XL Err Msg: Unable to Set the Text Property of Editbox Class

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0

SYMPTOMS

When you run a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications subroutine in Microsoft Excel, you may receive the following macro error message:

   Runtime Error 1005:
   Unable to Set the Text Property of the Editbox Class

• A macro attempts to set the Text property of an edit box on a protected dialog sheet

  -and-

• The workbook has been closed and reopened since protecting the dialog sheet

CAUSE

To change the text of an edit box on a protected dialog sheet, the Lock Text check box must be cleared. The Lock Text check box is located on the Protection tab of the Format Object dialog box for that edit box. When the file is saved, closed, and reopened, the Lock Text check box is reset.

WORKAROUND

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Method 1

Unprotect the dialog sheet before you change the edit box text and then reprotect the dialog sheet. The following example uses the Unprotect method to unprotect a dialog sheet named "Dialog1." It then changes the text of an edit box named "Edit Box 4," and then reprotects the Dialog Sheet.

   ' You can skip this line if you are adding this code to
   ' an existing macro.
   Sub ChangeEditBox()

      ' Unprotect the dialog sheet. If a password is required,
      ' remove the apostrophe in front of password and
      ' change "MyPassword" to the correct password.
      DialogSheets("Dialog1").Unprotect 'password:="MyPassword"

      ' Change the edit box text to "Hello." You should verify and
      ' change "Edit Box 4" to the correct name.
      DialogSheets("Dialog1").EditBoxes("Edit Box 4").Text = "Hello"

      ' Reprotect the worksheet. If a password is required,
      ' remove the apostrophe in front of password and change
      ' "MyPassword" to the correct password.
      DialogSheets("Dialog1").Protect 'password:="MyPassword"

   End Sub

Method 2

Leave the dialog sheet unprotected.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in versions of Microsoft Excel 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.

REFERENCES

For more information about the Text Property, choose the Search button in Visual Basic Reference help and type:

   Text Property

   ARTICLE-ID: Q113599
   TITLE     : Can't Format Control Text in Objects Such As EditBox and
               Range

   ARTICLE-ID: Q125422
   TITLE     : XL5: Creating a Masked Password Dialog Box in Visual Basic