Forum Discussion
Access export to rtf syntax error
I have Office 365 and when trying to export from Access to a Word doc (rtf) I receive the following error:
"Microsoft Access can't complete the Output operation"
The Visual Basic code you entered contains a syntax error or the Output procedures are not available
Please note that error pops up in a dialog box when I try to import to a .rtf file.
Using Windows 10 Home
HP Spectre x360
64 bit
Access
"Microsoft Access can't complete the Output operation"
The Visual Basic code you entered contains a syntax error or the Output procedures are not available
Please note that error pops up in a dialog box when I try to import to a .rtf file.
Using Windows 10 Home
HP Spectre x360
64 bit
Access
- I think your issue is mentioned here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/fixes-or-workarounds-for-recent-issues-in-access-54962069-14f4-4474-823a-ff7e5974a570
I feel your pain, Bradly. I just started having the same problem. I have a report that I've been using for over ten years. I right click on the report, select Export, then Word RTF file. There is no code created by me. This is standard MS code. There's nothing to compile or add error handling to. I choose my file name and destination then click OK. I get this error:
This routine is repeated from more than one workstation and more than one database. To be clear, this is a new error as of Monday, August 1st, 2022 and I have performed this routine hundreds of time over multiple years. It's puzzling and frustrating to get an error for a standard routine. I'm going to reload Access to see if that clears the problem.
Cindy_Sweeny
I have the same problem (Export a Report in .rtf format), but it works for exporting in .pdf format.
Something has changed. I'm on Office 2013 and just moved to Win11 last month.
Has some function become obsolete?10 days ago, I didn't have the update for MS 365 installed yet. So I was able to export the data to a list and this list to Word RTF to a colleague. A colleague could not do this because he already had this update installed. In the meantime, the SW-center also installed this same update on my PC. Now I can't export the created list from the same Acess database, except to PDF. The PDF format does not suit me due to the further processing of the list in Word.
In the forum below on the given links, I also did not find the right solution. Even restoring my PC to pre-August 4th doesn't fix this export for me.
Since I have the ability to use Access 2003 in a virtual environment, I'll do thise export there for now. But this is not a solution.
It seems that this error is already known. The date of the first records on this chat is from December 6, 2021. Has the error happened again? Has it been fixed once in the meantime and forgotten about with new upgrades?
- Access rtf is but a subset of a real rtf file. so   (non breaking space) is not on it's subset.
you should Directly use Word automation to Open the .rtf file. - Make sure your code fully compiles before you run the code again.
If it still fails, add error handling and pinpoint the exact line where the code fails.
Then post the code & the full error message including the error number- Appreciate your reply and time but this is what frustrates me with Microsoft Customer Service. They directed me to the forum to help resolve my issue but I am my expertise is not in the arena. I actually have zero idea what you were suggesting.
And I am afraid not being able to discuss with technically experienced individuals is going to keep me from resolving an issue that I believe Microsoft Customer Service should have been able to diagnose.
Thanks again, tho.- OK so take one step at a time and hopefully we'll be able to help you solve this issue.
1. Do you know how to compile your code?
2. Do you understand how to add error handling or how to step through code to see where it breaks?
Please post the code which causes your error
