CG3: Error When Using Clip Gallery to Insert a Sound

• Microsoft Clip Gallery for Windows, version 3.0
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Access 97 for Windows
• Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In any of the Microsoft Office 97 programs listed at the beginning of this article, you receive the following error message:

   Clip Gallery cannot launch the software component to handle <path to a
   WAV file>.

CAUSE

This error message will be displayed if both of the following conditions are true:

• You are using the Microsoft Clip Gallery to insert a sound into a Microsoft Office document.

  -and-

• You do not have the Windows Sound Recorder installed on your machine.

RESOLUTION

You cannot use the Microsoft Clip Gallery to insert sounds into documents unless you have the Windows Sound Recorder installed on your computer. To do this in Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, use the following steps:

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

2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.

3. Click the Windows Setup tab or the Windows NT Setup tab.

4. In the list of Components, click the text "Multimedia". (Do not click the check box to the left of "Multimedia".) Then, click Details.

5. In the list of Components, select the Sound Recorder check box, then click OK.

6. Click OK.

7. If you are prompted to insert your Windows 95 CD-ROM, do so and click OK.

8. When the Sound Recorder is installed, close the Control Panel.

Note: to play sounds, you must have a suitable sound card and drivers installed on your computer.

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

The Microsoft Clip Gallery is a shared application that allows you to embed pictures, sounds, and video clips in documents in Microsoft Office 97 programs. To access it:

1. On the Insert menu, click Object.

2. In the list of Object Types, click "Microsoft Clip Gallery". Click OK.

However, if the Windows Sound Recorder is not installed on your computer, you will not be able to embed sounds using the Clip Gallery.