WD97: Errors Initializing Visual Basic Editor

Last reviewed: March 2, 1998
Article ID: Q162053
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to initialize the Word Visual Basic for Applications Editor in a low disk space or low memory situation, you may receive one or more of the following error messages:

   Could not open macro storage.

   The Visual Basic Environment could not be initialized. Please run
   Setup to install it correctly.

   Word could not fire event.


CAUSE

The possible causes for these errors are:

  • Insufficient disk space or low memory. (This is the most common cause.)
  • A corrupt Normal.dot file
  • A wrong version for the VBE.dll file.
  • A network rights(permissions) issue, if Temp directory is on a server.

RESOLUTION

To prevent these errors from occurring, do any of the following:

  • Close Word and rename your Normal.dot file
  • For a wrong version of the VBE.dll file, do the following steps:

         1. Exit all currently open applications.
    

         2. Start a MS-DOS Prompt in a Window by doing the following:
    

             a. Click Start, point to Programs, click the mouse
                on MS-DOS Prompt, and then click Properties.
    
             b. Click the Screen tab, under Usage, click Window, and then
                click OK.
    
             c. Cick Start, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS
                Prompt. You may have to enlarge the window.
    
         2. Change the directory to the location of the VBE.dll file
            by typing the following and then pressing Enter:
    
               CD C:\progra~1\common~1\micros~1\vba
     
            Note: This is the default directory for the VBE.dll file.
            If you have installed Microsoft Office into another
            Drive or Directory, you will need to type its path.
    
         3. Unregister the VBE.dll by typing the following:
    
               C:\Windows\System\REGSVR32 /U VBE.DLL
    
            Note: This is the default directory for the Windows System
            directory. If you have installed Windows into another
            Directory, you will need to type its path.
    
         4. Minimize the MS-DOS Prompt window.
    
         5. Start Microsoft Explorer and rename VBE.dll to VBE.old
            
            Note: The default installation folder for VBE.dll is:
    
               C:\Program Files\Common files\Microsoft Shared\VBA
    
         6. In Microsoft Explorer copy the file, VBE.dll, from the
            Microsoft Office CD, found in the folder of:
    
               <CDROM drive:>\OS\System\VBE.dll
    
            to the following folder on your hard drive:
    
               C:\Program Files\Common files\Microsoft Shared\VBA
    
            Note: This is the default directory for the VBE.dll file.
            If you have installed Microsoft Office into another
            Drive or Directory, you will need to copy to that path.
    
         7. Maximize the MS-DOS Prompt window.
    
         8. In the MS-DOS Prompt window, make sure the current
            directory is
    
               C:\Program Files\Common files\Microsoft Shared\VBA
    
            or change the directory to the location of the VBE.dll
            file by typing the following and then pressing Enter:
    
               CD C:\progra~1\common~1\micros~1\vba
    
               Note: This is the default directory for the VBE.dll
               file. If you have installed Microsoft Office into
               another Drive or Directory, you will need to type
               its path.
    
            then re-register the VBE.DLL by typing the following
            and then pressing Enter:
    
              C:\Windows\System\REGSVR32 VBE.DLL
    
         9. Exit the MS-DOS Prompt window.
    
    
    
  • Network permissions of Create is necessary; the Visual Basic Editor(VBE) creates a folder in the Temp directory to store files.
  • Add more RAM to your computer
  • Acquire more hard disk space (either by adding a larger disk drive or by using a disk compression utility).
  • As a short term solution, you can free RAM by shutting down unneeded programs or you can free disk space by deleting unneeded files.
  • Restart Windows.
  • Uninstall and Reinstall Microsoft Office 97.

REFERENCE

For more information about the folder the VBE creates, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    ARTICLE-ID:  Q158875
    TITLE     :  .Exd Files Are Created When You Insert Controls


Additional query words: Visual Basic Editor off97 wd97 vba
Keywords : kbwordvba kberrmsg kbprg
Version : 97
Platform : WINDOWS


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Last reviewed: March 2, 1998
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