XL97: Page Fault Setting ProtectGoalSeek Property of Chart

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows, Service Release 1

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows, Service Release 1 (SR-1), if you run a Visual Basic for Applications macro that attempts to set the ProtectGoalSeek property of a chart, 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
   0137:3002a5dd.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the chart is embedded in a worksheet, and the macro attempts to set the ProtectGoalSeek property without first activating the chart. For example, either of the following lines of code may cause the problem to occur:

   ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 1").Chart.ProtectGoalSeek = True

   -or-

   ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(1).Chart.ProtectGoalSeek = False

WORKAROUND

Microsoft provides examples of Visual Basic for Applications procedures 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. The Visual Basic procedures in this article are provided 'as is' and Microsoft does not guarantee that they can be used in all situations. While Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular macro, they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality, nor will they help you construct macros to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to consult one of the Microsoft Solution Providers. Solution Providers offer a wide range of fee-based services, including creating custom macros. For more information about Microsoft Solution Providers, call Microsoft Customer Information Service at (800) 426-9400.

To prevent this problem from occurring, activate the chart before attempting to set its ProtectGoalSeek property. The following sample macro demonstrates how to do this:

   Sub SetProtectGoalSeekProperty()

       'Activate the chart object.
       ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(1).Activate

       'Set the ProtectGoalSeek property to True or False, as appropriate.
       ActiveChart.ProtectGoalSeek = True

   End Sub

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 Excel, the ProtectGoalSeek property of a chart determines whether or not a user can change a value in a chart by dragging a chart data point up and down. If the ProtectGoalSeek property of a chart is True, the user cannot drag data points. If it is False, the user can drag data points.