OFF97: Automation Error After Using RegClean 3.0 or 4.0

ID: Q165861

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
Microsoft Access, version 97 for Windows
Microsoft PowerPoint 97 For Windows
Microsoft Outlook 97
Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you run Visual Basic for Applications code that uses Automation to control any of the products listed at the beginning of this article, you may receive an error message that is similar to either of the following:

Run-time error '424':
Object required

-or-

Run-time error '-2147221168(80040150)':
OLE Automation error

CAUSE

This problem may occur if you run RegClean, version 3.0 or 4.0, on your computer, and then attempt to run Visual Basic for Applications code that uses Automation to control another program.

This problem occurs when RegClean 3.0 or 4.0 removes the keys that are required to use Automation.

NOTE: The RegClean utility has been updated.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, download and install a custom registry file that replaces keys that are removed by RegClean. You can also download an updated version of RegClean 4.1. The updated version of RegClean prevents the problem from occurring. RegClean 4.1 does NOT remove the keys that are required to use Automation.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center. Click the file name below to download the file:

Idisp.exe

For more information about how to download files from the Microsoft Download Center, please visit the Download Center at the following Web address

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp

and then click How to use the Microsoft Download Center.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in RegClean 4.1 for Windows 95.

MORE INFORMATION

The RegClean utility, which is included on the Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit compact disc, is designed to analyze your registry. After RegClean analyzes the registry, it removes all corrupted, damaged, and/or unnecessary keys.

If you run RegClean 3.0 or 4.0 on your computer, it may remove the following set of registry keys:


   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{00020400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}

This set of keys is originally created in the registry by the Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows NT Setup program. Although these keys may be modified by the setup program for another program, they are not re-created by any other setup program. If these keys are removed from the registry, reinstalling programs, such as Microsoft Office 97, does NOT restore the keys.

Because these keys must be present to use Automation, you receive any of the error messages in this article if they are missing. You can restore the missing keys by downloading and installing the registry file mentioned in this article.

For more information about RegClean 4.1, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q147769 Updated Version of RegClean 4.1 Available

Additional query words: OFF97 createobject getobject OffInterop OffWinSetup

Keywords : kberrmsg kbprg
Version : WINDOWS:3.0,4.0,97; :97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb