PRB: "Link Document Unavailable" Generated by Microsoft Write

• Microsoft OLE version 1.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Write version 3.1, which ships with Microsoft Windows version 3.1, the following error may be generated:

   Link Document unavailable

CAUSE

This error is generated if a file containing an OLE 1.0 object is opened. When a Write file containing OLE 1.0 links is loaded and the links are updated, each of the OLE servers that own the links must be started in order to complete the link update process. Each time a server application is started, Write sets a timer to determine whether there is a problem starting the application.

If this timer expires without a response from the OLE application, Write displays a "Link Document unavailable" dialog box. When the OLE application finally does start and sends the proper OLE response back to Write, the dialog box is automatically dismissed. Typically, this message is displayed if an OLE server application takes more than a few seconds to start and register itself with OLE.

RESOLUTION

One way a server application can avoid this situation with Windows Write (and other OLE 1.0 client applications) is to call the OleRegisterServer and OleRegisterServerDoc functions earlier in the server application's initialization code. The application should then enter into a message loop to dispatch the queued OLE messages back to the client application, and finally, continue with the startup process.