Background:
Recently, a macro I use via VBA (in Excel) to run a script has stopped working; this subroutine worked for the previous six years. This is on a work device in which I do not have full admin privileges. The script file is stored on a network drive which I have access to, and can open and double-click to execute.
I have read from multiple sources, each not having an answer (including here on SO), that people have begun to see RTE5 when using Shell(), which may be related to security settings from the administrator.
One suggestion was to use use ShellExecute, which I have not had luck using.
Issue:
I receive RTE5 (invalid procedure call or argument) on the line for Shell() within the below code.
Question:
Has anyone had this same issue and been able to resolve said issue? Please indicate how you resolved.
Code:
'To open file, which previously worked:
Dim Loc As String
Loc = "Z:/filename.bat"
Call Shell(Loc, 1)
'Attempt at using ShellExecute, which gives Network Access error
Dim Loc As String
Loc = "Z:/filename.bat"
Call CreateObject("Shell.Application").ShellExecute(Loc, 1)
Related
I have a .vbs script that opens two excel files and copies the contents of a sheet from the first file into the second file. It's supposed to run daily via task scheduler.
The script ran normally until the excel files in question were recently modified and slightly renamed - I went through the script and edited the filenames accordingly after the changes were made, triple checking that the names and filepaths matched up.
Everything ran fine for a few weeks after the changes but now the script fails immediately after starting, giving me an error claiming that the file can't be located even though the file is located at the given path. The error code is 800A03EC.
This is the first chunk of code in the script, including line 7 which seems to be throwing the error:
Dim objApp ' as excel object
Dim x, y ' as workbook
Set objApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
objApp.DisplayAlerts = False
objApp.Visible = False
Set x = objApp.Workbooks.Open("S:\Work (Public)\PORT MGMT & TRADING\PORT MGMT FORMS\ORION_FPFOCUS.xlsm")
Set y = objApp.Workbooks.Open("S:\Work (Public)\PORT MGMT & TRADING\PORT MGMT FORMS\FPFocusPasteSpecialValues.xlsb")
Dim WSx, WSy ' as excel worksheet
Set WSx = x.Worksheets("FPSUP")
Set WSy = y.Worksheets("FPFOCUS-COPY")
WSy.Range("B1").value = FormatDateTime(Now)
objApp.Application.Run "ORION_FPFOCUS.xlsm!Auto_Open"
The excel files in question are both located in the same directory:
S:\Work (Public)\PORT MGMT & TRADING\PORT MGMT FORMS\ORION_FPFOCUS.xlsm
S:\Work (Public)\PORT MGMT & TRADING\PORT MGMT FORMS\FPFocusPasteSpecialValues.xlsb
And the script is located here:
C:\Users\bserv\Documents\CopyFPFocus.vbs
The S drive isn't a physical drive, it's a virtual drive hosted by a service called Workplace. I can navigate through it and open the excel files manually just fine.
I initially thought it was a user privilege issue with task scheduler, but I've selected the 'run with highest privileges' option and the script is still failing. I also went through the privacy/trust settings in Excel to make sure the script wasn't being denied access, but I don't see any settings that would disable the script from working, and I also know that all these settings haven't changed since the script was working, so I don't see how they could be potential causes.
When I try running the code manually via cscript in the command line, it returns this error:
C:\Users\bserv\Documents\CopyFPFocus.vbs(25, 4) (null): The remote procedure call failed.
This is line 25 of the script for reference:
objApp.Run "RefreshAllStaticData"
When I try again by running command prompt as an admin, I get the same error I got initially. Sorry, is it possible the file was moved renamed or deleted.
The part that really confuses me is that the script ran fine for some time after the changes - so I'm really unsure about what actually changed to cause this issue to randomly pop up.
One other thing I've noticed is that upon opening the excel files I get a popup saying they're in use and locked for editing by me. I can't remember if this popup was showing up before the issue started. The other users on the network have been accessing these files regularly long before the script started failing, so I don't see how that could be the issue. The error code/message also doesn't seem to correspond with this being the problem.
