ACC1x: DDEInitiate from Word Fails When MS Access Is Not Running

ID: Q106300

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to initiate a DDE conversation from Microsoft Word to Microsoft Access, the DDEInitiate function will fail if Microsoft Access is not already running.


CAUSE

If the DDE connect request is sent by Microsoft Word before Microsoft Access is fully initialized, the connect request is rejected.


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Access versions 1.0 and 1.1. This problem no longer occurs in Microsoft Access version 2.0.


MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem


  1. Enter the following code in a new macro in Microsoft Word: 
    
      iChan = DDEInitiate("MSAccess", "System")
      DDETerminate iChan


  2. Save and run the macro. Be sure that Microsoft Access is in the PATH statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, but not currently running.


  3. Answer Yes to the message:

    The remote data (System) is not accessible. Do you want to start the application MSAccess?

    You get the error message:
    WordBASIC Err=500
    Cannot Initiate Link 



Keywords          : kbinterop 
Version           : 1.0 1.1
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: March 26, 1999