OFF: Office Assistant Not Answering Visual Basic Questions

• Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Access 97
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Office 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft PowerPoint 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you ask the Office Assistant a question about Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications, you receive one of the following responses depending on your type of computer.

Office 97 for Windows

   The Office Assistant cannot currently answer your questions. Run Setup
   again to make sure all the necessary Help files are correctly installed.

    -or-

   I don't know what you mean. Please rephrase your question.

Office 98 Macintosh Edition

   The Office Assistant cannot currently answer your questions. Please run
   the installer application to restore any missing files.

   -or-

   I don't know what you mean. Please rephrase your question.

CAUSE

You were not in the Visual Basic Editor when you asked the question. (Microsoft Access does not contain the Visual Basic Editor. Instead, you must open a module in a database before asking your question.)

-or-

The required Help files have not been installed. Both the product Help and Visual Basic Help files are necessary for the Office Assistant to answer Visual Basic questions.

RESOLUTION

If you are not in the Visual Basic Editor, press ALT+F11 (or OPTION+F11 on the Macintosh) to open it, and then ask the Office Assistant your question. (In Microsoft Access, open a database, and then open a module before asking the Office Assistant your question.)

If the Office Assistant cannot answer your question while you are in the Visual Basic editing environment, install the appropriate Help files.

To install the appropriate Help files, use the appropriate method for your type of computer.

Microsoft Office 97 for Windows

To install the appropriate Help files, follow these steps:

   1. Quit all Office programs.

   2. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control
      Panel.

   3. In Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.

   4. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click to select Microsoft Office 97.
      (If you are using a standalone version of one of the Office programs,
      click to select the appropriate product in the list.) Click
      Add/Remove.

   5. In the Setup dialog box, click Add/Remove. If you selected a
      standalone version of one of the Office programs in step 4, proceed
      to step 7.

   6. Under Options, click to select (do not clear the check box) the
      program that requires Visual Basic Help, and then click Change
      Option.

   7. Under Options, click to select (do not clear the check box) the
      appropriate Help option using the following table.

        If the program is:     Select this option:
        ---------------------------------------------

        Microsoft Access       Help Topics
        Microsoft Excel        Help and Sample Files
        Microsoft PowerPoint   Help
        Microsoft Word         Help

   8. Click Change Option.

   9. Under Options, click to select the product Help and Visual Basic Help
      check boxes using the following table.

        If program is:         Select these check boxes:
        ------------------------------------------------

        Microsoft Access       Product Help
                               Programming Help

        Microsoft Excel        Help for Microsoft Excel
                               Help for Visual Basic

        Microsoft PowerPoint   Help for Microsoft PowerPoint
                               Online Help for Visual Basic

        Microsoft Word         Help for Microsoft Word
                               Help for Visual Basic

 10. Click OK. If you selected Microsoft Office 97 in step 4, click OK a
     second time.

 11. Click Continue.

Microsoft Office 98 Macintosh Edition

To install the appropriate Help files, follow these steps:

1. Quit all Office programs.

2. Insert the Microsoft Office 98 compact disc (CD) into the CD-ROM drive.

3. Open the Office Custom Install folder on the Office 98 CD.

4. Double-click Microsoft Office Installer.

5. To control which components of Office are installed, select Custom Install as the type of installation to perform.

6. Click the triangle next to the program that requires Visual Basic Help. For example, if you need to install Help for Microsoft Word, click the triangle next to Microsoft Word.

7. Click the triangle next to the Help item in the list.

8. Click to select the Help and Help For Visual Basic check boxes using the following table.

           If program is:         Select these check boxes:
           ------------------------------------------------
   
           Microsoft Excel        Help for Microsoft Excel
                                  Help for Visual Basic
   
           Microsoft PowerPoint   Help for Microsoft PowerPoint
                                  Help for Visual Basic
   
           Microsoft Word         Help for Microsoft Word
                                  Help for Visual Basic
   
   

9. In the Install Location list, click the hard disk partition or network volume in which Office is installed.

10. Click Install to begin the installation process.

11. All of the necessary files are copied to the location that you specified in step 9, and you receive a dialog box that states that the installation was successful.

    If the dialog box prompts you to restart the computer, click Restart. Otherwise, click Quit to complete the installation process.

   ARTICLE-ID: Q179216
   TITLE     : OFF98: How to Use the Microsoft Office Installer Program

MORE INFORMATION

The Visual Basic Help files are not installed when you select a Typical installation (or Easy Install in Office 98 Macintosh Edition). The Visual Basic Help files are also not installed during a Custom installation unless you explicitly select the Help options.