MXL5: Function Wizard Cannot Find Help File with Long Path

ID: Q127098

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you click the Help button in the Function Wizard, you may receive an error message that Microsoft Excel cannot find the Help file. This problem occurs if the path to the Help file exceeds 62 characters (including the name of the help file, "MS Excel Help"). For example, if the path to the Microsoft Excel Help file exceeds 62 characters, such as 

   Macintosh HD:Folder1:Folder2:Folder3:MS Excel Help
when you press the Help button in the Function Wizard, you may receive a dialog box with the error message: 

   Cannot Find 'MS Excel'. Please Select:
At this point, you can locate the Help file in the dialog box and choose OK and the Help topic will be displayed. However, you need to repeat this procedure each time you press the Help button in the Function Wizard.

WORKAROUND

To avoid this error message, install Microsoft Excel to a location where the path to the help file will not exceed 62 characters. For example, if you install Microsoft Excel to the following location (this path is 47 characters) 

   Macintosh HD:Fldr1:Fldr2:Fldr3:Microsoft Excel
the complete path to the help file would then be the following 61-character path: 

   Macintosh HD:Fldr1:Fldr2:Fldr3:Microsoft Excel:MS Excel Help

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a powermac ppc powerpc XL5 

Keywords          : kbtool xlmac 
Version           : MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a
Platform          : MACINTOSH
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: February 5, 1998