Excel May Generate a UAE when Choosing File Update

SUMMARY

When inserting a Microsoft Excel chart into Microsoft PowerPoint version 2.0, Excel may return an Unrecoverable Application Error (UAE) after you choose the File menu's Update command. This error may occur when using other applications that support OLE (object linking and embedding) as well.

Informal testing has shown this error to occur when using charts embedded on worksheets as the object. The error may also occur under other conditions, but no other reproducible example is known.

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

NOTE: Following the steps below may cause Excel to give a UAE. Save your work in all open applications before continuing!

Steps to Reproduce Problem

To illustrate the workarounds for this issue, it is necessary to follow the steps to reproduce the problem:

1. Open Excel version 3.0. Put some data into Sheet1 and use the Chart tool to create two embedded charts (of any type). Save this spreadsheet as SHEET1.XLS and exit Excel.

2. Open PowerPoint version 2.0.

3. In the default presentation, choose Insert Excel Chart from the File menu in PowerPoint.

   Excel will open with the message

         ?PowerPoint window active
   

   where ? is 1 at this point and 2 the second time through.

4. From the File menu, choose Open and open SHEET1.XLS.

5. Double-click the first embedded chart to put it into an edit window. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.

6. Choose the Window menu's ?PowerPoint selection to make it the active sheet and choose the Edit menu's Paste command. The chart should now be displayed in the ?PowerPoint window.

7. Choose the File menu's Update command to close Excel and return to PowerPoint.

   This should work correctly and you should see the chart in the presentation.

8. In PowerPoint, choose New Slide from the Edit menu.

9. Repeat steps 3-7 using the second chart in SHEET1.XLS.

   The result at this point may be a UAE.

Workarounds

Two workarounds have been found for this behavior. Either of the following should correct the problem:

1. In step 7 above, close the ?PowerPoint window instead of choosing the File menu's Update command.

         -or-
   

2. Add this step:

   5a. Close the chart edit window after copying.

   object and linking and embedding

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 3.0, pages 72, 325-327, 391-394