XL97: Error Opening Workbook That Contains MS Access Table

ID: Q172358

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, when you open a workbook that contains a chart, you may receive the following error message:

   This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
   If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.

If you click Details, you receive an error message similar to the following:

   EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module MSO97.DLL at
   0137:30705766.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if all of the following conditions are true:

If this problem occurs, you cannot open the workbook.

NOTE: The problem described in the "Symptoms" section in this article does not occur if you export a table from Microsoft Access 97 into a workbook that is saved in the Microsoft Excel 5.0 or 7.0 format.

WORKAROUND

It may be possible to recover data in the workbook if you follow the steps in the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q142117
   TITLE     : Excel: Summary of Methods to Recover Data from Corrupted
               Files

   ARTICLE-ID: Q147216
   TITLE     : XL: Linking to Data in a Damaged File (5.0 and Later)

To prevent this problem, use the following steps to export the table into the workbook.

CAUTION: If you follow these steps, certain features that are supported in only Microsoft Excel 97, such as UserForms, class modules, and code associated with sheets, may not be saved with the workbook. Use the following steps with caution:

1. In Microsoft Excel 97, open the workbook.

2. On the File menu, click Save As. In the Save As Type list, click

   Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook (*.xls) and click Save.

3. On the File menu, click Close.

4. In Microsoft Access 97, select the table that you want to export. Then,

   click Save As/Export on the File menu.

5. In the Save As dialog box, click "To an External File or Database."
   Then, click OK.

6. In the Save As Type list, click Microsoft Excel 5-7. In the list of
   files, click the Microsoft Excel workbook to which you want to export
   the table. Then, click Export.

7. In Microsoft Excel 97, reopen the workbook.

The exported table appears in the workbook as a new sheet tab.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

The problem described in this article occurs because Microsoft Access 97 incorrectly writes information to workbooks saved in the Microsoft Excel 97 workbook format. If the workbook contains charts, the charts are not saved correctly by Microsoft Access 97, and you cannot open the workbook. This problem does not occur when you use Microsoft Access 97 to make changes to a workbook saved in the Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook (*.xls) format.

Additional query words: XL97 ipf gpf msaccess northwind

Keywords          : kberrmsg kbchart xlloadsave xlgpf 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: November 6, 1998