Knowledge Base

WD97: Application.Help wdHelp Generates Run-Time Error

Article ID: 168417

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q168417

SYMPTOMS

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

   Application.Help wdHelp

you may receive the following error message:

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

CAUSE

The error message occurs 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 Microsoft 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, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals 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 needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Partners, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104

For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

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 this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

173707 OFF97: How to Run Sample Code from Knowledge Base Articles

REFERENCES

For more information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

163435 VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for Applications

Additional query words: wordcon vb vbe vba

Keywords: kbbug kbcode kberrmsg kbmacroexample kbpending kbprogramming KB168417

Microsoft KB Archive/168417

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