WD2000: "Error 4198 Command Failed" Error Message and Word Hangs When You Try to Call the Close Method of Document Object (319623)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Word 2000
  • Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications 5.0

This article was previously published under Q319623
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

If you set the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Word Table properties for an OLE-embedded document and then call the Close method of the document object, you may receive the following error message, and Word stops responding, or "hangs":
Error 4198 Command Failed

RESOLUTION

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing to further ensure product quality. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next service release 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: 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 usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question. The English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.
   Date          Time   Version    Size       File name
   -------------------------------------------------------------
   01-Oct-2002   12:37  n/a        4,041,044  Winword.msp
   01-Oct-2002   14:18  n/a        4,675,740  Winword_Admin.msp
This fix is a post-Office 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP-3) fix. To install the fix, you must have Office 2000 SP-3 installed. For additional information about Office 2000 SP-3, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

326585 OFF2000: Overview of Office 2000 Service Pack 3

Additionally, you may have to install Windows Installer 2.0 to install this fix. For additional information about the Windows Installer requirement for post-Office 2000 SP-3 fixes, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

811002 OFF2000: Office 2000 Updates and Patches Released After November 2002 May Require Windows Installer 2.0

Turn On the Fix

To turn on the fix that is described in this article, follow these steps.WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
  1. Quit Word.
  2. Click Start, and then click Run.
  3. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
  4. Locate and then click the following registry key:

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Word\Options]


  5. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
  6. Type SmartServerObjRefTracking, and then press ENTER.
  7. Right-click SmartServerObjRefTracking, and then click Modify.
  8. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
  9. Quit Registry Editor.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:4/7/2006
Keywords:kbQFE KBHotfixServer kbbug kbfix KB319623