Microsoft KB Archive/209256

= WD2000: Application.Help wdHelp Generates Run-Time Error =

Article ID: 209256

Article Last Modified on 6/17/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Word 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q209256





SYMPTOMS
When you run a Visual Basic for Applications macro that attempts to display Word Help, using the following command:

Application.Help wdHelp

the following error message may appear:

Run time error '4605'. This command is not available.



CAUSE
The error message appears because Word must be the active program when the Application.Help wdHelp command is run.

For example, you may receive the error message if you run the following Visual Basic for Applications macro from Microsoft Excel, because Excel is the active program:

Sub DisplayWordHelp Dim oMSWord As Object Set oMSWord = GetObject(Class:="Word.Application") oMSWord.Help wdHelp End Sub



WORKAROUND
Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

To work around this problem, your code must first open Word, as demonstrated in the following macro:

Sub DisplayWordHelp Dim oMSWord As Object On Error Resume Next ' If Word is already running, use the existing instance. Set oMSWord = GetObject(Class:="Word.Application") If Err <> 0 Then ' If Word is NOT already running, create a new instance. Set oMSWord = CreateObject(Class:="Word.Application") End If     If oMSWord.Visible = False Then ' Make Word visible. oMSWord.Visible = True End If     oMSWord.Activate   ' <--- Activate Word application. oMSWord.Help wdHelp End Sub



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



MORE INFORMATION
For more information about how to use the sample code in this article, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

212536 OFF2000: How to Run Sample Code from Knowledge Base Articles

