PRB: Setup Error "could not execute a DDE command"

 Last reviewed: July 22, 1997
Article ID: Q117823
1.00 1.50 WINDOWS kbsetup kbprb

The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, versions 1.0 and 1.5

SYMPTOMS

The Microsoft Visual C++ setup program reports the following internal error message when the installation is nearly complete: 

   could not execute a DDE command
The setup program may stop in the process of adding the icons to the MSVC.GRP program group, resulting in missing icons after setup.

CAUSE

There are two known causes for this problem:

  • Windows supports a maximum of 40 program groups. This error indicates that it was not possible to create another program group.

    -or-

  • The video display driver is set to 16.7 million colors. The huge amount of information needed for each icon causes the MSVC.GRP program group file to exceed its 64K maximum limit.

RESOLUTION

The respective solutions for the problems listed above are as follows:

  • Reduce the number of program groups.

    -or-

  • Choose a video mode that uses a lower resolution or fewer colors. After installation is complete, you can restore your original video settings.

Additional reference words: 1.00 1.50
KBCategory: kbsetup kbprb
KBSubcategory: vc10setup vc15setup
Keywords : kb16bitonly

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Last reviewed: July 22, 1997
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