ACC1x: Timeout While Waiting for DDE Response

ID: Q99942

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access versions 1.0, 1.1

SYMPTOMS

Microsoft Access generates the message "Timeout while waiting for DDE response" when you try to initiate a dynamic data exchange (DDE) link with another application.

CAUSE

This error occurs when the function attempting to initiate the link is invoked using a RunCode action in a macro and the RunCode action macro is called from another application using DDE.

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

Microsoft Access takes time-outs with all attempts to perform DDE to other applications if the other application is currently conversing with Microsoft Access as a DDE server.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

The following instructions demonstrate the problem by showing how to use Word for Windows to run a Microsoft Access macro that attempts to initiate a DDE conversation with Microsoft Excel.

Start Microsoft Excel with the default worksheet Sheet1 and type some text in cell A1, or row 1, column 1.

Start Microsoft Access and create the following macro called "Test":


      Test Actions
      ------------
      RunCode
         Function Name: =TestDDE()

Create the following Access Basic function:


      Option Explicit

      Function TestDDE ()
         Dim chan
         chan = DDEInitiate("excel", "sheet1")
         DDETerminate chan
      End Function

Start Word for Windows and choose Macro from the Tools menu. NOTE: Start Excel before running the macro or the macro will fail.

In the Macro Name box, type "test" (without the quotation marks), and press the Edit button.

Type the following macro in the editing window:



      Sub MAIN
         chan = DDEInitiate("msaccess", "system")
         DDEExecute chan, "test"
         DDETerminate chan
      End Sub

Run the macro by choosing the Start button on the macro toolbar or by pressing ALT+SHIFT+S.

Approximately 45 to 60 seconds later the following message is generated by Microsoft Access:


   Timeout while waiting for DDE response

Additional query words: Dynamic Data Exchange


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

Last Reviewed: March 22, 1999