MXL5: Application.Quit in Auto_Open Sub Causes Computer to Hang

• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for the Power Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, if you open a workbook that contains an Auto_Open subroutine that contains the following line of code

   Application.Quit

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, do either of the following:

• Do not use Application.Quit in the Auto_Open subroutine

      -or-
  

• Instead of using a single Auto_Open subroutine, include an Application.OnTime command in your Auto_Open subroutine. This command should be set up in such a way that it executes another subroutine after the Auto_Open subroutine has completed execution. This other subroutine contains the Application.Quit command.

        For example, instead of using this
  

           Sub Auto_Open()
               MsgBox "This is a test."
               Application.Quit
           End Sub
  
        use this:
  
           Sub Auto_Open()
               Application.OnTime Now + TimeValue("00:00:02"), "QuitMSExcel"
           End Sub
  
           Sub QuitMSExcel()
               MsgBox "This is a test."
               Application.Quit
           End Sub
  
     Using Application.OnTime to indirectly call the subroutine containing
     Application.Quit allows you to avoid hanging your computer. If the
     Auto_Open subroutine contains Application.Quit, or if the Auto_Open
     subroutine directly executes a macro that contains the Application.Quit
     command, your computer will hang.
  
  

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/supportnet/refguide/

   Sub Auto_Open()
       Application.Quit
   End Sub

   The application "unknown" has unexpectedly quit, because an error of
   type 1 occurred.

   -or-

   Sorry, a system error occurred.
   "Microsoft Excel"
      error type 11

This error will not occur unless the subroutine is an Auto_Open subroutine. For example, when you run the following subroutine

   Sub Test()
       Application.Quit
   End Sub