XL97: Excel Quits Unexpectedly Running Macro That Creates Chart (186219)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
This article was previously published under Q186219

SYMPTOMS

If you use a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro to create a chart, you may receive one of the following errors:

In Windows 95

This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.
If you click Details, you receive an error message similar to the following:
EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module Excel.exe at 0137:30118912.

In Windows NT

An application error has occurred and an application log is being generated.

EXCEL.exe
Exception: access violation(0xc0000005), Address: 0x30125a30
After displaying the error messages, Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows quits.

CAUSE

You may encounter the problem described in the "Symptoms" section, if both of the following conditions are true:

  • You are using the xlLocationAsObject constant for the Where argument of the Location method. -and-

  • You are using an invalid string for the Name argument of the Location method.

WORKAROUND

To prevent this problem with your macro, use a valid worksheet name for the Name argument of the Location method.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows. This problem no longer occurs in Microsoft Excel 2000.

MORE INFORMATION

The following steps demonstrate how this problem occurs.

  1. Save and close all open workbooks, and then open a new workbook.
  2. Enter the following in Sheet1:

    A1: 1
    A2: 2
    A3: 3

  3. Press ALT+F11 to start the Visual Basic Editor.
  4. On the Insert menu, click Module.
  5. Enter the following code in the module: 
        Sub AddChart()
      Charts.Add
      ActiveChart.ChartType = xlColumnClustered
      ActiveChart.SetSourceData _
         Source:=Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A1:A3"),PlotBy:=xlColumns

      'At this point, the active sheet is a Chart sheet with a column chart
      'and ActiveSheet.Name will return "Chart1" as a string value.

      ActiveChart.Location _
         where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:=ActiveSheet.Name
    End Sub
  6. On the File menu, click "Close and Return to Microsoft Excel."
  7. On the File menu, click Save.
  8. Press ALT+F8, select AddChart in the list of macros, and then click Run. NOTE: Microsoft Excel will unexpectedly quit.
To prevent this from occurring, follow these steps:

  1. Restart Microsoft Excel.
  2. Open the workbook you created in the previous list of steps.
  3. Press ALT+F11 to start the Visual Basic Editor.
  4. Modify the AddChart macro, so that it is similar to the following macro: 
        Sub AddChart()
      Charts.Add
      ActiveChart.ChartType = xlColumnClustered
      ActiveChart.SetSourceData _
         Source:=Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A1:A3"),PlotBy:=xlColumns

      'At this point, the active sheet is a Chart sheet with a column chart
      'and ActiveSheet.Name will return "Chart1" as a string value.

      ActiveChart.Location _
         where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:=ActiveSheet.Name
    End Sub

REFERENCES

For more information about the Location Method, from the Visual Basic Editor, click the Office Assistant, type location method, click Search, and then click to view "Location Method."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If the Assistant is not able to answer your query, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

176476 OFF: Office Assistant Not Answering Visual Basic Questions

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/10/2006
Keywords:kbbug kberrmsg kbpending kbProgramming KB186219
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