You receive the "Invalid procedure call or argument" error message when you use the Legal Pleading Wizard in Word 2003 (906308)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Word 2003
Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SUMMARY

This article describes an error message that you may receive when you use the Legal Pleading Wizard in Microsoft Office Word 2003. This problem occurs if the Data and Options registry subkeys for Word 2003 are corrupted. To resolve this problem, you must remove these two registry subkeys. Word 2003 rebuilds these two registry subkeys by using the default settings the next time that you start the program.

SYMPTOMS

When you click Finish to complete the steps that are in the Legal Pleading Wizard in Microsoft Office Word 2003, you receive an error message that is similar to the following:
Invalid procedure call or argument
Additionally, the document that you tried to create by using the Legal Pleading Wizard is not saved.

CAUSE

This issue occurs if the following registry subkeys are corrupted:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Data

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, delete the two registry subkeys that are described in the "Cause" section before you run the Legal Pleading Wizard. To delete the registry subkeys, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Use the Support Template

The Support Template is a troubleshooting utility that is available in Microsoft Word. The Support Template is installed when you use the Complete Setup option to install Word 2003. f you used the Upgrade option or the Typical Setup option to install Microsoft Word, the Support Template is not installed.

You can use the Support Template to remove the Data and Options registry subkeys. However, you must follow these steps in this order before you can use the Support Template to remove the Data and Options registry subkeys:
  1. Install the Support Template.
  2. Create a shortcut for the Support Template.
However, the Support Template may have already been installed. Additionally, a shortcut to run the Support Template may already exist. In this case, go to the "Delete the Data registry subkey" section.

Note In case you want to restore the original settings, the Support Template creates a backup of the Data and Options registry subkeys.

Install the Support Template

To install the Support Template, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Click Add or Remove Programs.
  3. Click Change or Remove Programs.
  4. In the Currently installed programs list, click your version of Microsoft Office 2003, and then click Change.
  5. Click Add or Remove Features, and then click Next.
  6. In Custom Setup, click to select the Choose advanced customization of applications check box, and then click Next.
  7. In the Choose update options for applications and tools list, follow these steps:
    1. Expand Microsoft Office Word.
    2. Expand Wizards and Templates.
    3. Click the More Templates and Macros icon, and then click Run all from my computer.
  8. Click Update to install the Support Template.

Create a shortcut to the Support Template

To create a shortcut to the Support Template, follow these steps:
  1. Right-click anywhere on your desktop, point to New, and then click Shortcut.
  2. Click Browse.
  3. In the Create Shortcut dialog box, click anywhere in the Type the location of the item box, and then type the following default path statement:

    "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Winword.exe" /a"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Macros\Support.dot"

    Note If you installed Word in a different location, change the default path accordingly.
  4. Click Next to continue.
  5. In the Type a name for this shortcut box, type Support Template, and then click Finish.

Delete the Data registry subkey

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

Most of the frequently used options for Word are stored in the Data registry subkey. To view these options, click Options on the Tools menu. After you delete the Data registry subkey, Word rebuilds this Data registry subkey by using the default settings the next time that you start Word.

Note If you delete the Data registry subkey, Word resets several options back to their default settings. An example of these options is the most recently used file list on the File menu. Additionally, Word resets many settings that you customized in the Options dialog box.

To delete the Data registry subkey, follow these steps:
  1. Quit all Microsoft Office programs.
  2. Double-click the Support Template shortcut on your desktop.
  3. In the Support Template, click Troubleshoot Utility.
  4. In the Microsoft Word Troubleshooting Utility dialog box, click Data Registry Key in the Select an Item list, and then click Delete.
  5. Click OK when you receive the following message: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft Office\11.0\Word\Data
    Backup file for this registry key is present at:
    C:\DOCUME~1\username\LOCALS~1\Temp\wddata11.0

    Registry key has been deleted.
  6. Click Close.
  7. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Word.
  8. Start Word.

    Note Do not use the Support Template shortcut on your desktop to start Word in step 8.
You may have to change several settings to restore your favorite options in Word. If, for any reason, you want to restore the original Data registry subkey, you must follow these steps:
  1. Quit all Office programs.
  2. Double-click the Support Template shortcut on your desktop.
  3. In the Support Template, click Troubleshoot Utility.
  4. In the Microsoft Word Troubleshooting Utility dialog box, click Data Registry Key in the Select an Item list, and then click Restore.
  5. Click Yes when you receive the following message: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Data
    This key is present in the registry.
    Overwrite it?
  6. Click OK when you receive the following message: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Data Registry key

    restoration successful.
  7. Click Close to close the Microsoft Word Troubleshooting Utility dialog box, and then quit Word.

