Windows'XP/Office'97 incomaptibility

[Tom Edelbrok]

PROBLEM: We are upgrading users to Windows XP from NTWS 4.0, but are leaving
them running Office 97 (because we haven't purchased any licenses for Office
upgrades). This causes a serious problem with our VB 6.0 programs that
attempt to create Excel objects. They now give error "-2147417851" when
trying to do a "Workbooks.Add".

This problem seems to affect only the Windows XP / Office 97 combination,
because NTWS 4.0 / Office 97 works fine when creating Excel objects.
Furthermore, installing an Office 2000 upgrading fixes the problem.

Because our site isn't going to purchase Office upgrades how can we get
around this problem? Applying an Office 2000 upgrade fixes it, but we aren't
permitted to go that way. Is there any other solution?

Thanks in advance,

Tom Edelbrok

 

[Ada Pan [MSFT]]

Hi Tom,

According to your description, I know that when you create Excel 97 objects
on Windows XP, a Run-time error -2147417851 will prompt.

Based on my experience and research, the Office 2000 or later application
has a new member that functionally replaces an Office 97 member with the
same name (which is still in the newer Office application, but is hidden.)
If your automation controller uses early binding and, more specifically,
vtable binding, then the entry in the vtable points to the binary
implementation of the revised method. Because the new implementation is
not in the Office 97 application, the call fails.

To work around it, I would suggest you refer to the following article in
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

242375 PRB: Office 97 Automation Client Fails After Re-compilation with
Office
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=242375

I hope this information helps.


In the meantime, I would like to let you know that since this issue is
related to development, you need to submit it in MSND newsgroups if you
need further assistance on this issue. They are best suitable to help you
with the development issue. You can go to "Office Solutions Development
->Excel ->excel.programming" on the following web page to reach the
newsgroup.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp

If you are a MSDN managed customer, you can also submit your question in
"microsoft.public.office.developer.vba" newsgroup. For more information,
please visit the following link:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups/managed/


Regards,

Ada Pan

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