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Errors When Printing Certified Payrolls or Billings

Last Updated: 08 April 2024
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Below are the most common errors or problems that you could encounter when attempting to Preview or Print your final reports - including a SPINNING HOURGLASS, Run Time Error 91, Run Time Error 429 - Active X Component, Error 80010105 Automation Error, Invalid Registration, and more.

This article also addresses what happens when Office 2016/365 has NOT been licensed or activated and when more than one version of Office is installed on your computer.

Program Doesn't Respond/Spinning Hourglass

This error occurs when Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office Click-to-Run or Microsoft Office Starter Edition installed on your computer OR IF OFFICE 2016/365 IS NOT LICENSED OR ACTIVATED.  None of the above mentioned programs are compatible with our software, and are often included with a new computer. 

This will also happen if you have more than one version of Office installed on your computer.

How to tell if Office 2016/365 is licensed or activated.

  • Start Word or Excel
  • Create a new "document"
  • From the File menu --> choose Account
  • On the top right side of this window it should say PRODUCT ACTIVATED
  • You might also see where it specifically states VIEW ONLY - UNLICENSED

How to tell if you have the Click to Run version

  • With Word or Excel open
  • Go to Task Manager --> Processes
  • Look for EXCEL.EXE or WINWORD.EXE (these may be followed by *32)
  • If you do NOT see either of these, look for CLICKTORUN.EXE
  • If you see CLICKTORUN.EXE, then the Click-to-run version is installed on your computer.

If your IT company installed the new version of Office - contact them to finish the setup, licensing & activation process.

If you have the Click-to-Run version, you can obtain the full retail version at no additional costs by following the instructions found in this article.

How to tell if you have more than one version of Office installed on your computer.

  • Go to your Control Panel
  • Choose Programs & Features
  • Look in the list of installed programs, is there more than one version of Office installed?
  • If so REMOVE/UNINSTALL the old version
  • Reboot your computer.

Run Time Error 91.

This error signifies that Microsoft Excel and/or Word, are not installed on this computer.  Excel is used to print the actual Certified Payroll Reports, EEOC Reports, and Benefit Reports; Word is used to print the Statement of Compliance. (This applies to OFFICE 2010 AND PRIOR).

Run Time Error 429 - Active-X Component.  Can't create object.

This error signifies that CPS cannot start Microsoft Word in order to create the Statement of Compliance, the certified payroll report has printed successfully.  Exit the error.

OPTION 1 - From the CPS Help menu -> choose Repair -> Registry Entries.  Rerun your reports.  If the error still occurs - exit the error, exit CPS, exit QuickBooks.

OPTION 2 - Make sure that you have applied ALL of the Microsoft Service Packs (updates) for your version of Microsoft Office.  Open Word or Excel, from the Help menu -> choose About (Office 2000 & 2003 OR OPTIONS -> Resources -> About Microsoft Office (Office 2007 & 2010), a series of numbers followed by an SP# should appear.  If you have no SP information, you have not applied any of thee available updates and will need to, using the following instructions:

  • From the Help menu (Office 2000 & 2003), choose Check for Updates.
  • From the Word or Excel OPTIONS (Office 2007 & 2010), choose Resources, get Updatess -> Check for Updates.

OPTION 3- Start Word.

From the Help menu (Office 2000 & 2003), choose Detect & Repair.  You may be asked for your ORIGINAL Office installation CD's.  Close Word.  Start QuickBooks, start CPS, rerun your reports.

From the Word OPTIONS (Office 2007 & 2010), choose Resources, Run Microsoft Office Diagnostics -> Diagnose.  You mlay abe asked for your ORIGINAL Office installation CD's.  Close Word.  Start QuickBooks, start CPS, rerun your reports.

If the error still occurs; exit the error, exit QuickBooks, exit CPS.

OPTION 4 - Uninstall Microsoft Office from the Windows Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs (Windows XP) OR Programs & Features (Windows Vista & Windows 7).  Reboot your computer, reinstall Office, APPLY any necessary/available Office updates.

Start QuickBooks, start CPS, rerun your reports.

Error 80010105 Automation Error, also may show as - 2147417851.

This error occurs when one is trying to print reports.  MLore specifically, CPS is trying to start Microsoft Excel or possible Microsoft Word - and there are MANY causes for this error.  Use the following troubleshooting tips to diagnose your problem.

If you have been saving your final reports in Excel format in a folder of your choice, it is possible that the folder no longer exists or has been moved.  In CPS, go to the System Setup menu -> choose System Preferences -> click on the Data Locations tab ->, is there a folder address in the Save Reports Folder block ->, if so, click into the block and press the F5 key on your keyboard ->, does the folder open in a window?  If it does not, then this folder no longer exists and you either need to delete the folder address OR use the Browse for Reports Folder button to locate it.

It is possible that your anti-virus program is causing this error by not letting PS start Excel or Word.  his error has been reported by a customer using Kaspersky Anti-Virus.

To determine if your anti-virus program is causing this error:

  1. Stop all internet traffic
  2. Disable your anti-virus program (usually right-clicking its icon in the system tray), will display this option
  3. Try printing your reports

If disabling your anti-virus enables you to print your payment applications, then you must add the programs listed below to "Trusted Processes".  Once you have added the programs to "Trusted Processes", your anti-virus can stay enabled, when running CPS.

Add Cps.exe, CpsEEOC.exe, CigyOfChicagoEEO.exe, CpsBenefit.exe, and MNEEO13.exe to "Trusted Processes" - these files are located in your CPS Program Path.  If you do not know what your CPS Program Path is, from the CPS Help Menu, choose Help, then About.

If disabling your anti-virus program does not correct this error, follow these steps:

  1. In Microsoft Excel or Word, select the Help Menu->choose Detect & Repair.  Follow the prompts for repairing the installation.  This process may ask for your original Office installation CD's.
  2. If the problem still persists after #1 above, you will have to uninstall, and then reinstall, Microsoft Office.  Once Office has been reinstalled, update the installation, and apply all Service Packs and/or Maintenance Releases.  Updating Office is accomplished by selecting the Help Menu->Check for Updates.

Invalid Registration, Not Registered, or Product Not Licensed.

These messages do not pertain to your Certified Payroll Solution license and/or registration,  but rather, are coming from either Microsoft Word and/or Excel.  Usually, Excel and/or Word will give you so many times to start the program, after these attempts are exhausted; you are required to register or license the product, before continued use.  To correct this problem, Exit CPS and start Word, and/or Excel, to register, license, or activate, the product.

Other Errors

Other errors may occur when reports print; these errors are captured and displayed with an error message, letting you retry starting Excel or Word.  If retrying the process does not work; reboot the computer.  After the computer re-boots; locate your original Office installation CD, and start Microsoft Word and/or Excel, and from the Help Menu, choose Detect and Repair, and follow the steps for repairing Microsoft Office.  Occasionally, the Detect & Repair will not fix the problem with Microsoft Word.  You will be able to determine this if the program prints the Certified Payroll Report with Excel, but "crashes" before the Statement of Compliance using Word, prints.  If this happens, un-installing Word (or Office), and then reinstalling, will correct the problem.  Do not attempt this, unless you have the original installation CD's available.

Make sure that you have applied ALL applicable Service Packs to your Office Software, for example, if you are using Office 2003, you should be at Service Pack (SP) 2.