DDE error

[John]

I am using Office 2000 with forms created in Word (mail merge codes)
utilizing Excel 2000 for my database.

Recenly we have begun to experience a disconnet with the DDE associations to
the database in Excel. The forms open fine and work fine until you want to
close them. At that point the form file takes an extended amount of time to
close, an error box pops up asking if I want to continue to wait. I say "no"
a box pops up asking me to choose the source file to associate to this form
file. I navigate to it and choose the same Excel file that we have been
using all along. I have to then merge the file again so that the filter
categories in the query box are available. Then save the file.

I have plenty of RAM on the individual computer stations as well as the
server, and plenty of HD on the server.

The Excel database file is read only to everyone but me. I notice that I do
not have any problems if I am the only person using the word and excel files,
but once someone else accesses a file the DDE connections are lost.

Why is this happening?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

A number of people have been reporting additional problems with DDE
recently, particularly to do with Office 2000, and I wonder whether a recent
update has created additional problems in this area. The trouble is that
a. DDE has been "obsolescent" for so long now that it would not surprise me
if MS has not tested the impact of updates on DDE for a long time,
particularly since DDE is regarded as a security risk. Nor do I know what
view MS support would take if you submitted a support incident, which is
probably what I would do anyway.
b. Unfortunately, nothing else quite fills DDE's role when it comes to
MailMerge, in the sense that DDE lets you work on the data Source in Excel
and on your Word document at the same time.

The Excel database file is read only to everyone but me. I notice that I
do
not have any problems if I am the only person using the word and excel
files,
but once someone else accesses a file the DDE connections are lost.

FWIW I thought this was always the case with Excel files, which are not
essentially multi-user. But I could well be wrong. Also, if anyone is
accessing the same files using either ODBC (or even OLEDB if someone has
Word 2002 or later), then you will almost certainly encounter locking
problems.

Sorry I cannot be more help.

But how dependent are you on your current set-up? e.g., what would be
involved in moving to another type of data source that is better suited to a
multi-user environment?

Peter Jamieson

 

[John]

"Thank you for your help.

Right now the "powers that be" are not interesting in changing anything or
spending money. So I am stuck.

I appreciate all your help and will keep your advice in mind.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

<<

Right now the "powers that be" are not interesting in changing anything or
spending money. So I am stuck.

Understood.

It is probably also worth recreating your Excel workbook from scratch, if
possible (If it's very simple you may be able to export to .csv and
re-import)

It may be worth looking for DDE-related stuff at support.microsoft.com

It may be worth checking that no-one has added any macros to your Word
normal.dot, your mail merge main document, or any template other than Word
that might be attached to it.

Peter Jamieson