Insert Object Dialog Has Blank Entry at Top of List

• Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0

SUMMARY

In the Object dialog box (located by choosing Object from the Insert menu), it is possible to have a blank entry in the Object Type list box. If you select this entry, Word may or may not insert a valid object into your document.

If the entry is valid, an object is inserted into your document. When you activate the object or edit it, the object's server application will be started and you will be able to edit the object.

If the entry is not valid, a packager (most likely) icon is inserted that when activated or edited will result in the following message: "Word cannot edit the object," or "Word cannot find the server application for this object."

To delete the blank entry from the list, you must find the incorrect entry in the registration database and remove it. Microsoft does not recommend this solution. A better solution is to rebuild the registration database. For more information on rebuilding the registration database, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   reg.dat and rebuild and corrupted and

MORE INFORMATION

In the registration database, any class that has the subkeys "\Insertable" or "\Protocol\StdFileEditing\Server = <path>\Server will appear in the Object dialog box in the form of its "human-readable" class name. If a particular class conforms to this rule but has no human-readable name listed, it will appear as a blank entry in the Object dialog box.

As listed in the registration database, a class consists of "Class Name (or ProcId) = <human-readable name>." For example, "\Excel.Sheet.5 = Microsoft Excel 5.0 Worksheet," where "Excel.Sheet.5" is the class name and "Microsoft Excel 5.0 Worksheet" is the human-readable name.

Also, for a class to be listed in the Object dialog box, it must be listed as a subkey of the root in the registration database. For example, Excel.Sheet.5 is a subkey of the root key (\) and is thus listed in the Object dialog box. {00020810-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} is the Class ID (CLSID) for the Excel.Sheet.5 key and has a human-readable name and an "Insertable" subkey. This key however, does not appear in the Object dialog box because it is a subkey of the \CLSID key and is not listed directly off of the root.