OFF97: Error Message: "Ambiguous Name Detected" Appears When Faxing (165860)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q165860

SYMPTOMS

When you send a fax that contains an attached Microsoft Word document from any Microsoft Office 97 program, you may receive the following Visual Basic for Applications error message:
Ambiguous Name Detected: tmpdde
You may also receive this error message when you send any fax from Microsoft Word.

CAUSE

This problem may occur when your fax software attempts to create a new Word macro or routine with the same name as an existing macro or routine. In this case, the Word global template may contain a macro named Tmpdde that was created during a previously failed fax attempt.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Delete the Tmpdde Macro

You may be able to resolve this problem if you delete the Tmpdde macro from the Microsoft Word global template (Normal.dot) file. To do this, use the following steps:
  1. Start Microsoft Word. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros.
  2. Select any macro with the name Tmpdde and click Delete. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the macro.
  3. Click Cancel. Close Microsoft Word.
  4. Close all Microsoft Office programs and mail or fax programs. Restart the programs and re-send the fax.

Method 2: Rename Normal.dot

Search for all files named Normal.dot and rename them. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Close Word and all MAPI-aware programs, such as mail, fax, or Office programs.
  2. On the Microsoft Windows taskbar, click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.
  3. In the Named box, type Normal.dot.
  4. In the Look In box, select your local hard disk (or an alternate user template location if you are running Word from a network server).
  5. Click Find Now to search for the file.
  6. For each occurrence of Normal.dot that appears in the Find dialog box, right-click the file. Click Rename on the shortcut menu. Give the file a new name, such as OldNormal.dot or Normal-1.dot.
NOTE: Renaming the file Normal.dot removes any user-defined styles, AutoText, Toolbars, and Macro Project Items that have been saved in that template. You can use the Organizer to copy those items into the new Normal.dot that is automatically created.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem occurs most often when you send faxes from Microsoft Outlook 97 or Microsoft Word 97. In each reported case, the fax either contains an attached Word document or is a Word document that is sent from within Word.

For more information about the Organizer, click the Office Assistant, type "How do I use the Organizer," click Search, and then click to view "Use settings from another document or template."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

120802 Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office Program or Component

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/27/2005
Keywords:kb3rdparty kberrmsg kbprb KB165860
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