.
Go back to typing in affected apps and check if autocorrect now works.
From the Registry Editor
You can also re-enable autocorrect on your PC by modifying the registry file that powers the (autocorrect) function. Here’s how.
Stage 1: Launch the Windows Run dialog using the ‘Windows + R’ keyboard shortcut.
Step 2: Medicine regedit dialog and click OK or press Enter on your keyboard.
Give the Registry Editor administrator (User Account Control) permission and continue.
Stage 3: Paste the following path into Registry Editor’s address bar and press Enter on your keyboard.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TabletTip\1.7
Step 4: Double click EnableAutocorrection.
Step 5: Change the value (in the Value data box) from 1 to 0 and click OK.
This will disable automatic correction of your computer. Restart your computer and follow steps #1 – #4 to re-enable it.
Step 6: Next, change the value data of the EnableAutocorrection registry file from 0 to 1.
2. Change Keyboard Language
Changing your computer’s default keyboard language or region can help autocorrect work again. From research, we discovered that autocorrect worked again for some Windows 10 users by changing their keyboard language from United States (US) English to UK (UK) English. Perhaps the Windows autocorrect feature is not fully optimized for the keyboard or language you selected. Change your keyboard language and see if it helps.
Stage 1: Launch the Windows Settings menu and select ‘Time and Language’.
Step 2: Select Language in the left pane.
Stage 3: Click on your PC’s default language.
Step 4: Then click Options.
Step 5: Select ‘Add keyboard’.
Step 6: Select UK (QWERTY) or your preferred language from the list.
That’s not all. The next step is to set the newly added keyboard language as the default language input for your PC.
Step 7: Return to the Windows Settings menu and select Devices.
Step 8: Select Typing from the left menu.
Step 9: Go to the ‘Other keyboard settings’ section and click on ‘Advanced keyboard settings’.
Step 10: Click the drop-down button in the ‘Override for default input method’ section and select ‘UK English’ as the default language for your keyboard.
3. Install Language Pack
Another effective way to fix autocorrect problems is to check if the correct keyboard language pack is installed on your Windows computer. For example, if you want to have Windows to autocorrect a UK English word efficiently, you must have a UK English language pack installed on your computer. You must install the corresponding language packs on Windows for the feature to work properly.
Follow the steps below to download and install a language pack that corresponds to the language you want your computer to automatically fix.
Stage 1: Launch the Windows Settings menu and select ‘Time and Language’.
Step 2: Select Language in the left pane.
Stage 3: In the Preferred languages section, click ‘Add preferred language’.
Step 4: Enter the language you want to add in the search box. Alternatively, you can search for a language by entering a country/region name.
Step 5: Select the language you want to add and click Next.
Step 6: Click Install to start the download and installation of the keyboard on your computer.
Note: This process requires an active internet connection.
Wait until the downloads are complete and check if the autocorrect is working now.
Eliminate Grammar Errors
Updating your PC’s operation can also help fix this problem – if it’s caused by a bug, ie. If automatic fix is not working for a particular app, launch Microsoft Store and update it. You can also troubleshoot the app using the methods in our guide on fixing faulty Windows apps. As for non-UWP (Universal Windows Platform) apps, autocorrect, plagiarism detection, synonym suggestion etc. You may need to resort to third-party grammar checking tools to enjoy more advanced features such as
Next: Keyboard shortcuts increase productivity and provide a new appreciation of the Windows operating system. Read the article below to see the full list of Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts.
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