Comm Port

[mstefansen]

New member here hoping to get some expert help.

I have an access db using access 07. I am using a serial port to collect ASCII data from a PLC project. In the db I have a label I click to turn the comm port on and off and a drop list to select the comm port.

This db worked perfect a couple months ago but now that I am getting ready to release this project, the db has an issue with the comm port. If I click the label or select a port I get the following error.

438 "Object doesn't support this property or method"

This is on my laptop and desktop running Access 07.

I took the laptop and restored back to June and the db works fine.
It looks like this is related to a recent update but how do I resolve it?

Any thoughts?

Thanks for your time,

Mike

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

You may get lucky and find someone here who can answer your question; however I think you would have more luck searching a VB6 forum or possibly a VB.Net forum, as VB* programmers are more likely to dabble in this very specialist area of programming.

 

[mstefansen]

Thanks Gizmo.
I will try to move the thread over.

Mike

 

[Scooterbug]

I know that I've never been able to get a scale via a com port to work in access. I could get it to work, but the data that came in wouldn't convert to a type that was readable. I dont know if Acess 2007 has built in support for com port communication...I had to add a reference to an MS Com Control dll file. I wound up writing a VB.NET program to do so and had it dump the data into an Access database.

 

[mstefansen]

I know that I've never been able to get a scale via a com port to work in access. I could get it to work, but the data that came in wouldn't convert to a type that was readable. I dont know if Acess 2007 has built in support for com port communication...I had to add a reference to an MS Com Control dll file. I wound up writing a VB.NET program to do so and had it dump the data into an Access database.

I have my laptop next to my desktop both running Access 07. My desktop doesn't work and the laptop does. All I did to the laptop was a restore back to June.

On the desktop, if I try to add the MS Comm control it gives a pop up that says the control is not supported in access 07.

Something has changed over the past 3 months. Just can't figure out what.

I suppose a separate VB routine that dumps to the db would work. I don't know if I am enough of a programmer to do it. It was so nice to have it embedded in the db.

Mike

 

[Scooterbug]

Well, if it's working on one, then I guess it's possible My guess would be that there was something added to the laptop between June and now that enabled the database to work with the Comm Port. Have no clue what it would be however

As for the VB.NET route....when I wrote the program..I didn't know jack about programming in .NET You can download Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition from Microsoft for free.

Still got a few bugs in the program...but they are bugs I can live with

Edit:
A quick search on google for MS Access MSCOMM turned up this interesting article:
http://www.microsoft.com/communitie...61-81c9-5710051151c2&cat=&lang=&cr=&sloc=&p=1

That might help ya out

 

[mstefansen]

Well, if it's working on one, then I guess it's possible My guess would be that there was something added to the laptop between June and now that enabled the database to work with the Comm Port. Have no clue what it would be however

As for the VB.NET route....when I wrote the program..I didn't know jack about programming in .NET You can download Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition from Microsoft for free.

Still got a few bugs in the program...but they are bugs I can live with

Thanks for the tip, I dabble in VB but am far from a programmer

This is how I was able to get the code in access.

It is actually something that was added or updated that stopped it from working. I did a system restore on the laptop back to June to get it to work. Microsoft must have rolled out some security fix that is now blocking the the activex control.

Mike

 

[Scooterbug]

I edited my post after you posted...but check out the link..the time frame about right and it gives a specific Windows Update that sounds like the actual culprit.

It is actually something that was added or updated that stopped it from working. I did a system restore on the laptop back to June to get it to work. Microsoft must have rolled out some security fix that is now blocking the the activex control.

My bad...I totally misread that

 

[mstefansen]

I edited my post after you posted...but check out the link..the time frame about right and it gives a specific Windows Update that sounds like the actual culprit.



My bad...I totally misread that

Thanks Scoot, this is all getting me closer.
I tried the db on a coworkers pc and it was missing the ocx which tells me his pc was clean of the mscomm. I added the ocx and then ran the db. He has the same issue on his pc.

Mike

 

[mstefansen]

I edited my post after you posted...but check out the link..the time frame about right and it gives a specific Windows Update that sounds like the actual culprit.



My bad...I totally misread that

Scoot, you saved the day. That link you posted contained another link that pointed me to a MS Security Advisory.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/969898.mspx

I went to add remove programs and selected show updates and found 969898 under XP updated and removed the update.

The db now works like a charm again.

Thanks for the direction.

Mike

 

[Scooterbug]

Glad you got it working!

 

[mstefansen]

Glad you got it working!

Yes! Thanks again, forums to the rescue.

Now to find a way to keep this update from coming through again.

Mike

 

[Scooterbug]

Now to find a way to keep this update from coming through again.
Mike

Actually, you can. Select the option to manually install Updates. When the particular update appears on the list, leave the check box unchecked. It should prompt you and ask you if you want to remove the update from the list without updating (or something like that). Just select Yes and you should be good to go.

 

[mstefansen]

Actually, you can. Select the option to manually install Updates. When the particular update appears on the list, leave the check box unchecked. It should prompt you and ask you if you want to remove the update from the list without updating (or something like that). Just select Yes and you should be good to go.

All our updates here at work are pushed by the server. I just asked our MIS dept to block this update.

It still leaves me scratching my head as to why they would just turn this function off with out any warning or work around.

Mike

 

[Scooterbug]

All our updates here at work are pushed by the server. I just asked our MIS dept to block this update.

Sorry to hear that

It still leaves me scratching my head as to why they would just turn this function off with out any warning or work around.
Mike

Not certain, but I know that Comm communication is built into the .net structure, making the ocx for MSCOMM obsolete. So when they were working on fixing whatever it was that particular issue they didn't care if the fix affected MSCOMM. And, as you have seen, it did indeed interfere with it

 

[mstefansen]

Sorry to hear that

Oh yea, me too. It's not easy.

It messes with us here in engineering quite a bit.
We actually had the pushes stopped here a while back but now they continue.
So I get to spend 2 days on the forums looking for fixes

Valid excuse for surfing at work.

M

 

[b_c]

mstefansen, mind if i ask for a sample of your coding you are using to communicate w/ the com port.

i have a com port peripheral that i need to send/received information to/from and i'm looking for some sample code to accomplish.

the interface is preset to communicate using the following settings:

2400 baud, 7 bit, no parity, no handshake

i need to be able to send command "p" over to the peripheral

and

receive an ascii dump from the peripheral that i'd edit into fields of a form.



any ideas? com port is currently assigned to COM2




b_c

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

And I owe you an apology Mike... I didn't read your question correctly, giving you a bog standard answer to the "wrong question" .... Sorry about that.

 

[mstefansen]

And I owe you an apology Mike... I didn't read your question correctly, giving you a bog standard answer to the "wrong question" .... Sorry about that.

No problem Gizmo, I have it worked out. Seems like MS is sending this kill bit quite often in new updates. I figured out how to change it in the registry so I saved the entry change and put it on my desktop. Before I run Access I just update the registry entry. Works like a charm.

Mike