ACC97: Error Double-Clicking ActiveX Control in Design View (167372)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to view the custom property sheet of an ActiveX control by double-clicking it in Design view of a Microsoft Access form, you may receive one of the following error messages:

A problem occurred while Microsoft Access was communicating with the OLE server.

   -or-

This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.

When you click the Details button, you receive the following message:

   MSACCESS caused and invalid page fault in module <ActiveX Control>.OCX

CAUSE

The primary verb of the ActiveX control is requesting that Microsoft Access activate it in place. However, Microsoft Access only supports in-place activation of objects in Form view. Microsoft Access does not allow in-place activation of objects in Design view.

RESOLUTION

There are two methods that you can use to view the property sheet of the ActiveX control.

Method 1

Click the ActiveX control so that it is the selected control.
On the Edit menu, point to <ActiveX Control> Control Object, and then click <ActiveX Control> Control Properties.

Method 2

Click the ActiveX control so that it is the selected control.
Using the right mouse button, click the ActiveX control to open its shortcut menu.
Point to <ActiveX Control> Control Object, and then click <ActiveX Control> Control Properties.

MORE INFORMATION

Many users double-click an ActiveX control in Form Design view to view the control's custom property sheet. However, double-clicking any OLE object, such as an ActiveX control, causes Microsoft Access to invoke the object's primary verb.

The primary verb for most ActiveX controls is Properties. However, the primary verb for some ActiveX controls is Edit, which means it is requesting that the container application activate it in place.

Whether or not you receive an invalid page fault depends on how robust the ActiveX control is, and how it responds to not being activated in-place by the client application.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

If it is not already installed, install the Microsoft ActiveMovie Control. You can install it by running Amovie.exe from the ValuPack\AMovie folder on your Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition compact disc.
Start Microsoft Access and open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
Open a new form not based on any table or query in Design view.
On the Insert menu, click ActiveX Control.
Select ActiveMovie Control Object, and then click OK. This will insert the Microsoft ActiveMovie control on your form.
Double-click the ActiveMovie Control. Note that you receive the error "A problem occurred while Microsoft Access was communicating with the OLE server."