Microsoft KB Archive/107771

Knowledge Base

PC Forms: Err Msg: Illegal Function Call

Article ID: 107771

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Exchange Electronic Forms Designer 5.0, when used with:
  • Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 3.0
  • Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 3.0b
  • Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 3.2

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This article was previously published under Q107771

SYMPTOMS

When you choose the Select E-Form command from the Mail menu of versions 3.0, 3.0b, or 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows, you may receive the following error message:

Illegal Function Call

You may also receive this error message when you select the Route command in Microsoft Word or Excel.

CAUSE

This error sometimes indicates that a universal naming convention (UNC) path is defined for the SharedExtensionsDir in the MSMAIL.INI file. The Browser application code that parses a UNC shared extensions path may fail if the UNC path does not contain a backslash (\) as the last character in its definition. For example, the following MSMAIL.INI entry may generate the above error:

   SharedExtensionsDir=\\servername\share
                

RESOLUTION

To solve the problem, add a "\" to the end of the path definition:

   SharedExtensionsDir=\\servername\share\ 
                

MORE INFORMATION

You can also solve this problem by modifying the Browser application code that handles UNC paths. To do so:

1. Open the BROWSER.MAK project in Visual Basic (VB\EFORMS\MEFBROWS).
2. From the Project window, select BROWSER.FRM. Click the View Code button.
3. From the Proc: list box, select fConnectShared.

4. Modify the code as follows:

         If Left(szSharedDir, 2) = "\\" Then
            ' Handle UNC path and obtain connection substring length
            ' Ensure that the path doesn't end in a trailing slash
            If (Right(szSharedDir, 1) = "\") Then
                szSharedDir = Left(szSharedDir, Len(szSharedDir) - 1)
            End If
            iShare = InStr(3, szSharedDir, "\")
            iPath = Len(szSharedDir)
   
            ' see if a connection already exists
            szNetDrive = SzExistingConnection(Left(szSharedDir, iPath))
   
            If szNetDrive = "" Then
            ' No previous connection exists, find a free drive letter
               szNetDrive = GetFreeDrive()
            ' and connect if a drive is free
               If szNetDrive = "" Then
                  ' No free drive is available to connect
                  FConnectShared = False
                  Exit Function
               ElseIf WNetAddConnection(Left(szSharedDir, iPath), "",
         szNetDrive) <> 0 Then
                  ' Connection failed
                  FConnectShared = False
                  Exit Function
               End If
            End If
            szSharedDir = szNetDrive & Right(szSharedDir,
         Len(szSharedDir) - iPath)
         End If

NOTE: Code that wraps to a new line here should be entered on the same line in Visual Basic. Also, this is not the most streamlined code for this procedure, it requires the fewest changes from the original.

1. Choose Make .EXE File from the File menu and replace the existing MEFBROWS.EXE in the WINDOWS subdirectory.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.00b 3.20

Keywords: KB107771

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