Switching to LibreOffice: How to Transfer Dictionaries and AutoText from MS Office

As heise online reports (https://www.heise.de/ratgeber/LibreOffice-Umstieg-Woerterbuecher-und-Textbausteine-aus-MS-Office-mitnehmen-11316180.html?wt_mc=rss.red.ho.ho.atom.beitrag_plus.beitrag_plus), switching from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice is an attractive option for many users to save costs and switch to open-source office software. A common question is how to transfer personal customizations such as custom dictionaries and AutoText collections from Word into LibreOffice. These individual data significantly ease daily work by reducing typos and making frequently used text blocks quickly available.

Exporting Dictionaries from MS Office

Microsoft Word usually stores custom dictionaries in a file with the extension .dic. This is typically located in the user profile under a path like “AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\UProof”. To use the dictionary in LibreOffice, this file must be copied and inserted into the corresponding LibreOffice directory. LibreOffice also uses .dic files for custom dictionaries, so a direct import is possible.

After copying, the dictionary can be activated in LibreOffice via the settings under “Language Settings > Dictionaries”. It is important that the file is in UTF-8 format to avoid character encoding issues. If necessary, the file can be converted using a text editor.

Transferring AutoText Collections

AutoText or text blocks in MS Office are often stored in the Normal.dotm template or in special AutoText files. These formats are proprietary and not directly compatible with LibreOffice. Instead, LibreOffice uses the concept of AutoText entries stored in XML files.

A direct import is not possible, but users can manually create their frequently used text blocks in LibreOffice or automate them with macros and extensions. Alternatively, there are tools and scripts that facilitate exporting from Word and converting into LibreOffice-compatible formats, although these usually require some technical know-how.

Why Switching Makes Sense

LibreOffice offers a free, cross-platform alternative to Microsoft Office with high compatibility to common file formats. For companies and private users who want to customize their work environment, the ability to take personal dictionaries and text blocks along is an important factor to make the transition smooth and avoid productivity losses.

Conclusion

Switching from MS Office to LibreOffice is technically feasible if you know where personal data is stored and how to transfer it. Custom dictionaries can be transferred relatively easily, while AutoText collections usually need to be recreated manually. Those who follow these steps benefit from flexible and free office software without losing familiar work tools.