Microsoft KB Archive/105495

"Zikes!" Error Message

= "Zikes!" Error Message =

Q105495
- The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Publisher for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a - Microsoft Publisher for Windows 95, version 3.0 -

SYMPTOMS

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Slower machines may time-out while a PageWizard is creating a publication. Reasons for a slower computer include having other applications running, low memory, and slow CPU (central processing unit) speed.

Publisher 2.0 has a time-out value hard coded into the program. There is no way to change that time-out value. Slow machines may return an error such as

Zikes! Publisher won't listen to .

where  is the name of the PageWizard you are using, or:

Zikes! I can't communicate with Publisher.

The following is another possible error message:

Zikes! Introduction to Publisher 2.0 is unable to talk with Microsoft Publisher. You may need to restart Publisher and try again.

RESOLUTION

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You may be able to work around this problem by trying one or all of the following:

- Disable virtual memory.

- Close all other applications before running PageWizards.

- Disable wallpaper usage in the Desktop section of the Windows Control Panel.

- Free hard disk space and defragment that space.

If you are running Publisher 2.0 under Windows 95 and are using a legacy video driver you may also encounter any one of these error messages. If this happens, you can replace the Windows 3.x video driver with an equivalent Windows 95 video driver.

STATUS

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Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Publisher versions 2.0, 2.0- CD, 2.0a, 2.0aCD, and 3.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

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These error messages can also occur if Datasafe by Landmark research is installed. To correct this problem, change the following drivers line from the SYSTEM.INI file

[boot] drivers=mmsystem.dll,c:\datasafe\datasafe.dll

so that it reads:

[boot] drivers=mmsystem.dll

NOTE: Datasafe also installs various VXD's in latter sections of the SYSTEM.INI file, but these do not cause this problem.

Datasafe is manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability.

Additional query words: 2.00 mspub pub20 pub20a zikes slow wizard time 2.00a 3.00 pub3 out timeout unable to talk cannot talk datasafe