ACC: OLE Error After Updating Link to OLE Object on NT 4.0

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SYMPTOMS

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

When you try to commit a record after you have edited an OLE Link, you may receive one of the following error messages.

In Microsoft Access version 7.0

   The object application isn't registered.

   Solution
   To register the object application, reinstall it.

In Microsoft Access 97

   The OLE server isn't registered.

   To register the OLE server, reinstall it.

   An application error has occurred
   and an application error log is being generated.

   MSACCESS.exe
   Exception: access violation (0xc0000005)

CAUSE

This problem occurs if both of the following conditions are true:

• You are running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0.
• When you updated the link in the Change Source dialog box, you typed only the name of the file instead of the full path to the file in the File Name box.

RESOLUTION

There are two ways to work around this problem:

• In the Change Source dialog box, select the new file by clicking it in the list under the File Name box.

      -or-
  

• Type the full path to the new file in the File Name box.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Access 7.0 and 97. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. On a computer running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, start Microsoft Word.

  2. Create two documents, doc1.doc and doc2.doc, in the same folder. Then
     quit Microsoft Word.

  3. Start Microsoft Access and create a new database.

  4. Create the following table:

       Table: tblOLETest
       ----------------------------
       Field Name: ID
          Data Type: Text
       Field Name: OLEItem
          Data Type: OLE Object

       Table Properties: tblOLETest
       ----------------------------
       PrimaryKey: ID

     Save the table as tblOLETest.

  5. On the View menu, click Datasheet view.

  6. In the first record, enter "a" (without the quotation marks) in the ID
     field. Then click the OLEItem field in the first record.

  7. On the Insert menu, click Object.

  8. In the Insert Object dialog box, click Create From File, and then
     click Browse.

  9. In the Browse dialog box, select the doc1.doc file that you created in
     step 2. Then click Open (or click OK if you are using Microsoft
     Access 7.0).

 10. In the Insert Object dialog box, click to select the Link check box,
     and then click OK.

 11. On the Records menu, click Save Record.

 12. On the Edit menu, click OLE/DDE Links.

 13. In the Links dialog box, select doc1.doc in the Links list box. Then
     click Change Source.

 14. In the Change Source dialog box, delete the contents of the File Name
     box and type "doc2.doc" (without the quotation marks). Click Open (or
     click OK if you are using Microsoft Access 7.0).

 15. In the Links dialog box, click Close.

 16. On the Records menu, click Save Record. Note that you receive one of
     the error messages described in the "Symptoms" section.

REFERENCES

For more information about links to OLE objects, search the Help Index for "OLE objects, reconnecting links" and display the topic "Reconnect a link to an object on a form or report."