KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q194893: BUG: Help System Closes After Closing Printer Properties Window

Article: Q194893
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 4.0,5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnokeyword kbVBp400bug kbVBp500bug kbVBp600bug kbOSWin95 kbOSWin98 kbGrpDSVB
Last Modified: 30-JAN-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0, used with:
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 95 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 98 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0, used with:
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 95 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 98 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0, used with:
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 95 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 98 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0, used with:
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 95 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows 98 
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

While attempting to print a topic from the Visual Basic Help file, you access
the Printer Properties dialog. The Help system closes unexpectedly when you
close the Printer Properties window, and the topic is not printed. This problem
occurs in the Visual Basic development environment or when using the ShowHelp
method of the Common Dialog Control. This problem occurs only on Windows 95,
Windows 98, or Windows Me.

RESOLUTION
==========

The workarounds for this problem are limited. Launching Help by using the
WinHelp function from the Win32 API results in the same problem. It is possible
to avoid this problem by starting WinHelp32.EXE and specifying a Help file using
the Shell() function. However, there is no way to specify a Help Topic when
using Shell().

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the
beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Visual Basic 6.0 is listed in the "Applies to" section of this article. It is
important to note that version 6.0 will exhibit this problem only when a Help
file designed for the WinHelp system is opened; for example, when opening the
Visual Basic 5.0 Help file in Visual Basic 6.0. Because Visual Basic 6.0 uses a
different Help file system, this problem does not apply to Visual Basic 6.0 when
using files created with the new HTML file format.

The following section uses the Menu selections available in Visual Basic 5.0. The
menu options in Visual Basic 4.0 are slightly different, although the same
problem does occur.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

1. Start Visual Basic on a computer running Windows 95/98.

2. Click the Cancel button when the New Project window appears.

3. Select Microsoft Visual Basic Help Topics from the Help menu.

4. Click on any topic and then click the Display button on the Help Topics
  window.

5. With the Help topic displayed, choose Print Topic from the Options menu.

6. When the Print dialog displays, click on the Printer Properties button.

7. Close the Printer Properties window by clicking on OK or Cancel. The Help
  system shuts down at this point, and the topic is not printed.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbnokeyword kbVBp400bug kbVBp500bug kbVBp600bug kbOSWin95 kbOSWin98 kbGrpDSVB 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : :4.0,5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.