The strange case of the Excel add-in

[Gonzo]

Hello,

I have a strange situation for which I don't have all the information
I would like, but I am posting here anyway in the hopes that the
symptoms ring a bell in somebody's mind.

I have a Windows 2003 server running Terminal Services. The users
connect to it and run a home-made application (written in Visual
FoxPro). The server also has Microsoft Office installed. The home-made
application can generate a bunch of data that is passed onto Excel,
where an add-in (written by an external developer) will massage the
data with several pivots and generate a report (all done in Excel
within the TS session). The user ends up with two windows open: the
FoxPro application and an Excel window with the massaged data.

This whole thing worked fine until a week ago, were, due to
instability and other reasons, we reformatted the server and
reinstalled everything, including this Excel add-in. Alas, the add-in
doesn't work anymore. Rather, it does work, but in a very strange way:
the Excel window that is launched from the FoxPro application appears
not on the user's session, but on the Administrator's session, on a
separate machine (belonging to someone who works on the datacenter
where this server is hosted; this admin is totally unrelated to our
company). In fact, we only realized the add-in still "works" because
this admin gave us a call asking why he was getting these unexpected
Excel windows popping up all over his screen...

The original developer of the add-in has stated that there is no
reason why the add-in should not work (and it does work), and he has
absolutely zero experience with TS; the symptom sounds to him like
voodoo magic.

Does this wacky description ring a bell with anyone? Thanks in advance
for any hints and best regards.

 

[Jiazhi Ou [MSFT]]

Re: The strange case of the Excel add-in

Hi Gonzo,
Do you have more info about the "add-in." Is it a process running in the
background? Do you know the API (or code snippet) the developer used to
generate the report? What happens if you isolate the machine from the
others? Will it work or will the add-in report some error?
Thanks.

-Jiazhi
--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


"Gonzo" <gonzalo.diethelm@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1183496162.599272.171420@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I have a strange situation for which I don't have all the information
> I would like, but I am posting here anyway in the hopes that the
> symptoms ring a bell in somebody's mind.
>
> I have a Windows 2003 server running Terminal Services. The users
> connect to it and run a home-made application (written in Visual
> FoxPro). The server also has Microsoft Office installed. The home-made
> application can generate a bunch of data that is passed onto Excel,
> where an add-in (written by an external developer) will massage the
> data with several pivots and generate a report (all done in Excel
> within the TS session). The user ends up with two windows open: the
> FoxPro application and an Excel window with the massaged data.
>
> This whole thing worked fine until a week ago, were, due to
> instability and other reasons, we reformatted the server and
> reinstalled everything, including this Excel add-in. Alas, the add-in
> doesn't work anymore. Rather, it does work, but in a very strange way:
> the Excel window that is launched from the FoxPro application appears
> not on the user's session, but on the Administrator's session, on a
> separate machine (belonging to someone who works on the datacenter
> where this server is hosted; this admin is totally unrelated to our
> company). In fact, we only realized the add-in still "works" because
> this admin gave us a call asking why he was getting these unexpected
> Excel windows popping up all over his screen...
>
> The original developer of the add-in has stated that there is no
> reason why the add-in should not work (and it does work), and he has
> absolutely zero experience with TS; the symptom sounds to him like
> voodoo magic.
>
> Does this wacky description ring a bell with anyone? Thanks in advance
> for any hints and best regards.
>