Access 97:ActiveX Can't Create Object

Thursday, March 13, 2002 10:13:28

Derived From Microsoft Knowledge Base Q177264

Symptoms

In Microsoft Access 97, when you try to do any of the following

open a database with a startup form

view, create, or execute Visual Basic code in a form's class module

start a Microsoft Access 97 Wizard

you may receive one of the following error messages.

In Windows 95

ActiveX component can't create object.

-or

This application has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.

If you click the Details button, you see the following additional information:

Invalid Page Fault in MSACCESS.EXE

In Windows NT

An application error has occurred and an application error log is being generated. MSACCESS.EXE -or

MSACCESS.EXE caused an exception: Access Violation in MSACCOPT.DBG

CAUSE
The Dao350.dll file was not properly registered when Microsoft Access 97 was installed. This behavior occurs when you run setup for Microsoft Access 97 or Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition, and the Dao350.dll file already exists on your hard drive. If the file already exists, the setup program does not reregister the file correctly.

RESOLUTION
There are three methods that you can use to resolve this issue. Each method is more extensive than the one before it, so you may want to try each method in the order listed until the error message goes away.

Method 1: Use Regsvr32.exe to Register the DAO Files

Regsvr32.exe is a program that you can use to register dynamic link library (.dll) files or ActiveX Controls in Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows NT.

If Regsvr32.exe is not already on your hard drive, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for information about obtaining a copy of the file:

Q161983 ACC: Regsv32a.exe Available in Download Center

Follow these steps to register the Data Access Objects (DAO) DLL on your computer using Regsvr32.exe:

Quit Microsoft Access if it is running.

Verify that Regsvr32.exe is in your Windows\System folder, for example:

\Windows\System or \Winnt\System32.

Depending on the operating system you are using, do one of the following:

In Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0, on the taskbar, click Start, and then click Run.

In Microsoft Windows NT version 3.51, in Program Manager or File Manager, on the File menu, click Run.

In the Run dialog box, in the Open text box (or the Command Line box in Microsoft Windows NT version 3.51), type the following command:

Regsvr32.exe C:\progra~1\common~1\micros~1\dao\dao350.dll

NOTE: The path to Dao350.dll may be different on your computer.

Start Microsoft Access and attempt to perform the process that caused the error.

NOTE: An alternative method of registering DLLs is to use Windows Explorer to find the DLL, double-click it, in the Open With Box, select Regsvr32.exe, and then click OK. This creates a permanent association of all DLLs with Regsvr32.exe. You can easily register other unregistered DLLs by double-clicking them.