Excel - ShellExecute

[pbazsmir]

Hi,

I'm using the code below to open different kind of files. But it doesn't work with, for example, Excel files. I'd like to have one universal code for opening files.

Option Explicit

Private Const SW_SHOWNORMAL = 1

Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
  "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal Hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, _
  ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As _
  String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long


Sub OpenFile()

Dim Hwnd As Long
Const FileName = "c:\temp\data.xls"

   On Error GoTo Errorhandler
   ShellExecute Hwnd, vbNullString, FileName, vbNullString, _
   vbNullString, SW_SHOWNORMAL
   Exit Sub
   
Errorhandler:
   'MsgBox "Error: " & Err.Number
   MsgBox "Error occured. I can't open the file" 
   Exit Sub
    
End Sub

What's wrong? I'm using Office 2000, Windows XP Professional, SP2.

Thanks in advance,

pbazsmir

 

[sdraper]

What is the error being returned?
add Err.Description to your message box and see what it tells you.

Sam
For tsunami relief donations

 

[rmikesmith]

pbaszmir,

What application is your VBA running from? When I tested your code, I had no problem opening an Excel file from MS Word but got strange behavior when executing from Excel (hourglass cursor appeared / no observable action / couldn't quit Excel). When I ran your code from Excel but substituted a Word doc file in the call to ShellExecute, it opened in Word properly.


Regards,
Mike

 

[pbazsmir]

What is the error being returned?

There's no error. Nothing happens! Just like rmikesmith described.

When I tested your code, I had no problem opening an Excel file from MS Word but got strange behavior when executing from Excel (hourglass cursor appeared / no observable action / couldn't quit Excel). When I ran your code from Excel but substituted a Word doc file in the call to ShellExecute, it opened in Word properly.

I have exactly the same results (Excel 2000). I can open *.exe, *.doc, *.txt, *.rtf, etc. but no *.xls. And I don't know why.