WD2000: Word Quits with Error Message After You Click "Show the Office Assistant" (228680)

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you start Microsoft Word 2000 and try to display the Office Assistant (on the Help menu, click Show the Office Assistant), you receive the following error message, and Word quits:

WINWORD.EXE has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program.

An error log is being created.

To view the error log in Microsoft Windows 2000, follow these steps:

Click Start, point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders.
In the Search for files or folders named box, type Drwtsn32.log.
Click Search Now.
Right-click the file, and then click Open.

By default, the Drwtsn32.log file is located in the following folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\DrWatson

CAUSE

During the startup procedure of Microsoft Word 2000, if a screen reader is detected (for example, Microsoft Narrator), Word does not correctly register itself as an Office Assistant client.

This problem occurs if Microsoft Narrator is started before you start Microsoft Word 2000 and then display the Office Assistant. After you quit Word 2000 and Microsoft Narrator, when you restart Word and attempt to display the Office Assistant, you receive the error message and Word quits.

Microsoft Narrator may not function correctly with all programs. The following message is displayed (by default) when you start Microsoft Narrator:

Narrator is intended to help people with low vision to set up their own computers, or use other people's computers. Narrator may not perform well with some applications. Most users with visual impairments will need a utility with higher functionality for daily use.

For a list of Windows-based screen reader utilities, see http://www.microsoft.com/enable/

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, do either of the following:

Do not activate the Office Assistant in the first Microsoft Office program that you start.

-or-
If Microsoft Word quits as a result of this problem, delete the AsstState DWORD value. To do this, follow these steps.WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
1. Quit all Microsoft Office programs.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type regedit and then click OK.
4. Navigate to and select the following registry key:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Common\Assistant
5. Click to select AsstState, located in the right side of the Registry Editor.
6. With AsstState selected, click Delete on the Edit menu.
7. Click Yes to the following message:
  Are you sure you want to delete this value?
8. On the Registry menu, click Exit to quit the Registry Editor.
After restarting Microsoft Word, do not activate the Office Assistant when you are using Microsoft Narrator.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Office 2000 SR-1/SR-1a.

For additional information about the features and limitations of the Narrator tool, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

252435 Overview of the Narrator Accessibility Tool

250757 Narrator Accessibility Tool in Windows 2000 Does Not Read Drop-down Text Box Correctly

MORE INFORMATION

Narrator is a text-to-speech utility for users who are blind or have low vision. Narrator reads what is displayed on your screen: the contents of the active window, menu options, or the text that you type.

Narrator is designed to work with Notepad, WordPad, Control Panel programs, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Windows 2000 Desktop, and Windows 2000 Setup. Narrator may not read words aloud correctly in other programs.

Narrator has several options that allow you to customize the way that screen elements are read:

You can have new windows, menus, or shortcut menus read aloud when they are displayed.
You can have typed characters read aloud.
You can have the mouse pointer follow the active item on the screen.
You can adjust the speed, volume, or pitch of the voice.

NOTES:

To use the keyboard to open Narrator, press CTRL+ESC, press R, type narrator, and then press ENTER.
To use a pointing device (for example, a mouse) to open Narrator, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to Accessibility, and then click Narrator.
Narrator is not available in all languages.
Narrator may not start if your computer does not have a text-to-speech program capability.
Utility Manager enables users with administrator-level access to check the status of Narrator and other Accessibility programs, start or stop a program, and set the program to start when Windows 2000 starts.
The Accessibility tools that are included with Windows 2000 are intended to provide a minimum level of functionality for users with special needs. Most users with disabilities need utility programs with higher functionality for daily use.

For a list of Windows-based accessibility utilities, see the Microsoft Accessibility Web site at the following Web address:
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/index.aspx