DDE error John 27.09.2006 19:39:01 I am using Office 2000 with forms created in Word (mail merge codes) utilizing Excel 2000 for my database. Recenly we have begun to experience a disconnet with the DDE associations to the database in Excel. The forms open fine and work fine until you want to close them. At that point the form file takes an extended amount of time to close, an error box pops up asking if I want to continue to wait. I say "no" a box pops up asking me to choose the source file to associate to this form file. I navigate to it and choose the same Excel file that we have been using all along. I have to then merge the file again so that the filter categories in the query box are available. Then save the file. I have plenty of RAM on the individual computer stations as well as the server, and plenty of HD on the server. The Excel database file is read only to everyone but me. I notice that I do not have any problems if I am the only person using the word and excel files, but once someone else accesses a file the DDE connections are lost. Why is this happening? Thank you for your help. -- John R.

Re: DDE error "Peter Jamieson" <pjj[ at ]KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk> 28.09.2006 08:28:46 A number of people have been reporting additional problems with DDE recently, particularly to do with Office 2000, and I wonder whether a recent update has created additional problems in this area. The trouble is that a. DDE has been "obsolescent" for so long now that it would not surprise me if MS has not tested the impact of updates on DDE for a long time, particularly since DDE is regarded as a security risk. Nor do I know what view MS support would take if you submitted a support incident, which is probably what I would do anyway. b. Unfortunately, nothing else quite fills DDE's role when it comes to MailMerge, in the sense that DDE lets you work on the data Source in Excel and on your Word document at the same time. [Quoted Text] > The Excel database file is read only to everyone but me. I notice that I > do > not have any problems if I am the only person using the word and excel > files, > but once someone else accesses a file the DDE connections are lost. FWIW I thought this was always the case with Excel files, which are not essentially multi-user. But I could well be wrong. Also, if anyone is accessing the same files using either ODBC (or even OLEDB if someone has Word 2002 or later), then you will almost certainly encounter locking problems. Sorry I cannot be more help. But how dependent are you on your current set-up? e.g., what would be involved in moving to another type of data source that is better suited to a multi-user environment? Peter Jamieson "John" <John[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:6AC7CD4F-181F-4745-B8E1-1665FF4E461E[ at ]microsoft.com... >I am using Office 2000 with forms created in Word (mail merge codes) > utilizing Excel 2000 for my database. > > Recenly we have begun to experience a disconnet with the DDE associations > to > the database in Excel. The forms open fine and work fine until you want > to > close them. At that point the form file takes an extended amount of time > to > close, an error box pops up asking if I want to continue to wait. I say > "no" > a box pops up asking me to choose the source file to associate to this > form > file. I navigate to it and choose the same Excel file that we have been > using all along. I have to then merge the file again so that the filter > categories in the query box are available. Then save the file. > > I have plenty of RAM on the individual computer stations as well as the > server, and plenty of HD on the server. > > The Excel database file is read only to everyone but me. I notice that I > do > not have any problems if I am the only person using the word and excel > files, > but once someone else accesses a file the DDE connections are lost. > > Why is this happening? > > Thank you for your help. > > -- > John R.

RE: DDE error John 28.09.2006 13:11:02 "Thank you for your help. Right now the "powers that be" are not interesting in changing anything or spending money. So I am stuck. I appreciate all your help and will keep your advice in mind. -- John R. "John" wrote: [Quoted Text] > I am using Office 2000 with forms created in Word (mail merge codes) > utilizing Excel 2000 for my database. > > Recenly we have begun to experience a disconnet with the DDE associations to > the database in Excel. The forms open fine and work fine until you want to > close them. At that point the form file takes an extended amount of time to > close, an error box pops up asking if I want to continue to wait. I say "no" > a box pops up asking me to choose the source file to associate to this form > file. I navigate to it and choose the same Excel file that we have been > using all along. I have to then merge the file again so that the filter > categories in the query box are available. Then save the file. > > I have plenty of RAM on the individual computer stations as well as the > server, and plenty of HD on the server. > > The Excel database file is read only to everyone but me. I notice that I do > not have any problems if I am the only person using the word and excel files, > but once someone else accesses a file the DDE connections are lost. > > Why is this happening? > > Thank you for your help. > > -- > John R.

Re: DDE error "Peter Jamieson" <pjj[ at ]KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk> 28.09.2006 16:59:04 << [Quoted Text] > Right now the "powers that be" are not interesting in changing anything or > spending money. So I am stuck. >> Understood. It is probably also worth recreating your Excel workbook from scratch, if possible (If it's very simple you may be able to export to .csv and re-import) It may be worth looking for DDE-related stuff at support.microsoft.com It may be worth checking that no-one has added any macros to your Word normal.dot, your mail merge main document, or any template other than Word that might be attached to it. Peter Jamieson "John" <John[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:392E28DC-ADF3-4BEB-99B2-BFBC731E253B[ at ]microsoft.com... > "Thank you for your help. > > Right now the "powers that be" are not interesting in changing anything or > spending money. So I am stuck. > > I appreciate all your help and will keep your advice in mind. > -- > John R. > > > "John" wrote: > >> I am using Office 2000 with forms created in Word (mail merge codes) >> utilizing Excel 2000 for my database. >> >> Recenly we have begun to experience a disconnet with the DDE associations >> to >> the database in Excel. The forms open fine and work fine until you want >> to >> close them. At that point the form file takes an extended amount of time >> to >> close, an error box pops up asking if I want to continue to wait. I say >> "no" >> a box pops up asking me to choose the source file to associate to this >> form >> file. I navigate to it and choose the same Excel file that we have been >> using all along. I have to then merge the file again so that the filter >> categories in the query box are available. Then save the file. >> >> I have plenty of RAM on the individual computer stations as well as the >> server, and plenty of HD on the server. >> >> The Excel database file is read only to everyone but me. I notice that I >> do >> not have any problems if I am the only person using the word and excel >> files, >> but once someone else accesses a file the DDE connections are lost. >> >> Why is this happening? >> >> Thank you for your help. >> >> -- >> John R.