XL97: Path/File Access Error in Macro Under Windows NT

 Last reviewed: March 13, 1998
Article ID: Q160544
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you run a Visual Basic for Applications macro that uses the Name statement in Microsoft Excel 97 under the Microsoft Windows NT operating system, you may receive the following error message: 

   Run-time error '75':
   Path/File access error

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:

  • You use the Name statement in the macro to rename a directory.

    -and-

  • The directory you want to rename contains a file that you set equal to a variable by using the Dir function.

For example, the problem occurs if you create a file called Text.xls in the MyDocs folder on your computer, and you use the following two lines in a macro: 

   X = Dir("C:\MyDocs\Test.xls")
   Name "C:\MyDocs" As "C:\YourDocs"
NOTE: This problem does not occur in Microsoft Windows 95.

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 work around this problem, reset the pointer to another folder by using a "dummy" variable. The following lines of code illustrate how to do this: 

   X = Dir("C:\MyDocs\Test.xls")
   Y = Dir("C:\*.*")
   Name "C:\MyDocs" As "C:\YourDocs"
In this macro, the variable Y resets the current directory. You can use any variable, and the variable may point to any directory (that exists on the hard disk) except the directory you want to rename.

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.

REFERENCES

For more information about the Name statement click the Index tab in Visual Basic for Applications Help, type the following text 

   name statement
and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Name statement" topic.

Additional query words: XL97 folder
Keywords : kbcode kberrmsg xlvbainfo
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: March 13, 1998
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