Knowledge Base

Works: Embedded Files Shown as Icons Are Always Hatched

Article ID: 111774

Article Last Modified on 9/26/2003

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q111774

SYMPTOMS

In a Works Word Processor or Database, when you insert a file as an icon into a Word Processor document, the icon will continue to look "hatched" (that is, display with diagonal lines running through it) even after you edit the file.

Trying to delete these objects produces the message:
Selection contains open objects. Close the open object windows.
You will not be able to delete the objects.

NOTE: This problem also can occur with objects inserted from OLE 1.0 applications such as Microsoft Draw, Equation Editor and ClipArt Gallery, if the OLE 1.0 application was not closed or exited properly. To edit or delete an open object from an OLE 1.0 application, double-click the object to display its source application, then close or exit that application.

WORKAROUND

Use the following workaround to edit or delete a packaged object:

  1. In a Works Word Processor or Database, select the object icon.
  2. From the Edit menu, choose Package Object and select Edit Package.
  3. From the File menu of Object Packager, choose Exit.
  4. Choose Yes when prompted to update the Word Processor or Database document.
The hatch marks disappear and you should be able to delete the object icon or double-click it to edit the information. When you close the window, the hatch marks return and you have to perform the steps above again.

MORE INFORMATION

This is a problem with the Object Packager code that was used in OLE version 2.0.

This behavior only applies to embedding Works Word Processor and Database files. Object Packager works correctly with other containers such as Word version 6.0 for Windows and Excel version 5.0 for Windows.

Because the Word Processor and Database modules are OLE destinations, not sources, linking should not work anyway. The Link option is available in case you want to link to a Works spreadsheet or other source application, where it will operate correctly.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

  1. Create a new Word Processor or Database document in Works.
  2. From the Insert menu, choose Object.
  3. Select Create From File, and use a Database or Word Processor file. Select the Display As Icon option, and make sure the Link check box is not selected and choose OK.

    This will open the selected document with the title containing the following characters ~PKG????.???. The question marks to the left of the decimal represent a document identifier used by Works. The question marks to the right of the decimal represent the extension for the embedded document (WDB for Database files and WPS for Word Processor files).
  4. From the File menu, choose Close to embed the object.
  5. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4, but this time select the Link check box. This will open the selected document with the title of the source file.
  6. Double-click each icon.
Double-clicking the embedded icon will not open a document until you perform the workaround. Linked icons will open the source document. After double-clicking each icon and closing the source document, you will see that both icons continue to display with diagonal lines running through (as if they are still open).

Additional query words: w_works wp db kberrmsg linking embed shaded shading object embedding hatched

Keywords: kberrmsg KB111774


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