XL4: GP Fault in Excel 4.0 Printing or Closing Print Preview

ID: Q122853

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 4.0, 4.0a
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel version 4.0 for Windows, when you open a file, and you either print the file or view the file in print preview, you may receive the following error message:

   Excel caused a General Protection Fault in module EXCEL.EXE at
   0003:0B7A.

NOTE: You may not be able to start Microsoft Excel 4.0 again until you exit and restart Windows.

In Microsoft Excel version 4.0 for the Macintosh, the application may stop responding, and you may receive a system error.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if a Print Area or Print Title on the worksheet contains an external reference, such as SHEET1!$A:$A, and the scaling is set to something other than 100%.

For example, this problem may occur if you open a file from a later version of Microsoft Excel that was saved in the Microsoft Excel 4.0 Worksheet format. If the file has a Print Area or Print Title that references multiple ranges on the worksheet, and the scaling is set to something other than 100%, this problem occurs when you print the file, or view the file in print preview.

This problem may also occur when you open a Lotus 1-2-3 file in Microsoft Excel version 4.0.

NOTE: This problem does not occur in Microsoft Excel 5.0, Microsoft Excel 7.0, Microsoft Excel 97, or Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition. The problem occurs only when you open the worksheet in Microsoft Excel version 4.0.

WORKAROUNDS

To avoid the error message above, use any of the following methods.

Method 1

When you save a worksheet as a Microsoft Excel 4.0 Worksheet, make sure that there is not a multiple range print area defined.

Method 2

Set the Print Area or Print Titles again in Microsoft Excel version 4.0. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the file that is causing this problem.

2. On the Formula menu, click Define Name.

3. On the Names In Sheet list, click Print_Area or Print_Titles, and click

   Delete.

   This removes the current Print Area and Print Titles.

4. Click OK.

5. To reset the Print Area and Print Titles, select the desired cells, and

   click Set Print Area or Set Print Titles on the Options menu.

MORE INFORMATION

When you view the file in print preview, the data on the worksheet may appear to be compressed horizontally, with unusually large margins. The data may be illegible, overlapping, or displayed as pound signs (#). The general protection (GP) fault or system error does not occur until you click Close.

Additional query words: 4.00 4.00a gpf

Keywords          : kbprint
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,4.0a; MACINTOSH:4.0
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: February 4, 1998