PRB: DDE Error When Running Setup on Norton Desktop (108498)

SYMPTOMS

The Setup Toolkit provided with Visual Basic version 3.0 is used to create distribution disks for applications created with Visual Basic. If Norton Desktop for Windows version 2.0 or 2.2 is being used as the Windows Shell, Windows will report the error message, "An application using DDE did not respond to the system's exit command," shortly after SETUP1 is complete.

CAUSE

The error message occurs because the Norton Desktop shell and the Program Manager each handle DDE messages differently. SETUP1 calls two routines to create groups and items, CreateProgManGroup and CreateProgManItem. Each routine establishes a DDE link and then terminates it after the group or item is created. After the termination of the link, not enough time is being given to the Norton Desktop shell to acknowledge the terminated link.

RESOLUTION

A customer has reported that this problem does not occur with version 3.0 of Norton Desktop.

If you are experiencing this problem, modify the SETUP1.MAK program to allow the Norton Desktop shell to acknowledge the termination of DDE links. To do this, call the DoEvents function after each call to CreateProgManGroup or CreateProgManItem.

Here are the changes you need to make to the SETUP1.FRM file in the Form_Load event. The SETUP1.FRM is part of the SETUP1.MAK file, which is typically in the \VB\SETUPKIT\SETUP1 directory.

   CreateProgManGroup Setup1, "My Loan Application", "LOAN.GRP"

   For i% = 1 To 10
      z% = DoEvents()
   Next

   CreateProgManItem Setup1, destPath$ + "LOAN.EXE", "My Loan Application"

   For i% = 1 To 10
      z% = DoEvents()
   Next

As you can see, the loop of DoEvents is included after each and every call to CreateProgManGroup and CreateProgManItem. If more calls to these procedures are added, additional loops of DoEvents must be included after those calls. If the SETUP1A.MAK program is being used, the same changes must be made to the SETUP1A.FRM Form_Load event. These changes will not affect installations on computers that use the Program Manager shell.

MORE INFORMATION

The SETUP1.MAK program is part of the Setup Toolkit provided with Visual Basic version 3.0. SETUP1.MAK can be modified by the user or the Setup Wizard to design a custom setup that will install the user's application on other computers. It is typically located in the \VB\SETUPKIT\SETUP1 directory.

When the setup program is run on a target computer, the SETUP1.EXE program is copied to the computer's hard drive and launched. The SETUP1 program then proceeds to copy all of the user's application over to the hard drive. At the conclusion of this process, SETUP1 initiates a series of DDE links to the Program Manager. This is to create the program groups and items for the user's application.

When you use Norton Desktop version 2.0 or 2.2 for Windows as the Windows Shell, the DDE links are successful in creating the necessary program groups and items, and the user's application is installed intact. However, some time after the SETUP1 program ends, the error message (An application using DDE did not respond to the system's exit command) appears. Options to retry, continue, and close are displayed in the dialog box. If the user chooses close, the error will disappear and the user's application will still be installed successfully.