Process Diagram of DynaRod 

The structure of DynaRod could be generally depicted as follows;
I/O screens carry a matching VBA program and the VBA program communicates with Excel program in back ground.  For one rod, possible maximum of 4 Excel output files are created by processing the rod with different functions.  Data are maintained within Access and the major output are written out to Excel output files.

One caution is not to use Excel while running DynaRod!
It is all right to open any Excel file when you are opening Archive screen.
When some functions of DynaRod is under execution, Excel might be compete with the user's Excel execution in back ground.  

The following DynaRod functions may compete with Excel program in back ground if running;

After DynaRod Version 3.0, the excel file name's extentions are changed to ".xlsx".

Zombie Excel

Under this structure of DynaRod, when an I/O screen (each panel of DynaRod) is activated, it kicks up Excel program in back ground.  After processing the defined functions, the VBA program writes output file via Excel and closes the Excel program.

In a successful completion of a series of processing, nothing wrong would happen.  But in  a case of an unexpected happening, or an abnormal termination in VBA code, though it is very rare I hope, some sets of Excel programs remain in the back ground in your PC.  These Excel programs are called "Zombie Excel", they are dead for a user but alive in your Personal Computer.

Symptom:

When zombie Excel is born, users may have a screen which shows several strange behaviors.  For instance, even if pressing a button to view a graph, it does not show any graph, eventually the graph window shows an odd big characters, nothing would work, etc..

Solution:

When you have these symptoms, you have to become a "Terminator" of zombie Excels with the help of Windows Task Manager.

1. Press [CTL] + [ALT] + [DELETE] key at the same time to invoke Windows Task Manager.
2. You will find "Process" tab in the task manager's window, open it.
3. You will see a list of program names under the title of "Image Name".
4. Find "EXCEL.EXE" in the list.  One or several zombie Excels must be there!
5. Click on one of the zombie Excels once, then the line is highlighted.
6. You will find a button "Terminate the Task" at the bottom of the window, then press the button.  One of zombie Excel must be erased by this.
7. Erase all the existing "EXCEL.EXE" on the window.
8. and close Task Manager.  You will be back to DynaRod screen after a few seconds.

If you miss to follow these steps, you have only to restart your PC after shut it down.

If you are running another Excel than DynaRod purpose, the Excel might also be erased by this operation.