[comp.sys.mac.programmer] Problems with Excel and System 6.0.7

rob@cs.mu.oz.au (Robert Wallen) (03/27/91)

Well, i find myself posting again with the same old problem.

I have an SE/30 running a virgin System 6.0.7 (ran it from my install disks
fresh from apple.com) and Microsoft Excel 2.2a (yes, the 'fixed' version).
When I attempt to make a selection from any menu other than the Apple I get
the bomb box and the message 'heap collided with stack'.

When I tried debugging this little mess with TMON, I discovered that Excel 
uses a mystical new MDEF (ID=5) which seems to have appeared in the system file
along with an WDEF (ID=5).  MDEF-5 seems to have a nasty 'patch my address
back into the MDEF-resource' mechanism to find its vars and for some reason I
am getting an odd value which causes a bus error.  Since Excel also patches
_MenuSelect my guess is that they are stuffing about with it.  Badly!

Does anyone out there (a) actually use Excel under my circumstances (b) have
any idea what MDEF-5 is doing there (my guess is Apple are sticking in support
for Microsoft's helpful menus) (c) have any idea how I get out of this mess?

stanger@otago.ac.nz (Nigel Stanger) (03/28/91)

In article <3140@murtoa.cs.mu.oz.au>, rob@cs.mu.oz.au (Robert Wallen) writes:
> Well, i find myself posting again with the same old problem.
> 
> I have an SE/30 running a virgin System 6.0.7 (ran it from my install disks
> fresh from apple.com) and Microsoft Excel 2.2a (yes, the 'fixed' version).
> When I attempt to make a selection from any menu other than the Apple I get
> the bomb box and the message 'heap collided with stack'.
> 
> When I tried debugging this little mess with TMON, I discovered that Excel 
> uses a mystical new MDEF (ID=5) which seems to have appeared in the system file
> along with an WDEF (ID=5).  MDEF-5 seems to have a nasty 'patch my address
> back into the MDEF-resource' mechanism to find its vars and for some reason I
> am getting an odd value which causes a bus error.  Since Excel also patches
> _MenuSelect my guess is that they are stuffing about with it.  Badly!

Uh-oh, looks like Microsoft are at it *again* ... :-)

> Does anyone out there (a) actually use Excel under my circumstances (b) have
> any idea what MDEF-5 is doing there (my guess is Apple are sticking in support
> for Microsoft's helpful menus) (c) have any idea how I get out of this mess?

(a) I'm using the old 2.2 (*not* 2.2a) on an SE/20 with 6.0.7
    with no problems (at least, not yet :-)

(b) & (c) Nope, sorry...

-- 
See ya
                                Nigel.

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