What does “Method '~' of object '~' failed” at runtime mean?

Question

I\'m trying to run a legacy VB6 application on my desktop (it doesn\'t have a user interface, being a command-line app), and when I do, I get a message box saying

Answer 1

This message occurs when a Visual Basic 6 application makes a COM interface call which throws an exception (i.e. returns a failure HRESULT). In this case, VB6 jumps to an exception handler (as set by On Error). In the exception handler there is visible an object Err which contains details of the exception.

If the object implements ISupportErrorInfo, and it does actually support error info, and it did set error info, then Err.Description takes the string that is in the error info set by the object. Otherwise, Err.Description takes the string Method ~ of ~ failed.

IDK whether other versions of VB do the same thing; or if the message is also set in other scenarios besides the one I have just described.

Answer 2

Another cause can be when using automation, some minor-version mismatch of Office:

I have a legacy VB5+Access app (which i'm in the process of rewriting in Delphi and replacing all the automation mess with clean OpenDocument generation) that ran well on some systems and gave the error on others.

This error would happen when generating an Excel spreadsheet, and seemed harmless (except the annoyance and as it would show a dozen times the risk of user clicking 'Abort' in the middle) as if always clicking 'Ignore' everything worked as expected.

I eventually found the cause was the way Office 97 was installed:

The error would show up if the Office 97 setup sequence was:

• Office 97 SR0 install CD
• apply SR1 patch
• apply SR2 patch

but not if it was installed with:

• Office 97 SR1 install CD
• apply SR2 patch

Doing an uninstall / reinstall with SR1 setup on the affected systems solved the problem.

Answer 3

That can happen when supporting libraries (dlls or ocxs) are not registered properly or the versions of the installed libraries are different (and incompatible) with the version the app was compiled against originally.

Make sure all dependent libraries are registered and the proper version.

You may have to recompile the app to make it work with newer versions of the supporting libraries.

Answer 4

As per my experience, it is due to Microsoft Access Version.

My program was made in MS Office 2007 and installed newer version of MS Office. Thats why this error appears.

Answer 5

I had this Problem for a While.

I looked for a Answer and This WebPage was Top of Search.

A Moment Ago.

I uninstalled Office 2000 Toolbar

Uninstalled Visual Basic 6 and Removed all But not MSDN

Reinstalled Visual Basic 6

But I always Had My Clipboard Logger Program in Visual Basic 6 was Running

and Found That Was The Error

Without that Running I don't Get the Error

Method of "~" Object "~" Failed

When Starting Visual Basic 6 IDE

After Running The Clipboard Code VB6 Program with Ctrl F5

Start With Full Compile

and Cured of Compile Errors in the Code

But Still With Problem Loading VB6 IDE

Until I Put - Option Explicit Through Whole Clipboard Code

Except One Module That was too Big to Complete Quickly

But Especially in the Class Module

That Had some Undeclared Variables

and Then That Cured It

That's My Personal Solution and Contribution to This Web Log

An Additional Update and Edit Here

After Reading the 3 Threads of This Subject One of Here about the Clipboard https://stackoverflow.com/a/8577499/5226365

and I spotted the Bug Again Testing Again

As This Is My Clipboard Code

and I was Annoyed at VB6 IDE Using the Clipboard at Load Especially When Carrying a Clipboard Into Code

and I made The Code Intercept the VB6 IDE Load of a Bitmap and Put back what was there Before

Now I have to Be More Considerate in my Code and Wait for the Splash Screen to Finish with "Findwindow"

I Think I solved That Now

I have got a Professionally Written ClipBoard Source Code that I Think Uses API

That I Hunted Down and Have Yet to USE

It Seems a Pain in My Code That I have to Search

For i = -30000 To 32000
    i2 =  Clipboard.GetFormat(i)
Next

To Test If False

For ClipBoard-ed Object's in the Form Designer

So they Don't Get Crippled or Interfere With My Code Program

My ClipBoard Program Code is the Only Long Lasting Program Left that I Run Always

For ClipBoards From the Internet Pages

and It Takes / Logs Clip's of Pictures BitMaps of Screenshots and Things Storing in Date and Time Files

I wish I Knew More about How to Get Drag and Drop Info Out

Hope This Helps

2015 Aug 14 8am-9am

Answer 6

In the VB6 IDE go to Tools->Options->Editor and clear Drag-and-Drop Text Editing feature

Thanks Matthew, you pointed me in the right direction, though I don't fully understand your issues

I have an old VB6 project to rework, now able to edit and recompile OK on Windows 10, after the usual trauma of reregistering all the .ocx files. I run the VB6 through a shortcut with Properties->Advanced->Run As Administrator

This error was persistent, popping up every time I started the VB6 IDE

After reading Matthews post, I cleared the Drag-and-Drop Text Editing feature

Shut down, restart VB6 and the error had gone

Re-enabled Drag-and-Drop and still no error

(Still living with the Automation Element Not Found Error)