XL97: Error Changing Application Object from ActiveX Control

ID: Q177527

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

If you have a Visual Basic for Applications macro attached to an ActiveX control on a Microsoft Excel worksheet, you may receive an error message similar to the following:

Run-time error '1004': Unable to set the _Default property of the PivotItem class
-or-
Run-time error '1004': Method '<method>' of object '_Application' failed
where <method> is the name of the Visual Basic method in your code that fails.


CAUSE

This problem may occur when the following conditions are true:

  • You have attached a Visual Basic macro to an event of an ActiveX control.

    -and-


  • The macro attempts to modify a property of the Application object.

    -or-


  • The macro attempts to modify a PivotTable.



WORKAROUND

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp
To work around the problem, use either of the following methods:

Method 1

Insert the following line of code into your macro before the line of code that fails: 

ActiveCell.Activate

Method 2

If the macro is attached to an event of the Command Button ActiveX control, you can work around the error by setting the TakeFocusOnClick property to False. To set the TakeFocusOnClick property to False, follow these steps:
  1. Display the Control Toolbox toolbar. To do this, point to Toolbars on the View menu, then click Control Toolbox.


  2. Click Design Mode on the Control Toolbox toolbar.


  3. Click Properties on the Control Toolbox toolbar.


  4. Select the CommandButton that runs your macro code.


  5. Change the value of the TakeFocusOnClick property to False.


  6. Click Exit Design Mode on the Control Toolbox toolbar.



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 Microsoft Excel 2000.


REFERENCES

For more information about using ActiveX controls on a worksheet, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

ActiveX controls, overview
and then double-click the selected text to go to the "About adding buttons, check boxes, and other controls" topic.

Additional query words: XL97

Keywords : kbprg kbdta kbdtacode PgmCtrlsStd KbVBA
Version : WINDOWS:
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug


Last Reviewed: November 13, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.