I'd appreciate any help or insight into this issue. Thank you!
I am trying to run an AppleScript from VBA in an Excel 365 macro and I keep getting:
Run-time error '5': Invalid procedure call or argument
I have this script called "PythonCommand.scpt" in my /Library/Application Scripts/com.microsoft.Excel folder:
on PythonCommandHandler(pythonScript)
--do shell script "/usr/local/bin/Python3" & pythonScript
return "Handler ended! " & pythonScript
end PythonCommandHandler
I commented out the "do" statement so I should simply get back what I send it. I tested this in the script editor by adding a line to invoke the function and it works just fine.
I have this code in my VBA macro:
Dim result As String
Dim strPyScript As String
strPyScript = "xxxx"
result = AppleScriptTask("/Library/Application Scripts/com.microsoft.Excel/PythonCommand.scpt", "PythonCommandHandler", strPyScript)
and when I run it I get the error '5'.
I tried changing the first argument to just "PythonCommand.scpt" instead of the whole path but got the same error. I tried putting the last argument in as a quoted string instead of using a variable and got the same result. I have looked at this post:
How can I launch an external python process from Excel 365 VBA on OSX?
and started my coding from there (this example had the first argument with no path). Then I read this one:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/office-mac/applescripttask from Microsoft which is specific to using the AppleScriptTask command. It lays out the process a bit more clearly but is basically the same. I also looked at this post:
How to simply run an applescript task from mac excel 2016
which has a broken link to a Ron deBruin article which I found here:
https://macexcel.com/examples/setupinfo/applescripttask/index.html
Which is quite clear and easier to read but says basically the same thing. The post with the broken link was resolved by making the script an app and invoking it as a hyperlink. I tried that and it works but there are several shortcomings with that approach: can't pass an argument to the script, can't get anything back from the script, and control does not wait for the script to end before executing the next line of VBA code. I really want to make the AppleScriptTask command work. I feel I must be missing something. If others have gotten this to work I must be doing something wrong. I tried turning on all the references I could find in Tools References but that didn't change anything, I still got the error '5': message. Please help me out here if you can. I really appreciate any help you can offer.
Thanks
Phil
Phil,
The code I use is:
res = AppleScriptTask("selectFile.scpt", "GetFile", args)
NB I don't need to put the full path to the scpt file. I presume this is because it is sandboxed and so vba knows where it is.
BTW I put the scpt file in this folder:
${HOME}/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Application Scripts/com.microsoft.Excel
The folder you have specified is not a user folder, but rather a system folder.
I've been working on a simple code (with guidance from the internet) that makes a directory based on what's in cell R1C1.
Sub mkdirtest()
Dim f_string As String
Sheets("Sheet1").Select
f_string = Cells(1, 1)
MkDir (f_string)
End Sub
In R1C1 I have for example "/Users/cwu/Desktop/Tefdshsdfh" and running the macro, I get a dialog to grant file access (for which I choose desktop and then select grant access) and then
Run-time error '75':
Path/File access error
However everything works when I have "/Users/cwu/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/EXCELtest/Tefdshsdfh" in R1C1 which is a folder in a location that "bypasses" the Apple sandbox/security measures (from this site http://www.rondebruin.nl/mac/mac034.htm forgive me for any wrong lingo, I'm new to coding.).
Is there a solution to this? I've read that Excel for Mac 2016 has issues and is being worked on by Microsoft. The code also works fine in 2011, which I've tested the code in.
On Mac or Windows, that error will be generated if there is a legitimate error, either the path length is too long, the folder you are trying to create has illegal characters, or there are security restrictions preventing you from creating a folder at that location.
However, it will also return that error if the directory already exists, I don't want to sound patronising, but could this be your issue?
I have a VB6 application that, despite everything manages to work on lots of systems, including the numerous Windows 7 x64 systems.
