PowerPoint can't initialize Visual Basic for Macros

[Dick Stouffer]

I am using PowerPoint 97 with Win98se.

When I try to create a macro with PowerPoint it displays a messages saying, "PowerPoint was unable to initialize Visual Basic. Macro services will be unavailable."

Both WORD and EXCEL have no difficulty creating macros for me using VB, but the necessary components are not visible to PowerPoint.

How can I correct this problem?

Uncle Richard

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I am using PowerPoint 97 with Win98se.

When I try to create a macro with PowerPoint it displays a messages saying,
"PowerPoint was unable to initialize Visual Basic. Macro services will be
unavailable."

Both WORD and EXCEL have no difficulty creating macros for me using VB, but
the necessary components are not visible to PowerPoint.

Was PowerPoint installed as part of Office 97 or did you purchase it
separately?

In any case, I'd try running the Setup program on the CD you installed from
(whether Office or standalone PPT). It'll give you the option of doing a
maintenance install (or words to that effect). Let it do that.

 

[Dick Stouffer]

I installed it from a standalone CD, Steve, and it was a piecemeal install of
individual components which undoubtedly explains the problems I'm having.
Numerous other features also don't work, but PowerPoint requires a ton of
keystrokes and mouse movements which I'd like to eliminate by using macros. The
CD is flaky and I don't want to risk a full install for fear of clobbering the
registry.

I have tools with which to examine the DLL calls, but diagnosing the problem
that way is really tedious.

I bought this puter in '99. I keep dropping hints to my wife that I'd really
like a new PC for Christmas. That just might be my salvation.

Dick S

| In article <[email protected]>, Dick Stouffer
| wrote:
| > I am using PowerPoint 97 with Win98se.
| >
| > When I try to create a macro with PowerPoint it displays a messages saying,
| > "PowerPoint was unable to initialize Visual Basic. Macro services will be
| > unavailable."
| >
| > Both WORD and EXCEL have no difficulty creating macros for me using VB, but
| > the necessary components are not visible to PowerPoint.
| >
|
| Was PowerPoint installed as part of Office 97 or did you purchase it
| separately?
|
| In any case, I'd try running the Setup program on the CD you installed from
| (whether Office or standalone PPT). It'll give you the option of doing a
| maintenance install (or words to that effect). Let it do that.
|
| -----------------------------------------
| Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
| PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
| PPTools: www.pptools.com
| ================================================
|
|

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I installed it from a standalone CD, Steve, and it was a piecemeal install of
individual components which undoubtedly explains the problems I'm having.
Numerous other features also don't work, but PowerPoint requires a ton of
keystrokes and mouse movements which I'd like to eliminate by using macros. The
CD is flaky and I don't want to risk a full install for fear of clobbering the
registry.

Ouch. That leaves you kind of stuck, doesn't it?

But do you mean that the CD itself is bad or that the drive is?
If the drive's bad but the CD is ok, you can copy the entire contents of the CD to
e.g. a thumb drive or a shared network drive, then copy to the HDD on your PC and
run the install from there.