Creating Word Application using Excel VBA: Run-time error '429': ActiveX component can't create object

Question

I am trying to save Word docs using Excel VBA, but I get the error

"ActiveX component can't create object."

When I debug, the error comes from the line: Set wrdApps = CreateObject("Word.Application").

It was working, then it started giving me this error.

Sub saveDoc()

Dim i As Integer
For i = 1 To 2661:
    Dim fname As String
    Dim fpath As String

    With Application
        .DisplayAlerts = False
        .ScreenUpdating = False
        .EnableEvents = False
    End With

    fname = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(3).Range("H" & i).Value
    fpath = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(3).Range("G" & i).Value

    Dim wrdApps As Object
    Dim wrdDoc As Object

    Set wrdApps = CreateObject("Word.Application")

    'the next line copies the active document- the ActiveDocument.FullName 
    ' is important otherwise it will just create a blank document
    wrdApps.documents.Add wrdDoc.FullName

    Set wrdDoc = wrdApps.documents.Open(ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(3).Range("f" & i).Value)
    ' do not need the Activate, it will be Activate
    wrdApps.Visible = False  

    ' the next line saves the copy to your location and name
    wrdDoc.SaveAs "I:\Yun\RTEMP DOC & PDF\" & fname

    'next line closes the copy leaving you with the original document
    wrdDoc.Close

    On Error GoTo NextSheet:
NextSheet:
    Resume NextSheet2
NextSheet2:
Next i

With Application
   .DisplayAlerts = True
   .ScreenUpdating = True
   .EnableEvents = True
End With

End Sub

Answer 1

I recently had this happen to some code I had written. Out of nowhere (after running successfully for a few months), I would get the same Runtime Error '429'. This happened on two separate computers, the one I wrote and tested the code on months prior and the computer of the person who actually used the tool. It happened even though I used the original file on my machine and the user had been using his copy successfully for a few months, so I'm not convinced two separate files on two separate machines both got corrupted in the same manner. With that being said, I don't have a good explanation of why this occurred. Mine would happen on a similar line of code:

Dim objFSO as Object
Set objFSO = CreateObj("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

I had the reference to the scripting library included and had done this successfully in the past.

I was able to fix the problem by changing from late to early binding on that object:

Dim objFSO as New Scripting.FileSystemObject

I have been switching everything over to early binding for some time now but this was some legacy code. A nice short little explanation on the difference between the two can be found here: https://excelmacromastery.com/vba-dictionary/#Early_versus_Late_Binding

I'm not entirely certain why that fixed the problem, but hopefully it will help others in the future with similar issues.