On most of them, the windows dialogs accessed through COMDLG32.OCX work just fine. However, on one particular system, this doesn't work at all. Some forms, when attempting to show the "Open" (or "Save") dialog causes an exception:
Run-time error '32765'
The common dialog function failed during initalization. This error often occurs when insufficent memory is available
Although some other forms that use it simply never show the dialog box at all. Needless to say, memory is not an issue. Microsoft have a kb article on the error where they say:
You have a Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 program that runs on a Terminal Server, the program uses the Common Dialog control to open a file, and the following conditions are true:
The user is using a roaming profile.
There is a policy to delete the roaming profile when the user logs off.
When these conditions are true, you may receive [the error quoted above]
The conditions mentioned are not true - this is all through the (only, local) user on the system. The suggested solution involves calling the relevant API calls directly.
Reluctant to implemenet the pile of code suggested in every form relevant, I found a class already built for the purpose - CDlgEx. While this works fine on all the computers where the OCX also works fine, on the system which has problems, whenver this line is reached:
RetValue = GetOpenFileName(OFN)
where
Private Declare Function GetOpenFileName Lib "comdlg32.dll" Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (pOpenfilename As OPENFILENAME) As Long
and OFN is of the private type expected by the function, nothing happens. No dialog box appears, and the program simply moves on to the next line.
Further testing has shown that this only happens when running from the IDE. Running from a compliled executable, everything is fine.
Had the exact same problem. Grab the cCommonDialog class from the following link and add it to your project.
https://github.com/ziggythehamster/ignitionserver/blob/master/vbtracer/cCommonDialog.cls
You can then do something like this in your code
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim commonDialog As New GCommonDialog
Dim fileName As String
commonDialog.VBGetOpenFileName fileName
MsgBox fileName
End Sub
Excel_Obj = CREATE OleObject
Excel_Obj.ConnectToNewObject( 'excel.application' )
Excel_Obj.Workbooks.Add
Excel_Obj.Application.ActiveWorkbook.WorkSheets.Add
Excel_Sheet = Excel_Obj.Application.ActiveWorkbook.WorkSheets[1]
//EXAMPLE
Excel_Sheet.Cells[1,1] = 45
Excel_Obj.Application.ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs(ls_file,56) //csv
//where ls_file = the Opened File
error happened after / during saveas.
try catch throw "error calling external object..in click..line.. saveas.."
--
i want to state to the user that the excel file is open therefore cannot be overwritten properly. I used a try catch and throwed a proper message but before the messagebox for the catch event happens, the PB execution error R0035 happens. any solutions or proper way to know if the excel file is open.
You might be able to check if the file is open first, have a look at this answer:
how to check if file is opened in excel using OLE (leaves excel process open)
I'd try a PowerScript FileOpen () call with a LockReadWrite! parameter to see if it can be opened, followed immediately by a FileClose () if it was successful. (I think this is a PowerScript-specific variation on the DXL solution Colin linked to.)
Good luck,
Terry
Have you tried approaches similar to these?
Using Win32 API:
http://www.rgagnon.com/pbdetails/pb-0030.html
Using PB function fileopen()with the (default) exclusive rights set:
http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1610670
In other words, see if the file can be opened exclusively before connecting to Excel or making the CSV?
You will have to turn off the option to break into the debugger for that exception to see the exception handling work in the IDE. Look for the Help topic "Exception Settings dialog box" for details. Once you see it's working I recommend you set it back to break into the debugger, since you'd normally want to see what threw the error.
You cannot use ole when document is open( even you set lock write) by the user and not by apllication.
my approach, I have been using many times till now:
Check excel is open or not, use use can use api or wsh script in the internet to check app opened. If opened do not run save as and tell user to close excel and not run it for while for while.
if you user run excel and your program still running active workbook and worksheet application will be switch to excel that opened by user ( imagine it wrong written data).
Change your code as below
if Excel_Obj.ConnectToNewObject( 'excel.application' ) <> 0 then
messagebox("warning", "could connect to excel", stopsign!)
RETURN
end if
just for knowledge another technique is DDE call, but not common today and most complicated.
Happy coding From pb developer.