App Problem with MS Office ...

[Shannon]

WinXP/VB6Pro. My App is having a problem with Microsoft Office. A friend installed the App on her computer without a problem. When she went to start it she got a window requesting her to insert the Microsoft Office CD. After clicking the cancel 'x' 4-5 times the warning went away and the App worked fine. My App has nothing to do with Microsoft Office, and it's the first time anyone has had this type of problem. I'm trying to figure out why it is doing this. Here's what I do know:

-I did have Office on my primary development computer. I use Access to create and view my DB's outside the VB App.

-My VB App uses DAO 3.6 to directly access my own DB files in the App directory.

-My friend also uses Office on her notebook (where she installed my App) and it is accessed not from the computer's hard drive, but from a Mini USB hard drive, which was not connected at the time of the install (registry issue?).

We can eliminate the problem if the mini drive is connected when we try to run the VB App, but if the mini drive is not connected, it asks for the Office CD.

Can anyone tell me what is happening here? I strongly suspect the mini drive is the culprit, but I can't work out how to repair the problem.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Shannon

[Phil Weber]

I recommend that you reproduce the problem while running FileMon to see which file(s) Office wants to reinstall.

[RobDog888]

You app is accessing a shared component of Office. Without knowing what your app uses in ways of controls and references its hard to say. You other user probably also does not have that component installed or was installed as "Install on first use" which will prompt for the CD so it can install the new feature of the shared component.

Also, the most common shared resource is probably your mscomctl.ocx which is used for certain dialog features. Its updated by other programs and as well as Office. If you didnt install Office under an Admin account it may not be registered or registered correctly under another profile.

What version(s) of Office? Usually this issue happens on Office 2000 versions.

The solution is to use an Admin account and install / update Office so it applies all references / components correctly.

[Shannon]

Yes! I was beginning to lose hope! I was a little paranoid about using DB files in my App instead of basic SEQ files, and thought my problem was with data access. It looks like the problem is with Office, which stuns me (how an Office install could affect a VB App).

My version of Office is 2000!!! I use Word and Access, but don't know much about Office itself.

If you mean install it under a Windows Admin account, then that should not be the problem (personal home computer). But I will check that out immediately to be sure. If my Office is installed correctly, could it be my friend's Office is not (that would actually make LOTS of sense)?

You said: "The solution is to use an Admin account and install / update Office so it applies all references / components correctly."

Okay, how do I do this? Do you need to know a list of the controls I use in my App, or do I just need to go somewhere specific in Office?

Wow, thanks for help, Rob! I'm still a little confused about the specific problem, but it looks like you're on to it. I can lower my stress level a bit. There's hope!!! And thanks Phil, I will follow your advice as well--sounds like FileMon is a program with which I should be familiar. I will go do that right now.

Rob, just tell me what info you need me to provide.

THANKS both!!!!

Shannon

PS: Curiously ... if this is resulting from a bad Office install on my development machine, then could I eliminate the problem (in case this doesn't work), by building my install package on a machine without Office (to remove any concerns for this issue)?

[Shannon]

Phil, can you tell me if Rob is talking about a problem with my Office install (subsequently affecting my install package), or the Office install on the target machine (affecting the running of misc programs that use shared components)? My App does use the mscomctl.ocx of which he spoke. I need to know if there's something to fix on my machine, or if I can ignore it as a user issue?

Shannon

PS: Waiting on friend's return from out of town to find out which specific file Office is asking for.

[RobDog888]

I'm back. Your app more then likely does use some control in the mscomctl.ocx file as its the "Windows Common Controls 6.0" control group.

You should have your system updated and packaging the runtimes so they are the most updated when installing.

[Shannon]

Rob, if by "system" you mean Windows, it's fully updated to the last update released by MS. I also have all the VB6 Service Packs to date. Is there somewhere else I can look for VB specific updates?

[RobDog888]

Meaning the VB 6 runtimes which are downloadable from MS.