PRB: Repeatedly Pressing F1 Key on VB Application May Crash Help (196275)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 6.0
This article was previously published under Q196275

SYMPTOMS

If you create a project with context-sensitive Help in Visual Basic and hold down the F1 key, an error may occur. This error will be different depending upon the operating system.

On Windows NT, you may see the following error messages:
Windows Help
Help could not read the current Help file. Make sure there are no errors on the disk, or if the file is on a network server, that the server is active. (163)
Winhlp32.exe - Application Error
The instruction at "0x0102ebd" referenced at "0x00000001". The memory could not be "read".
The memory addresses may vary.

On Windows 98 or Windows Me, you may see the following error.
This program has performed an illegal operation and will shutdown. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.
This error may also occur if the F1 key is quickly pressed many times.

RESOLUTION

The F1 key is used in Visual Basic as a way of providing Help for the current item. Repeatedly hitting this key would cause the Help system to go a level deeper each time it is pressed. In most cases, Help for a topic does not go more than two or three levels deep. Avoid repeated or continuous pressing of the F1 key.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

To reproduce this behavior, create an application with either Visual Basic 5.0 or Visual Basic 6.0 having context-sensitive Help on a form or control. With focus on the form or control having context-sensitive Help, hold the F1 key down. After a period of time you may see one of the above error messages.

This problem could also be reproduced in the Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 IDE (Integrated Development Environment).

This problem will not occur in the Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 IDE.

Step-by-Step Example

  1. Create a Standard EXE project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
  2. Click on any control on the Visual Basic toolbox, such as a CommandButton.
  3. Hold down the F1 key and note that of the above error messages appears as a result.

REFERENCES

Online Help for Microsoft Visual Basic versions 5.0 and 6.0.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/10/2003
Keywords:kbprb KB196275
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.