Off97: Error Inserting an Office Object Under Windows NT 4.0

• Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS

In any of the programs listed at the beginning of this article, when you insert an object that is a shared program, you may receive one or more of the following error messages:

   Microsoft Word 97
   -----------------

   The server application, source file, or item cannot be found.
   Make sure the application is properly installed, and that it has not
   been deleted, moved, or renamed.

   Microsoft Excel 97
   ------------------

   Cannot start the source application for this object.

   Microsoft PowerPoint 97
   -----------------------
   The server application, source file, or item can't be found.  You
   should reinstall the server application.

   The program associated with the selected template cannot be started,
   or the program cannot use the selected template.

CAUSE

The problems described in this article may occur when the following conditions are true:

• You are using Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0.

  -and-

• You create a folder named "Program" in the root directory on the same disk drive in which you installed Office.

  NOTE: It does not matter whether you create the folder before or after you install Office.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Run Setup /y /r

To run Setup with these switches, follow these steps:

1. Click Start on the taskbar, point to Programs and click Windows NT Explorer.

2. In Windows Explorer, open the Program folder on your hard disk (for example, C:\Program).

3. Right-click the folder and click Rename.

4. Type a new name for the folder (for example, "programs"), and then press ENTER.

5. Insert Disk 1 or the compact disc of the product in the appropriate floppy disk drive.

6. On the Windows Start menu, click Run. In the Open box, type the following command

         <drive>:\setup /y /r
   

   where <drive> is the disk drive that contains the Setup program.

   NOTE: The /r switch instructs Setup to reinstall the software. If you do not include the /r switch, you must click Reinstall.

7. Click OK.

Method 2: Run Setup and Click Reinstall

To use this method, follow these steps:

1. Repeat steps 1-5 in the section for method 1.

2. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. In the list of installed programs, click Microsoft Office 97 (or the product in question), and then click Add/Remove. If you installed Microsoft Office (or the product in question) from a compact disc, you are prompted to insert the first compact disc.

   If a dialog box appears and notifies you that programs are running, quit the programs, and then click OK.

4. In the Microsoft Office 97 Setup dialog box, click Reinstall.

STATUS

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

MORE INFORMATION

This problem occurs when you insert the following objects:

• Equation Editor
• Image Document
• Microsoft Graph 97 Chart
• Microsoft Photo editor 3.0 Photo
• Microsoft Photo editor 3.0 Scan
• MS Organization Chart 2.0
• Microsoft Excel Chart *
• Microsoft Excel Worksheet *
• Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation *
• Microsoft PowerPoint Slide *
• Microsoft Word Document *
• Microsoft Word Picture *
• WordPad Document