Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Catastrophic Error, Multiple Infopath Forms

An error that seems to be plaguing a number of people occurs during the following scenario:

A user attempts to open a new instance of InfoPath, loading a form that is based on a template that there is already a form open form. When the form attempts to load InfoPath spits back a helpful error: "Catastrophic failure!".

A workaround for this, which I am not convinced is the best solution, is to remove the name attribute from the processing instructions.

So typically you may have a PPI that looks like this:


<?mso-infoPathSolution solutionVersion="1.0.0.562" productVersion="11.0.6565" PIVersion="1.0.0.0" href="file:///\\yourhost\templates\yourTemplate.xsn" name="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:infopath:yourTemplate:-myXSD-2006-06-12T01-41-41" ?><?mso-application progid="InfoPath.Document"?>


Change this to:
<?mso-infoPathSolution solutionVersion="1.0.0.562" productVersion="11.0.6565" PIVersion="1.0.0.0" href="file:///\\yourhost\templates\yourTemplate.xsn" ?><?mso-application progid="InfoPath.Document"?>


This will do the trick it seems.