XL97: Error Messages Appear Clicking Options on Tools Menu

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you click Options on the Tools menu in Microsoft Excel 97, you may receive the following error message:

   This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
   If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.

   EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module EXCEL.EXE at
   014f:300ce93a.

   EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module <unknown> at
   0000:00780078.

   EXCEL caused a stack fault in module EXCEL.EXE at 014f:300cc4c7.

   EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module <unknown> at
   0000:00000078.

   EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module EXCEL.EXE at
   014f:300cc4c7.

   EXCEL caused an exception 01H in module EXCEL.EXE at 014f:300c0001.

CAUSE

These problems occur if you click Options on the Tools menu, click the General tab, and then specify a path that exceeds 53 characters in the Default File Location box.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, make sure that the path does not exceed 53 characters when you type a path in the Default File Location box.

If you already specified a path that exceeds 53 characters in the Default File Location box, do the following:

1. If Microsoft Excel 97 is running, quit the program.

2. Using Windows Explorer, locate the folder that you specified in the Default File Location box. Click the folder to select it.

3. Right-click the folder and click Rename on the shortcut menu. Change the folder name, and then press ENTER.

4. Start Microsoft Excel 97. On the Tools menu, click Options.

   NOTE: If the problem still occurs, you may have renamed the wrong folder. Repeat steps 1-4 and use a different folder.

5. Click the General tab.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel 97, you can set the default file location for Microsoft Excel files by doing the following:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options. Click the General tab.

2. In the Default File Location box, type the path that you want Microsoft Excel 97 to use, for example:

         C:\My Documents\Workbooks
   

         -or-
   

         \\Server\Share\CJUser\MyWorkbooks
   

3. When you are done, click OK.

Note that the problems described in this article do not occur when you open or save a workbook; they occur only when you use the Options dialog box.