"Cannot create ActiveX Control" error

[Roy Lasris]

I have coded what appears to be a simple routine to place values read from
a '.txt' file into text boxes on a user form. I call it 'simple' because the
routine was written in 'basic' VBA, nothing fancy, has been successfully run on
dozens of computers from Word97/Windows98 through 2003/2003. Lately (after the
advent of Word2003), some users of the program report an error message that
says "Cannot create ActiveX Control" when the routine is supposed to populate
the text boxes.

To my knowledge I have not create any ActiveX controls, and am not trying
to create any ActiveX controls.

What should I be looking at/for to debug this problem?

Thanks,

Roy

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Roy,

This could, conceivably, have something to do with the new security features
introduced into Word 2003. Are you using only the built-in controls for the
UserForms, or have you included things that aren't on that default UserForms
toolbar?

I have coded what appears to be a simple routine to place values read from
a '.txt' file into text boxes on a user form. I call it 'simple' because the
routine was written in 'basic' VBA, nothing fancy, has been successfully run on
dozens of computers from Word97/Windows98 through 2003/2003. Lately (after the
advent of Word2003), some users of the program report an error message that
says "Cannot create ActiveX Control" when the routine is supposed to populate
the text boxes.

To my knowledge I have not create any ActiveX controls, and am not trying
to create any ActiveX controls.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[PathSmart]

Just plain vanilla. I have looked 'everywhere' for the source, but to no
avail . . . yet.

The problem is sporadic, and is difficult to duplicate. It occurs
consistently (but not always) on some machines, and never on others. It occurs
more on 2003 machines, but not exclusively.

We are writing down every step we take that might lead to the problem, but so
far we cannot detect a pattern. I have become quite expert at debugging, but
this one has stumped me.

I was hoping that there might be a 'I had that same problem and here's where
to look to resolve it' answer to the problem, but it looks like the 'hard way'
is the only way to debug this one. If I find the solution, I will share it on
this board.

Roy

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Roy,

I was hoping that there might be a 'I had that same problem and here's where
to look to resolve it' answer to the problem, but it looks like the 'hard way'
is the only way to debug this one. If I find the solution, I will share it on
this board.

Please do And if you can detect a pattern, or think you can, please post. I
have contacted someone at Microsoft about this, and they're pretty much stumped
if you're not using non-UserForm controls.

And nothing from the Control Toolbox has been inserted into the document itself,
at any time, correct? And is your macro code trying to insert anything like this
into the document?

Grasping at straws, I wonder if these might be related:
http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=827742

or

ActiveX controls trigger "Design mode"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=822528

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[PathSmart]

Thanks, Cindy, for following up.

I determined a spot in the program that might have caused a
'miscommunication' as to where a certain text file might be found. Of course,
I should have gotten a 'file not found' error, not an 'ActiveX' error, but
since I rewrote that line we have not been able to generate the ActiveX error
message after lots of tries.
Weird.

I am still trying to 'break' it, and if I do, I'll be back. Thanks again for
your concern.

Roy

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi PathSmart,

Very interesting. If you happen back through, and still have copy of the
section of code causing this, I'd be very happy to pass the information back to
Microsoft in the hopes of getting the correct error message generated in future
versions

I determined a spot in the program that might have caused a
'miscommunication' as to where a certain text file might be found. Of course,
I should have gotten a 'file not found' error, not an 'ActiveX' error, but
since I rewrote that line we have not been able to generate the ActiveX error
message after lots of tries.
Weird.

I am still trying to 'break' it, and if I do, I'll be back.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail