Runtime Error 68 in Word 2003

[StephenW]

I have a series of Mail merge macros. At one client site,
when these macros are ran from machines with Word 2003
installed they receive the runtime error #68 "Device
unavailable"
A macro can be run from either a desktop shortcut, which
runs a VB exe which triggers the macro or from a tool
bar drop down menu inside of Word. They get the same
error either way. There are no devices being asked for at
the start of these menu. I thought it might be a
premissions problem but the head of the IT, which assure
me he has premissions to everything, also has this
problem on his machine. The macros run fine on a machine
which is running Word 2002.

The main mail merge documents and data sources are stored
on a server.

The macros do try to access the registry at the beginning
of them to try and determine which version of Word is
running so that I can find the Startup directory
(Office\Startup, Office10\Startup, Office11\Startup,...).

Could that be the problem? I would think the head of the
IT dept. has rights to his registry.
Any ideas?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi StephenW,

Ideal, of course, would be if someone could debug to
determine where in the code the error is occurring. Without
know anymore than you tell us, it's almost impossible to
trouble-shoot something like this...

The one thing I know of that's definitely changed between
the two versions is the SQL-Query warning that displays when
a main merge document is opened with an attached data
source:

"Opening This Will Run the Following SQL Command" Message
When You Open a Word Document - 825765
http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=825765

When you automate the mail merge, the data source is
automatically removed, so the mail merge cannot proceed. If
the code at least gets so far as to open the main merge
document, have someone check whether a data source is still
attached.

I have a series of Mail merge macros. At one client site,
when these macros are ran from machines with Word 2003
installed they receive the runtime error #68 "Device
unavailable"
A macro can be run from either a desktop shortcut, which
runs a VB exe which triggers the macro or from a tool
bar drop down menu inside of Word. They get the same
error either way. There are no devices being asked for at
the start of these menu. I thought it might be a
premissions problem but the head of the IT, which assure
me he has premissions to everything, also has this
problem on his machine. The macros run fine on a machine
which is running Word 2002.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun
8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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[StephenW]

Cindy thanks for your response.
I don't think the macros are getting that far. The first
thing the macros do is open a form with command buttons
which simulates the different Mail merge option, "Merge
to new Document", "Merge to Printer", and so forth. From
what I can tell from my "distance" the macros don't even
get as far as the form. I have an e-mail out to the IT
dept. , but no answers yet. The first things the macros
are doing is trying to read from the registry and trying
to read from an INI file stored in the ...\Office11
\Startup directory. I've had trouble in the past trying
to get files into that directory during installs and
such. Any idea what the default permissions on that
directory are? If my INI is not found (I do a
application.FileSearch) I try to create and write to it.
I'm leaning to something with that directory as the
problem. What do you think?
Steve