Microsoft KB Archive/212040

= XL2000: Microsoft Map May Hang When You Insert Canadian Postal Codes =

Article ID: 212040

Article Last Modified on 9/27/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q212040





SYMPTOMS
If you use Microsoft Map to create a Canadian map using a range of three-digit Canadian postal codes (the Forward Sortation Area [FSA]), or if you insert a range of FSA postal codes in an existing map of Canada, you may receive the following error message, or Microsoft Excel 2000 may appear to hang (stop responding):

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

If you click Details, you receive an error message similar to the following:

MSMAP caused an invalid page fault in module MSMAP.EXE at 0167:00448a00.

If you click Close, the session of Microsoft Map ends, but Excel remains open and unresponsive.



CAUSE
This problem may occur when the following conditions are true:
 * At least one of the FSA codes is not in the correct format.

-and-
 * There are more than four postal codes in the source data.

NOTE: If an incorrect FSA code is composed of three numbers and is the first code in the column, it is treated as a heading and ignored.



RESOLUTION
If this problem occurs, follow these steps:
 * 1) Press CTRL+ALT+DEL.
 * 2) Click Microsoft Excel, and then click End Task.
 * 3) Quit all programs, and then restart Windows.

To prevent this problem, use only the FSA portion of the Canadian postal code, and be sure to use the correct format. The format requires that you use only three characters in the following order: letter/number/letter.



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



MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft Map can use only Canadian Forward Sortation Area postal codes. These characters are the first three characters of the Canadian postal code.

Further information on the Canadian Postal Code and the Forward Sortation Area can be found on the Canada Post Corporation Web site at the following address:

http://www.canadapost.ca

Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

For Microsoft Map to find a matching geographic map based on geographic data, such as state names, abbreviations, or postal codes, at least 80 percent of the data needs to be valid for the map that is being matched. For instance, if you type in state names and have four or fewer names, you must spell them all correctly; otherwise, Microsoft Map fails to find a corresponding map. You may then get the following error message:

You must include a column of geographic data in your selection.

However, if you have five or more names, you may misspell one of them (up to 20 percent of the items), and Microsoft Map still has enough information to find the proper map. You then receive a "Resolve Unknown Geographic Data" error message stating that

The following data from your worksheet is not recognized as geographic data.

which allows you to change or discard (ignore) each item that is in error.

NOTE: You do not receive these messages when the errors occur with Canadian Forward Sortation Areas, as described in the "Cause" section of this article.

