XL2002: VBA Error on Macro Startup If You Open Multiple Excel Instances with RefEdit Control (321286)

SYMPTOMS

When you open a Microsoft Excel workbook (.xls) or add-in (.xla) that uses the RefEdit control, you may receive one of the following unhandled exception error messages in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) on the first line of code in the project:

Error -2147467259 (&H80004005) : "Unspecified error"

-or-

Automation Error: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process

The problem occurs if multiple instances (for example, four or five) of Excel are running. Each instance of Excel contains workbooks or add-ins that also use the RefEdit control, and all of the temporary locations that hold extenders already have open libraries by the same name (one for each instance of Excel that is using the RefEdit control).

CAUSE

When a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) project that contains the RefEdit control is loaded, VBA creates a control extender for the RefEdit type library. The formation of the control extender is similar to any control that you add to a UserForm. If multiple instances of Excel are running, Fm20.dll may fail while it attempts to create this extender. This failure can result in a VBA runtime error when your code is called.

RESOLUTION

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Office XP Public Update that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

After the hotfix is installed, the following files will have the listed attributes or later:

   Date         Time   Version      Size       File name
   --------------------------------------------------------
   22-Mar-2002  16:38  2.1.9922.1   1,129,232  Fm20.dll

MORE INFORMATION

Service Pack Information

This problem was first corrected in Office XP Service Pack 3.To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Office XP. For additional 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

Because the error occurs before the macro code is run, Excel starts the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and stops at the function entry point. This is similar to the behavior that occurs if VBA detects a compile error.

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

Start Excel 2002, and create a new workbook.
Press Alt+F11 to start the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Integrated Development Environment (IDE), and then add a new UserForm to the workbook.
Add a RefEdit control to the UserForm.

In ThisWorkbook, type or paste the following code in the Open event:

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
   Dim x as Object
End Sub

Save the workbook to a local folder.
Start another instance of Excel.
On the File menu, click Open, and then open another copy of the workbook that you just saved.

NOTE: You may receive a macro warning dialog box followed by a File in Use dialog box to open the workbook in read-only format. Click Enable Macros and then click Read Only.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 three or four more times until you receive one of the error messages listed in the "Symptoms" section of this article.

For additional information about control extenders in VBA, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

290537 OFFXP: EXD Files Are Created When You Insert Controls