Getting errors I didn't used to get

Question

Access 2010. Opening a database that used to function flawlessly I get a popup window saying "Searching for MSOUTL.OLB" then after a few seconds I get a break open at a code window saying it can't find ENVIRON() function or STRING$() function (and others).

Has something happened to a library?

In another app, I get the following error when I access a form that used to work fine:

Answer 1

I'm guessing your Office needs repair. Find MSOUTL.OLB and change the name to something like MSOUTL.OLB.old. Then run the Office Repair from the control panel> programs and features.

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Bill Mosca
www.thatlldoit.com
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MS_Access_Professionals

Answer 2

The file is in this folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14

however, it is not in:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14

We are running the 32-bit version of Access 2010.

Answer 3

We are not allowed to make any changes to software on our machines. I'd have to submit a request to our Network department to do that and I'd have to give them a reason why it was necessary.

Answer 4

Have you tried decompiling and recompiling the application?

http://www.fmsinc.com/microsoftaccess/performance/decompile.asp

-Bruce

Answer 5

It sounds like MSOUTL.OLB is in the right place (i.e. in the Program Files (x86)...tree).  If you want to try an Office repair, you should be able to attempt this yourself from Windows' Control Panel.  Once Office is installed you should not need additional permissions to run a repair.  Assuming Windows 7, Just open Control Panel, go to Uninstall a Program (although this is not what you are actually going to do) , then select Microsoft Office from the programs list.  Then select Change from the toolbar above the list of programs.  You'll be given an option at that point to repair the existing installation.

-Bruce

Answer 6

Is it possible someone opened the application in a later version of Access? Later versions successfully update the VBA references to their own office version, but then the earlier version will fail. Open the VBA window and check for missing references using the Tools -> References menu item. See if the app can compile successfully.

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Paul

Answer 7

Well it seems that this problem is limited to just a few databases that were saved and published as ACCDE recently.

So I suspect that MS Access itself added these spurious references to libraries that do not exist. I'm not sure how or why this happened.

I no longer believe it was an update or patch that our Network folks ran, since that would have been expected to have a much more widespread effect.

The fix was to replace the 15.0 MS Office library references with 14.0 MS Office library references.