Word 98 AppleScript problem in OS 9 (won't record!)

[Gern Blanston]

Sorry to bring up old technology, but I have an AS solution that relies on
Word 98 because it was the last version of Word that could reliably do
pattern matching search/replaces. So, I'm also on OS 9 (9.1 to be exact,
with AS version 1.6).

Anyway, this system is installed on and runs on a firewire external drive,
the better to keep the environment unscathed. But what worked last year no
longer works! My script breaks down as soon as it asks Word to do something
through its visual basic engine (to change directory and open a particular
file). The message is simple: "Microsoft Word got an error".

When I switch over to Script Editor and start a new recording, nothing I do
in Word gets captured (this may be a clue as to the problem...). I _can_
record Excel, so it's not Script Editor's fault.

The only thing (I think) that may have been changed since last year was the
addition of MS Internet Explorer 5.1.5. Could the Extensions connected with
its install be interfering with Word's Visual Basic engine? Maybe Word 98
doesn't like Carbon Lib 1.6?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Jaap van den Dries]

Many errors involving Office are gone when you trash the pref named "PPC Registration Database".
It is basically a collection of all the paths Office (and other programs) are using.
You can move the file outside the prefs-folder if you don't want to trash files...
Start Word again, this first time it will take some seconds longer to rebuild the "PPC Registration Database"-file.

Jaap

.... snip ...

Anyway, this system is installed on and runs on a firewire external drive,
the better to keep the environment unscathed. But what worked last year no
longer works! My script breaks down as soon as it asks Word to do something
through its visual basic engine (to change directory and open a particular
file). The message is simple: "Microsoft Word got an error".

.... snip ...

 

[Gern Blanston]

YES! You hit the nail on the head. I trashed this prefs file and all went
perfectly. THANKS!

I'll write it into my script to delete this file at the beginning...

Bill