You may receive "The macros in this project have been disabled" error message and a Vbe6.dll error signature when you try to start Word 2002 or Word 2003 (316731)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Word 2003
  • Microsoft Word 2002
  • Microsoft Office XP Document Imaging
This article was previously published under Q316731
For a Microsoft Word 2000 version of this article, see 316033.

SYMPTOMS

When you try to start Microsoft Office Word 2003 or Microsoft Word 2002, you may receive an error message that is similar to one of the following:
The macros in this project have been disabled. Please refer to the online help or documentation of the host application to determine how to enable macros.
Microsoft Word has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
Note If you click the click here link in the error message dialog box, the error signature refers to Vbe6.dll.

In Office XP Document Imaging, if you click Send to Microsoft Word, you receive either of the following error messages
The server threw an exception.
a DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) Server error message, such as the following:
DDE Server: Winword.exe - application error

The instruction at "0x77f531f5" referenced memory "0x000c0fc5" the memory could not be "read"

CAUSE

This behavior may occur if any one of the following conditions is true:
  • The WinFax template (from Symantec) is installed on the computer.
  • Norton AntiVirus version 2000 or 2001 is installed on the computer.
  • A template in the Microsoft Office or the Word Startup folder is causing the error.
  • The Vbe6.dll file is corrupted.
  • A template that contains macros is in an untrusted location, such as the Office startup folder.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use one or more of the following methods, as needed.

Method 1: Install the Latest Service Pack for your version of Office.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for your version of Office. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

307841 How to obtain the latest Office XP service pack

870924

How to obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003

Method 2: Remove the WinFax Template

Remove Wfword2k.dot from the Office Startup folder. To do this, follow these steps.

Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
  1. Click Start, point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders.
  2. In the Search for files or folders named box, type wfword2k.dot, and then click Search Now.
  3. In the Search Results dialog box, locate the Wfword2k.dot file, and then drag it to the desktop.
  4. Start Word.
For more information about how to turn off WinFax, visit the following Symantec Web site:

http://service4.symantec.com/SUPPORT/faxprod.nsf/docid/2000021017174504

Method 3: Contact the AntiVirus Software Vendor

Contact Symantec Corporation to obtain either an updated version of their product or contact them if you need help with reconfiguration of their product to resolve this issue.

For more information about the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

329820 How to use Office programs with the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in

Method 4: Determine whether a template is causing the error

To determine whether a template or add-in is causing the problem, rename the Normal.dot template in Word, and then remove the items in the Startup folders.

Method 5: Replace Vbe6.dll

To replace the Vbe6.dll file, follow these steps.

Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.
  1. Click Start, point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders.
  2. In the Search for files or folders named box, type Vbe6.dll, and then click Search Now.
  3. In the Search Results box, right-click Vbe6.dll, and then click Rename.
  4. Type Vbe6.old, press ENTER, and then click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the extension change. Close the Search Results dialog box.
  5. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
  6. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
  7. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click Microsoft Word or Microsoft Office (depending on how you installed Word), and then click Add/Remove.
  8. Click Repair Office, and then follow the instructions to repair errors in your Office installation.

    This procedure will install a new copy of Vbe6.dll.

Method 6: Verify Security Level

If you received the error message that macros were disabled, the security level of macro virus protection may be set to high security. To verify the current security level, follow these steps:
  1. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Security.
  2. Click the Security Level tab.
If the High option is selected, use one of the following methods:
  • Add digital signatures to your macros.
  • Obtain add-ins with a digital signature.
  • Trust all installed add-ins.
  • Change the level of macro virus protection.
For more information about these methods, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

285514 Macros and add-ins do not run when security is set to High in PowerPoint 2003, in PowerPoint 2002, in Word 2003 and in Word 2002

Method 7: Move the Add-in File into the Word Startup Path

The following is the default location for the Word startup path:

Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP:

<drive>\Documents and Settings\ user name \Application Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP


If you want to make sure of the Word startup path before you move the add-in file, verify the path by following these steps:
  1. On the Tools menu in Word, click Options.
  2. Select the File Locations tab.
  3. In the File types list, select Startup, and then click Modify.
  4. In the Modify Location dialog box, click the DOWN arrow in the Look in box to see the complete location of the folder.
  5. Click Cancel in the Modify Location dialog box.
  6. Click Close in the Options dialog box.
After you know the file name and location of the add-in file, in addition to the Word startup path, move the add-in file from its current location to the folder specified in the Word startup path.

MORE INFORMATION

If you continue to receive this error message, there are other possible causes.

For more information about other causes of Vbe6.dll-based errors, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

290935 You receive error messages when you start the Visual Basic Editor from Word 2002

302596 "A version of Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker that is known to cause instabilities" error message when you start an Office program that has the Adobe PDFMaker add-in installed



Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

For information about how to contact Symantec Corporation, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

65416 Hardware and software vendor contact information, A-K

60781 Hardware and software vendor contact information, L-P

60782 Hardware and software vendor contact information, Q-Z

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/27/2006
Keywords:kbcorrupt kbstartprogram kberrmsg kbOfficeXPsp2fix kbprb KB316731
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