MS WfW 97 Runtime error

arwood,
This is an OLE (Object Linking and Embedding)Automation Error that is generally caused by incorrect versions of OLE run-time libraries in the system. This mostly occures when an installation of a specific software replaces one or more of these libraries with newer (or sometimes older) version of the existing library.
In most cases, you can solve this problem by reinstalling the software that reports the error (in your case the Office 97).
(Preferabely, uninstall the Office first using the Control Panel's Add/Remove Software before reinstalling it).

Hope that helps.
Best regards

Dear Kamall
I reinstalled Winword 97 as you advised but sorry to advise no change, the error message is still there. I should repeat it in full:-

Microsoft Visual Basic
Runtime error -2147467259 (80004005)
Automation Error

Regards
Alan Wood

Could it be, that this is rather related to an AUTOSTART macro?

Go into TOOLS/MACROS and check if you find such a macro. If yes, rename it temporarily and check for the error again ...

Dear Mviertel
You are very close to the solution. The problem is caused by a macro "Autoexec" which appears to run every time Word is opened(as its name implies). The macro is dated to the date that word is opened and is part of a set including "AutoClose, AutoNew, AutoExit and AutoOpen. Opening Tools/Macros shows these clearly, however they are all non deletable or renamable (delete is greyed out and no option shown to rename even with mouse right click).
I searched the help files and it stated that adding /m to the command line it would prevent Word running any AutoExec macro. The startup switch is however not accepted as an invalid parameter(I tried this from the Run Menu to confirm)This may be because the help files were possibly for Word 95 which could have been installed when I loaded Office 95 for Access and the Toolbar. Also I tried the switch in Word95 and it did accept it.
Pressing the "shift key" whilst opening Word did stop the runtime error so we can be certain that this is the cause.
Any ideas where to remove the automatic creation of these files. I have looked in the options etc and had no luck.

Regards  Alan Wood

Arwood, here are some suggestions for you. I am aware that you may have tried one of these, but on the chance the syntax was wrong, here's the entire blurb.
To prevent a Word for Windows AutoExec macro from executing, do one of
the following:
 
 - At the command prompt, type "win winword /m" (without the
   quotations marks) and press ENTER.
 
 -or-
 
 - Select the Word for Windows program icon in Program Manager. From the
   File menu, choose Properties. Add the /m switch to the current command
   line parameter (for example, "C:\WINWORD\WINWORD.EXE /m").
 
 -or-
 
 - Press and hold down the SHIFT key while double-clicking the Word
   for Windows program icon.
 
In Word for Windows version 6.0, you can use the following command line to
disable the AutoExec macro:
 
   C:\WINWORD\WINWORD.EXE /mDisableAutoMacros
 
For more information on disabling an AutoExec macro from executing in Word
for the Macintosh, see Q122687 for field specific switches using the
ToolsAdvancedSettings WordSwitches option.
 

Attn Dew Associates
I tried all you suggested before posting the question. As I said above the argument /m would not be accepted as a valid command. Pressing the Shift key worked. Anyway Dennis nice to come up against you again after your good work in CDRom setup last week.

Attn All
Further investigation revealed that the autoexec macro is created by my HP Office Jet Pro 1150 Printer driver. It loads from the Startup folder a program called Picture Scan which allows direct scanning into several types of documents including WfW97. If I remove this from the auto start the problem goes away and then returns if I manually start the program.
I have reloaded the printer driver several times and it makes no difference, I still have the problem.
I am reluctant to phone HP as the normal waiting time is about an hour and phoning Holland can be expensive. HP do not appear to have E-Mail Support. My next try is to see if they have a newsgroup somewhere out there meanwhile anybody with any other ideas.
Regards
Alan Wood

Alan, what type of scanner do you have. This problem is beginning to sound familiar. You wouldn't have one of the 5/5Pse series would you?

The printer is a HP Officejet Pro, model 1150C. It is a colour inkjet/scanner/photocopier combined unit.
Alan

Okay, let me contact our laison at HP and see if there are any open issues regarding this combination.

