Navigate to new URL in existing Internet Explorer window - excel

Question

I am trying to get an existing (open) IE window to load a new URL via ie.Navigate.
Below is my worksheet code which loads a website on click of a button:
Private Sub Sendit_Click()
Dim IE As Object
Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
IE.Visible = True
IE.navigate "https://www.yahoo.com"
Do
Loop Until IE.ReadyState = READYSTATE_COMPLETE
GetIE
Err_Clear:
If Err <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
Resume Next
End If
End Sub
This code is in my module:
Function GetIE()
Dim shellWins As ShellWindows
Dim IE As InternetExplorer
Set shellWins = New ShellWindows
If shellWins.Count > 0 Then
' Get IE
Set IE = shellWins.Item(0)
Else
' Create IE
Set IE = New InternetExplorer
IE.Visible = True
End If
IE.navigate "http://www.google.com"
Set shellWins = Nothing
Set IE = Nothing
End Function
IE doesn't navigate to http://www.google.com.

Answer 1

Sub TestGetIE()
Dim IE As Object
Set IE = CreateObject("Internetexplorer.Application")
IE.Visible = True
IE.navigate "https://www.yahoo.com"
WaitFor IE
Set IE = GetIE("https://www.yahoo.com")
IE.navigate "http://www.google.com"
End Sub
Sub WaitFor(IE)
Do
Loop Until IE.readyState = READYSTATE_COMPLETE
End Sub
Function GetIE(sLocation As String) As Object
Dim objShell As Object, objShellWindows As Object, o As Object
Dim sURL As String
Dim retVal As Object
Set retVal = Nothing
Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objShellWindows = objShell.Windows
For Each o In objShellWindows
sURL = ""
'check the URL and if it's the one you want then
' assign it to the return value
sURL = o.LocationURL
If sURL Like sLocation & "*" Then
Set retVal = o
Exit For
End If
Next o
Set GetIE = retVal
End Function

Answer 2

As a similar/adapted alternative, here's a favorite function of mine.
This function returns an object representing the existing InternetExplorer instance if there is one, otherwise a newly-created instance.
Function GetIE() As Object
'return an object for the open Internet Explorer window, or create new one
For Each GetIE In CreateObject("Shell.Application").Windows() 'Loop to find
If (Not GetIE Is Nothing) And GetIE.Name = "Internet Explorer" Then Exit For 'Found!
Next GetIE
If GetIE Is Nothing Then Set GetIE=CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")'Create
GetIE.Visible = True 'Make IE window visible
End Function
More information and example here.