Excel: OLE Sound May Not Work if SoundBits Is Installed

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a
• Microsoft SoundBits, version 1.0

SYMPTOMS

If you embed an object linking and embedding (OLE) sound object in a Microsoft Excel worksheet and have Microsoft SoundBits installed, you may receive the following error message when you try to activate the OLE object:

   This device is being used by another application. Either interrupt
   this application or wait until the device is free and then try
   again.

CAUSE

This error occurs if you have assigned a sound to the Sound Recorder Open event from the Sound control panel. When you activate the OLE object, SoundBits plays whatever sound has been assigned to the Sound Recorder event. Because that sound is already playing and because Windows can play only one sound at a time, Sound Recorder is unable to play the OLE sound and returns the error message.

WORKAROUND

To allow the activation of OLE Sound objects, do the following to disable the Sound Recorder Open event in the Sound control panel:

1. Run the Control Panel application. Double-click the Sound icon to access the Sound control panel.

2. In the Events list, select Sound Recorder Open.

3. In the Files list, select the <none> item at the top of the list.

4. Choose OK to accept the change.