Lost ability to edit VISIO OLE object.

Can anyone explain why I've lost the ability to edit a VISIO OLE diagram?
I have an OLE object, the only content of the Object Text attribute, I opened it for edit, made the changes, saved the diagram, closed Visio, saved the module, and realised I hadn't made all the change required.
So try to reopen the OLE object, and get an ERROR box pop up with the message 'unable to activate OLE object!' . I get the same message if I try the edit>Visio Object>edit option, or edit>Visio Object>open options.

In fact all the OLEs do the same.

I've checked the access rights, at project, folder and module level I have RMCD.
I've created a new module, created OLE objects in that, they all give the same error message.

I've logged out and reentered DOORS, still no access.
Using DOORS 8.3 (Client) on Windows XP.
Bob_Swan - Thu Oct 29 11:04:45 EDT 2009

Re: Lost ability to edit VISIO OLE object.
PDU - Thu Oct 29 11:27:11 EDT 2009

Hi,

i have seen this problem with pictures in one (and only one) PC in my company.
All other PC see the pictures in Formal Module, but not this.
It whas not a DOORS problem but a Windows problem i think.

I don't have the solution ; this PC was replaced short time after.

Pierre

Re: Lost ability to edit VISIO OLE object.
SystemAdmin - Thu Oct 29 20:04:25 EDT 2009

Hi Bob,

Of all the OLE enabled applications, Visio is the one that has caused me the most grief, not only when it's embedded in DOORS, but also when it's embedded as an OLE object in other apps such as MSWord. It's not a DOORS issue, well at least I'm pretty sure it's not.

Possible workarounds I've used in the past.

Try doing this from another PC that has the same version of Visio installed.

Export the DOORS module to MSWord - see if you can open the embedded Visio OLE object when it's in MSWord - when I say "Open" - I mean do a right hand click over the Visio OLE object and select the "Open" option so that it fully launches the Visio application. If you can open it and edit it, use the Visio "File>Save Copy As" menu option to save as an external file. Get rid of the OLE object in DOORS and replace it by inserting the saved Visio file as a new OLE object. Check that you can edit the Visio object from within DOORS.
Paul Miller

Re: Lost ability to edit VISIO OLE object.
Bob_Swan - Fri Oct 30 04:58:35 EDT 2009

I agree its not a DOORS problem (completely). I found that having got the error message up if I quickly close it and try to edit the object again I can, most times, get in to edit it.

My belief is that DOORS has a timeout for responses from the invoked application, if you have a busy network, or are far from the server (long delays) then it will time out and give the fail message. Maybe things are just getting lost in a cache somewhere.
Certainly I found I had less trouble as 17:00 approached, and people began to go home.

It also occurred on a DOORS 7 system using a different server to the original DOORS 8 queried.

Re: Lost ability to edit VISIO OLE object.
Bob_Swan - Fri Oct 30 08:55:43 EDT 2009

Some more experimenting seems to suggest that the real problem is making an edit, and saving it.
It looks as though when VISIO (2002) closes the object after editing DOORS is setting it to non-editable information.
This only seems to have occurred since I moved to a Windows XP machine.

PS this should have been in general so I'll add a tag for it there.

Re: Lost ability to edit VISIO OLE object.
Bob_Swan - Tue Nov 10 03:24:22 EST 2009

Bob_Swan - Fri Oct 30 08:55:43 EDT 2009
Some more experimenting seems to suggest that the real problem is making an edit, and saving it.
It looks as though when VISIO (2002) closes the object after editing DOORS is setting it to non-editable information.
This only seems to have occurred since I moved to a Windows XP machine.

PS this should have been in general so I'll add a tag for it there.

IBM support report that the problem no longer occurs with VISIO 2003.
Meanwhile the workaround is to place the VISIO OLE into a new word document, then insert the word document as an OLE in DOORS, then all seems to work correctly.

Re: Lost ability to edit VISIO OLE object.
SystemAdmin - Wed Nov 11 01:25:12 EST 2009

Bob_Swan - Tue Nov 10 03:24:22 EST 2009
IBM support report that the problem no longer occurs with VISIO 2003.
Meanwhile the workaround is to place the VISIO OLE into a new word document, then insert the word document as an OLE in DOORS, then all seems to work correctly.

Bob Swan wrote: ...the workaround is to place the VISIO OLE into a new word document, then insert the word document as an OLE in DOORS...

Yuk!

Paul Miller

Re: Lost ability to edit VISIO OLE object.
SamiR.O - Tue Oct 26 23:55:03 EDT 2010

Hi All,
I had the same issue,
I can say one thing! MAKE A NEW USER PROFILE.
I had reinstalled doors,and re-installed Viso, and was adviced that I had to re-installed the windows-but didnt, none worked !!
I had another Manager signed under his name even after i tryed that before and before didnt work but worked fine under the 2nd manager login
so we figured its a profile issue, another software could be installed and effected the reg. so I would advice to make another profile /username and try it before trying anything else,

Sami