XL98: Run-Time Error When Using DDEInitiate with Word

• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you run a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro that uses the DDEInitiate command to launch Microsoft Word, you may receive the following error message:

   Run-time error '-2147352571 (80020005)':

   Cannot find data source.

WORKAROUND

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1. Create a new file in Word. Save the file to the hard drive with the name "Automation" (without the quotation marks).

2. Quit Word.

3. Start Excel.

4. Start the Visual Basic Editor (press OPTION+F11).

5. On the Insert menu, click Module.

6. On the Tools menu, click References. Click the "Microsoft Word 8.0 Object Library" check box, and then click OK.

7. Type the following code into the module sheet:

         Sub Automation_to_Word
   
            Dim WordDoc as Word.Application
   
            ' Start Word.
            Set WordDoc = CreateObject("Word.Application.8")
   
            ' Open the document that was created in Step 1. You must supply
            ' the correct path to the document for the FileName argument.
            WordDoc.Documents.Open FileName:="Mac HD:Automation"
   
            ' Print the document.
            WordDoc.application.PrintOut Range:=wdPrintAllDocument, _
               Item:=wdPrintDocumentContent, _
               Copies:=1, PageType:=wdPrintAllPages
   
            ' Close the document.
            WordDoc.Documents("Automation").Close
   
            ' Quit Word.
            WordDoc.Quit
   
            ' Release the memory used by the variable.
            Set WordDoc = Nothing
   
         End Sub
   
   

8. Run the macro.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

REFERENCES

For more information about Automation, click the Office Assistant, type "automation," click Search, and then click to view "Understanding Automation."

For more information about Automation, click the Office Assistant, type "automation," click Search, and then click to view "Controlling One Microsoft Office Application from Another."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Excel Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q120802
   TITLE     : Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office
               Program or Component