Dennis
Thanks for your info. Sorry to take so long to reply. I checked on Microsoft's web site and downloaded the Office Service Release 1 but could find nothing else that refered to version 7.0a. Anyway I installed it. No Joy.
I also checked on HP's web site and could not find version 3.0. I found only a driver patch file "oj131en.exe which refered to Scaning images. I installed this but at the end of the installation I got a dreaded GPF (PPT8EXE - invalid page fault in module MFC40.DLL at 0137:7deal 417) but the installation then said complete. However this also was uncuccessful. Any further ideas? You have done enough to earn the points but obviously the problem is pretty deep. Does your HP contact know exactly what the V3.0 file is called and where it is on the web. I have searched without success.
Rgds Alan

Arwood, try reinstalling the SR1 update and the HP patch, but try them both this way. Sorry, you kinda of got ahead of me and I didn't have an opportunity to post this.

Use your "Ctrl"  "Alt"  and "Del" keys and open the Close Programs" dialogue box. Close all running programs except for Systray and Explorer. Use either Find, Files and Folders or Windows Explorer and find the exe file for SR1 and click to install. This procedure will cause windows to release active files and allow them to be replaced. Repeat the procedure for the HP patch. In the meantime I will contact our rep at HP.
Dennis

Dear Dennis
Tried as you recommended. The SR1 patch will not install again as it detects that it has already been carried out. The HP patch gives axactly the same error message and the fault is still there when opening WfW97
Rgds  Alan Wood

Dear Dennis
Tried the Ctrl/Alt?del trick and closed everything but "DTOle" and the problem was still there. Closing just "DTOle" and leaving the rest working cured the problem. It seems that "DTOle is the problem and as kamall said earlier it would appear to be linked to the "OLE Automation. See above.
Regards  Alan Wood

Okay Alan, visit the Microsoft free software download area. There you will find an OLE update. Go ahead and download and install it. That should fix the problem, although the same update is in the SR1, that update may not have registered itself properly.

The file is OELUPD.EXE

DTOLE is not a Microsoft file, so there must be another program that changed your OLE library files.

Let me know how this goes. If it doesn't fix it, we ma have to look for a regsitry entry.
Dennis

Dear Dennis
Will try when I get home tonight. FYI DTOle.exe is part of the HP printer software and definately causes the problem
Alan

Great, than HP may have an updated driver. Let me know!

Dear Dennis
I tried with the updated OLEUPD.exe file. No luck.
I have searched the HP site for anything that may help but without any luck. I already have the latest HP driver v2.0 which I downloaded some time ago.
Rgds  Alan

Alan, right click on the start button, click open, then click programs and then the startup icon. Check to see if there are any DTOLE related files there, if so, right click on them and slide them out and onto the desktop, then reboot the system and try Word. I've have been sending messages back and forth with our HP tech rep to see what they have.

Dear Dennis
I did what you advised at the very start to isolate that it was the HP Program Picture Scan which was causing the problem. If I remove it from Start Up WfW works OK. Starting Picture Scan has an executable hpmcscsl.exe which appears to load DTOle.exe. Both files are in the HP Printer driver folder and are installed by the Hp driver software.
Rgds  Alan

Alan, I understand where your coming from, but removing DTOLE.exe shouldn't disable PictureScan, just disable it's TSR from running in the background. If you leave it out of the startup folder, does everything work?

I have a query into our HP rep and am awaiting a reply.

Dennis

Dear Dennis
If I remove Picture Scan from the Start Up option then Everything is fine in WfW. If I do load the Picture Scan TSR then try WfW I get the error message.
If I then use the ctrl/alt/del and close down DTOle then WfW again works OK without the error message. So to me it seems to be clearly a conflict between DTOle and WfW although DTOle seems to be accessed by Picture Scan executable hpmcscsl.exe.
Rgds Alan

Okay, maybe we can make some progress another way until I hear from HP. You have Twain and Twain 32 installed to do scans with, correct?  Now WfW stands for Windows for Workgroups and Word for Windows, which are you referring to. I'd like to see if we can take DTOLe out of the startup folder and do a scan from within Word, if you have it. If not, MS has an image scan package that's free that you might ba able to use.
Dennis

Dear Dennis
I mean Word for Windows 97, Sorry. Will try your idea out over the weekend as I have to go to work now
Rgds  Alan

Okay, when you have time, check out your Word install for scan capabilities.
Dennis

Dear Dennis
Tried to scan into Word with Picture Link Loaded. It worked fine even though I had the usual error message on word startup.
Rgds
Alan

Arwood, you come up with the some of the toughest questions. Right click on the Start button, then click Open, then Programs then click open the Startup and right click on everything in their and hold and drag the icons out onto your desktop and leave them there. Close all windows and restart the system and then try Word again.