Delete the Options registry subkey

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

The Options registry subkey stores those options that you can set from Word. Examples of these options are changing menu options or running the RegOptions macro. The options are divided into the default settings or the optional settings. Default settings are established during Setup. You can change the default settings by modifying options in Word. Optional settings are not created during Setup.

To delete the Options registry subkey, follow these steps.
  1. Quit all Office programs.
  2. Double-click the Support Template shortcut on your desktop.
  3. In the Support Template, click Troubleshoot Utility.
  4. In the Microsoft Word Troubleshooting Utility dialog box, click Options Registry Key in the Select an Item list, and then click Delete.
  5. Click OK when you receive the following message:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft Office\11.0\Word\Options

    Backup file for this registry key is present at:

    C:\DOCUME~1\username\LOCALS~1\Temp\wdoptn11.0

    Registry key has been deleted.
  6. Click Close.
  7. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Word.
  8. Start Word.

    Note Do not use the Support Template shortcut on your desktop to start Word in step 8.
You may have to change several settings to restore your favorite options in Word. If, for any reason, you want to restore your original Options registry subkey, you must follow these steps:
  1. Quit all Office programs.
  2. Double-click the Support Template shortcut on your desktop.
  3. In the Support Template, click Troubleshoot Utility.
  4. In the Microsoft Word Troubleshooting Utility dialog box, click Options Registry Key in the Select an Item list, and then click Restore.
  5. Click Yes when you receive the following message: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options
    This key is present in the registry.

    Overwrite it?
  6. Click OK when you receive the following message: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options Registry key
    restoration successful.
  7. Click Close to close the Microsoft Word Troubleshooting Utility dialog box, and then quit Word.

Method 2: Manually delete the registry subkeys

You can manually delete the Data and Options registry subkeys by using Registry Editor.

Note Back up the registry subkeys before you delete them in case you want to restore the original settings.

Manually delete the Data registry subkey

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

Most of the frequently used options that are stored in the Data registry subkey. To view these options, click Options on the Tools menu. When you delete the Data registry subkey, the next time that you start Word, Word rebuilds this Data registry subkey by using the default settings.

Note When you delete the Data registry subkey, Word resets several options back to their default settings. An example of these options is the most recently used file list on the File menu. Additionally, Word resets many settings that you customize in the Options dialog box.

To delete the Data registry subkey, follow these steps:
  1. Quit all Office programs.
  2. Click Start, click Run, and then type regedit in the Open box.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Locate the following registry subkey in the registry:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Data

  5. Click the Data folder.
  6. On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File, type a file name, and then click Save. By default, the .reg file is saved in the My Documents folder.
  7. With the Data folder selected, click Delete on the Edit menu.
  8. Click Yes when you receive the following message: Are you sure you want to delete this key?
  9. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.
  10. Start Word.

    Note Do not use the /a switch to start Word.
You may have to change several settings to restore your favorite options in Word. If, for any reason, you want to restore the original Data registry subkey, you must follow these steps:
  1. Locate the .reg file to which you exported the Data registry subkey to earlier, and then double-click the .reg file.
  2. Click Yes when you receive the following message: Are you sure you want to add the information in Drive_Letter:\path\filename.reg to the registry?

Manually delete the Options registry subkey

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

The Options registry subkey stores those options that you can set from Word. Examples of these options are changing menu options or running the RegOptions macro. The options are divided into the default settings or the optional settings. Default settings are established during Setup. You can change the default settings by modifying options in Word. Optional settings are not created during Setup.

To delete the Options registry subkey, follow these steps:
  1. Quit all Office programs.
  2. Click Start, click Run, and then type regedit in the Open box.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Locate the following registry subkey in the registry:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options

  5. Click Options.
  6. On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File, type a file name, and then click Save. By default, the .reg file is saved in the My Documents folder.
  7. With the Options folder selected, click Delete on the Edit menu.
  8. Click Yes when you receive the following message: Are you sure you want to delete this key?
  9. On the File menu, click Exit.
  10. Start Word.

    Note Do not use the /a switch to start Word.
You may have to change several settings to restore your favorite options in Word. If, for any reason, you want to restore the original Options registry subkey, you must follow these steps:
  1. Locate the .reg file to which you exported the Options registry subkey to earlier, and then double-click the .reg file.
  2. Click Yes when you receive the following message: Are you sure you want to add the information in Drive_Letter:\path \ filename.reg to the registry?

MORE INFORMATION

The registry subkeys may become corrupted if the Legal Pleading Wizard passes a parameter that has one of the following conditions in the procedure call:
  • Parameter is out of range.
  • Parameter contains invalid data,
Alternatively, the Legal Pleading Wizard may have called a procedure at an unexpected time.

REFERENCES

For more information about how to troubleshoot Microsoft Office Word 2003, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

820919 How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word 2003 or Word 2002

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:3/23/2006
Keywords:kbprb KB906308 kbAudEndUser
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.