ACC2000: "The Other Application Quit" Error Message with MS Excel 4.0 (210481)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Access 2000
This article was previously published under Q210481
Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

SYMPTOMS

When you quit Microsoft Excel over a dynamic data exchange (DDE) channel in Microsoft Access, you receive the following error message:
Run-time error '291':

The other application in the DDE conversation quit unexpectedly.

CAUSE

Microsoft Excel 4.0 automatically closes down any open DDE channels when it quits, rather than waiting for the DDE channels to be closed properly.

RESOLUTION

You can use one of the following two methods to work around this behavior. First, you can add an On Error Resume Next statement to your Microsoft Access function before the DDE quit command. The following sample function demonstrates this method: 
Function CallExcel ()
   Dim chan

   x = Shell("C:\Excel\Excel.exe C:\Excel\Macro1.xlm", 1)
   chan = DDEInitiate("Excel", "System")

   DDEExecute chan, "[Run(""Macro1.xlm!Message"")]"
   AppActivate "Microsoft Excel"

   On Error Resume Next

   DDEExecute chan, "[Quit]"
   DDETerminate chan
End Function
Second, you can have Microsoft Excel quit on its own, rather than having Microsoft Access send the Quit instruction. You can do this by having the second to last line in a Microsoft Excel macro call another macro. The first macro will contain a line similar to: 
=ON.TIME(NOW()+"0:0:3","Leave")
This will call a second macro in three seconds. The second macro will contain the two lines: 
=QUIT()
=RETURN()

You can remove the DDE Quit command from your Microsoft Access function if you use this method.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

The following sample function will open Microsoft Excel and run a macro named Message. When the function instructs Microsoft Excel to quit, the error message mentioned in the "Symptoms" section will occur. 
Function CallExcel ()
   Dim chan

   x = Shell("C:\Excel\Excel.exe C:\Excel\Macro1.xlm", 1)
   chan = DDEInitiate("Excel", "System")

   DDEExecute chan, "[Run(""Macro1.xlm!Message"")]"
   AppActivate "Microsoft Excel"
   DDEExecute chan, "[Quit]"
   DDETerminate chan
End Function

REFERENCES

For more information about the DDEInitiate() function, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type DDEInitiate in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/11/2006
Keywords:kbdta kberrmsg kbinterop kbofficeprog kbprb kbProgramming KB210481
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