Controlling Internet Explorer local intranet using Excel VBA

Question

I am using Excel VBA code to click a button on our website. I know this isn't the best of things to be doing, but it is the least objectionable option available to me.

I can using this code, successfully load imdb.com, google, etc. But when I load our local site, I lose control of the ie object, I can't check readyState, I can't Quit.

Here is the error I get.

Run-time error '-2147023179 (800706b5)':
Automation error
The interface is unknown

Every so often I instead get this message:

Run-time error '-2147417848 (80010108)':
Automation error
The object invoked has disconnected from its clients.

Clicking Debug indicates the ie.readyState, I commented that out and then it points to ie.Quit

Sub dothestuff()
    Dim ie As InternetExplorer
    Set ie = New InternetExplorer
    ie.Visible = True

    ie.Navigate "http://www.google.com/"
    anerror = webload(ie)

    ie.Quit
    Set ie = Nothing
End Sub

Function webload(ie)
    Do Until ie.ReadyState = READYSTATE_COMPLETE
        DoEvents
    Loop
End Function

Answer 1

Here is a quick and easy solution for this issue:

Instead of:

set IE = createobject("internetexplorer.application")

Use:

Set IE = New InternetExplorerMedium

No need to tweak the IE settings

Answer 2

Here's what's happening. When your browser internally "jumps" to a different security zone - from say a local address to an inTRAnet address or to an inTERnet address - IE closes/drops the current process of IE and opens another one with tighter security. The old and new IE processes are IE child processes to the parent IE task so you don't see it happen either by watching the browser or watching the process in Task Manager. If you use Process Explorer (free from Microsoft), you can see this happen.

What you need to do in this type of environment is use Anup Upadhyay's solution above. His code snippet looks at all IE tasks (parent and child doesn't make a difference) and finds the new IE process that is pointing to the web address that the original process was given. As long as you don't have multiple browsers open to the same address, it will find the new process reliably and carry on like you would expect it to.

Note: You might also need to use the InternetExplorerMedium object as opposed to the InternetExplorer object. It is also better at "holding on" to a session.

Here's my version which is almost the same thing as Anup's.

References for MS Office VBA:

• Microsoft Internet Controls

• Microsoft Shell Controls and Automation

n

Dim IE As InternetExplorerMedium ' This object (the "medium" variety as opposed to "InternetExplorer") is necessary in our security climate
Dim targetURL As String
Dim webContent As String
Dim sh
Dim eachIE

targetURL = "[your URL here]"
Set IE = New InternetExplorerMedium
IE.Visible = False ' Set to true to watch what's happening
IE.Navigate targetURL

While IE.Busy
  DoEvents
  Wend

Do
  Set sh = New Shell32.Shell
  For Each eachIE In sh.Windows
    If InStr(1, eachIE.LocationURL, targetURL) Then
      Set IE = eachIE
      'IE.Visible = False  'This is here because in some environments, the new process defaults to Visible.  
      Exit Do
      End If
    Next eachIE
  Loop
Set eachIE = Nothing
Set sh = Nothing

While IE.Busy  ' The new process may still be busy even after you find it
  DoEvents
  Wend