FILE: VB4 16-Bit OLE Clients Receive Error -2147319784

• Microsoft Visual Basic Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions, 16-bit and 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

When using an existing 16-bit application compiled with Microsoft Visual Basic version 4.0, the following error message may be displayed if you are working with a Visual Basic 4.0 16-bit-built OLE client:

   "OLE Automation Error. -2147319784 (80028018)"

CAUSE

During the installation of Microsoft Office 97 and Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0, updated components and registrations entries may cause the above error message only if you are using early binding and passing Collections from a Visual Basic 4.0 16-bit Automation client to a Visual Basic 4.0 Automation server. The server can be either 16-bit or 32-bit.

This applies to any combination of 16-bit / 32-bit collection interaction. This means that the same problem will occur if the collection originates and is passed from a 32-bit application to a 16-bit server as well.

RESOLUTION

There are two ways to work around this behavior:

Workaround 1 - When Source Code is Available (Best Solution)

To work around this behavior when you have the source code available, you can re-write portions of the client that deal with collections to use late binding rather of early binding. For example, a change you would make to the Automation Client is:

  instead of:

      Dim X as Collection

  use:

      Dim X as Object
      Set X = VBA.Collection

Workaround 2 - Existing Applications and No Access to Source Code

To work around this behavior in the situation where an existing, compiled application is affected, certain changes must be made to the Registration Database. These changes force TYPELIB.DLL to use the earlier versions of the type libraries that released with Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0. A registry file has been created by Microsoft that will change the registration automatically.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Software Library:

 ~ Vb416fix.exe (size: 15986 bytes) 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
   TITLE     : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Updating an Individual System

To update any single system, do the following:

1. Copy the VB416FIX.EXE to a directory on the target system. C:\TEMP works well.

2. Double-click on VB416FIX.EXE to extract the file VB416FIX.REG.

3. Double-click on the VB416FIX.REG.

   The following message should be displayed:

   "Information in <filename> has been successfully entered into the registry."

Including the VB416FIX.REG File in New Setups

To include the VB416FIX.REG file with the other components of a Visual Basic 4.0 16-bit application, you must use the Application Setup Wizard to build the distribution diskettes. Use the following steps:

1. Run the Application Setup Wizard for Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 (16-bit).

2. Proceed through step 6 in the Setup Wizard as you normally would.

3. In step 7 in the Setup Wizard, click Add Files.

4. Select the VB416FIX.REG file from the folder or diskette where it is stored.

5. Click OK, and then click Finish.

   The Setup Wizard will generate the compressed files for all of your components, including the VB416FIX.REG file you included. When Setup Wizard is complete, you must alter the SETUP.LST file.

6. Edit SETUP.LST in a text editor such as NotePad.

7. In the section labeled [Files], you will find a line that lists the VB416FIX.REG file The line will look similar to the following sample:

         File2=1,,VB416FIX.RE_,VB416FIX.REG,$(AppPath),,,3/6/1997,247
   

8. Edit the sixth (6) field to include the name of the .REG file. The line should look like the following:

   File2=1,,VB416FIX.RE_,VB416FIX.REG,$(AppPath),VB416FIX.REG,,3/6/1997,247

9. Save the SETUP.LST file.

   When a user runs the SETUP.EXE, the VB416FIX.REG file will be registered automatically on the user's system.

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

During the installation of Microsoft Office 97 and Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0, updated components and registrations entries may cause the above error message only if you are using early binding and passing Collections from a Visual Basic 4.0 16-bit Automation client to a Visual Basic 4.0 Automation server. The server can be either 16-bit or 32-bit. This is limited to Visual Basic 4.0 16-bit built clients that use early binding and pass a Collection to an Automation server.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Create a new project in Visual Basic 4.0 16-bit:

         (ProjectName="TestServer",    StartMode= OLE Server)
   
   

2. Add a Class module:

         (Instancing = Multi-Use, Name = "Class1", Public = True)
   

3. Add the following code to Class1:

           Private gTstCol as New Collection
   
           Public Function fTstCol(ByRef ParCol As Collection) As Long
              Set ParCol = gTstCol 'Return some global collection object
              fTstCol = 0  'just return 0, nothing special.
           End Function
   
   

4. Run Project.

5. Start another instance of Visual Basic 4.0 16-bit.

6. Add a reference to TestServer to the project.

7. Add the following code to the project:

           Sub Form_Load ()
              Dim gTstObj As TestServer.Class1
              Dim Res As Long
              Dim tmpCol As Collection
              Set gTstObj =  new "TESTSERVER.CLASS1"
              Res = gTstObj.fTstCol(tmpCol)
             'The Automation Error message is displayed in the line above.
           End Sub
   
   

8. Run the Project.

Keywords          : kbpatch kbprg kbtool vbwin vb4win vb5all vb4all VBKBAutomation
Technology        : kbvba
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0 5.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb
Solution Type     : kbfile