Word Err Msg: Word Cannot Obtain Data from Winproj

• Microsoft Word for Windows versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, and 2.0c
• Microsoft Project for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

Microsoft Word for Windows cannot open Project to update a dynamic data exchange (DDE) link if the directory for Project is not in the search path. The setup procedure for Project does not add the directory for Project (the default is C:\WINPROJ) to the PATH statement of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

To add the Project directory to the PATH statement, you must manually edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Then, restart the computer or run the batch file to reset the search path to include the Project directory. This allows Word to automatically open Project to reestablish or update links.

MORE INFORMATION

When a DDE link from Project has been established in a Word document, and the Project directory is not included in the search path, Project must be running for the link to be updated from Word. If you open the Word document without Project open, you will receive a series of dialog messages ending with a failure to launch Project.

Example

1. Start Word and Project.

2. Select some data in a Project file and perform DDE by choosing Copy from the Edit menu, switching to Word, choosing Paste Special from the Edit menu, and choosing the Paste Link button.

3. Save the Word document and exit Word. Save the Project file and exit Project.

4. Start Word and open the file that you created with the Project link; observe the following dialog messages:

         Do you want to automatically link the document to applications
         outside Word for (filename)?
   

   Choose the Yes button. The next message is:

         The remote data (filename) is not accessible. Do you want to
         start the application Winproj?
   

   Choose the Yes button. This results in a failure to launch Project:

         Word cannot obtain data from Winproj for (filename), (link
         name).