Sharing Custom Dictionaries in PowerPoint 365 for Windows

Each logged-in user has a default custom dictionary accessible within PowerPoint and other Microsoft Office programs called RoamingCustom.dic. Additionally, you can create and use many more custom dictionaries. Over time, your custom dictionaries may become a very useful resource, especially since any custom dictionary loaded is used by all the Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Let us assume that you have added several words to the custom dictionaries over the last several years, and now you need to move to a new computer. Or your colleague is helping with some documentation, and you obviously want him or her to use your custom dictionary. To share the dictionary files (.dic), you first need to find out where they are stored on your computer.

We already know the path of your RoamingCustom.dic file, as already mentioned above. Unlike RoamingCustom.dic, other custom dictionaries could be stored anywhere else on your system! Therefore, it is a good idea to find out the path where your custom dictionary is located. This process will enable you to find out the location of any other dictionary which is loaded within PowerPoint.

Follow these steps to learn how you can share custom dictionaries in PowerPoint 365 for Windows:

1. If you have launched PowerPoint, choose Options, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 1, below. Alternatively, if you already have a presentation open, choose the File menu to bring up Backstage view, and select Options. You can also press both the Alt and T keys together, and next press O.
2. 
   Figure 1: Options tab of Backstage view


PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

Do you want more keyboard shortcuts?

Explore our PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts and Sequences Ebook that is updated for all PowerPoint versions.

2. Either way, you bring up the PowerPoint Options dialog box. Click the Proofing option within the sidebar, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2, below.
3. 
   Figure 2: Proofing tab in PowerPoint Options
3. Now, click the Custom Dictionaries button, highlighted in blue within Figure 2, above. Doing so summons the Custom Dictionaries dialog box, shown in Figure 3, below. Select any of the dictionaries within the Dictionary List. You will notice the File path box which displays the selected dictionary's location, highlighted in red withinFigure 3.
4. 
   Figure 3: File path displaying the selected dictionary’s location

What's the Custom.dic file?

The RoamingCustom.dic is the default dictionary in most newer versions of PowerPoint and Microsoft Office programs, but for Office 2007 and 2010, the default dictionary was Custom.dic. It's still available for compatibility reasons.
4. Now, select the location in the File path box, highlighted in red within Figure 3, above, and right-click the selection. From the resultant menu, select the Copy option, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 4, below.
5. 
   Figure 4: Location of the custom dictionary copied
5. Doing so copies the path to the clipboard. Next, open Windows Explorer and paste (Ctrl+V) the copied location within the Address Bar, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 5, below. Then, click the Go to button, highlighted in blue within Figure 5, or press the Enter key on your keyboard.
6. 
   Figure 5: Copied location pasted within the Address Bar
6. Doing so opens the folder where the custom dictionary is stored, as shown in Figure 6, below.
7. 
   Figure 6: Custom dictionary location accessed
7. Now, select the dictionary file you want to copy. Thereafter, you can easily copy this file to a cloud location, a thumb drive, an external hard disk, or even send the dictionary file (.dic) via email. Once the dictionary file is thus shared, it can be easily loaded onto another system using the process explained in our Load Custom Dictionaries in PowerPoint 365 for Windows tutorial.
8. Save your presentation often.