Re: Fixing my embedded objects problem

Thanks very much, I'll give this a try now.

John

"garfield-n-odie" <garfieldnodie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OjFjMXs9FHA.1188@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> See http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=835404 "You receive an error
> message when you try to open an Office document or start Outlook".
>
> The usual solution is to disable the Office Plugin that comes with
> Symantec/Norton AntiVirus as described in
> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=329820 "How to use Office programs with
> the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in".
>
> Uninstalling Norton AntiVirus does not always uninstall the Norton Office
> Plugin. Use My Computer or Windows Explorer to search your hard drive for
> a file named OFFICEAV.DLL (be sure to include hidden and system files and
> folders in the search options). If you find the file, note the folder
> where it is located, and use the "regsvr32 /u" method described in
> KB329820 to unregister the DLL.
>
> JMF wrote:
>
>> A couple of years ago while using my laptop with Win2K and Office2000, I
>> suddenly found that I couldn't open equations that I had made in Word.
>> The messages were things like "application server can't be found, would
>> you like to install it now?" And of course I did, and it made no
>> difference.
>>
>> But then, I noticed that in fact it wasn't just with equations, it was
>> with ALL embedded objects, whether Excel spreadsheets or charts or
>> whatever. (Although interestingly it did work with Microsoft Picture
>> Objects.)
>>
>> Oddly, at the same time I also found that I suddenly couldn't print out
>> e-mail messages from Outlook Express. Script errors.
>>
>> Then, perhaps even more odd, one day MANY months later, everything
>> suddenly worked again. I decided it might have been one of the many
>> operating systems updates, whereby one of them messed it up and another
>> one put it right again.
>>
>> Time passed and a couple of months ago I got a new laptop. This time XP
>> home edition and Office XP. I've used my new computer since then, and
>> suddenly three days ago ... the same problem all over again! Different
>> operating system, different Office, but same problem, EVEN INCLUDING THE
>> PROBLEM WITH PRINTING E-MAIL MESSAGES!
>>
>> So I'm just amazed, and for the life of me would like to know what has
>> happened. The only thing I can think of that I recently did was uninstall
>> Norton Virus and replace it with AVG. But frankly I didn't do an official
>> "before" and "after" test so I couldn't swear exactly at which point
>> things "broke."
>>
>> I did try one thing, though: my laptop came with WordPerfect installed,
>> so I tried embedding something in a WordPerfect file to see what happens.
>> I must say that the error message was at least more informative. It was
>> this:
>>
>> "OLE object could not be created. This is usually due to incorrect
>> information about the server in the Windows registration database."
>>
>> So this is what I'm currently guessing: *something* has messed up my
>> registration database, so that OLE doesn't find the various programs.
>> Unfortunately I know nothing about this area of the operating system, but
>> I figure I should at least try to set it right. I remember that when I
>> first had the problem and tried reinstalling Office, it did *NOT* solve
>> the problem. But I just noticed that there is a "Windows Installer
>> Cleanup," and wonder whether that might be useful/necessary in this case,
>> so that reinstalling actually makes a difference (I had the feeling
>> something was being "remembered" from one installation to the next and
>> that's why reinstallation wasn't making any difference.)
>>
>> So there it is, the problem. Anybody here have his interest piqued and
>> some idea about what could be done? It's a fascinating but very
>> frustrating problem and I'd prefer not to just wait until the next
>> combination of odd circumstances suddenly sets it all right again.
>>
>> Thanks for any ideas,
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>>
>>
>


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