Open Internet Explorer In Excel VBA through direct program path

Question

I had an excel macro used to open an internet explorer application and manipulate the program. It worked perfectly for quite some time. However, some of my users have discovered that they need 64 bit internet explorer running in order to maintain some of their printing preferences (the macro automatically prints pages from our website). The macro could work if the internet explorer program was launched from the link C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IExplore.exe.

My previous code to open the ie program was:

Set ie = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
ie.Visible = True
ie.navigate ("URL")

How can I make it so that my object ie specifically opens the internet explorer through the file path C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IExplore.exe and creates it as the object just as it did previously? The internet explorer installed on our computers is ie9 if that matters.

I haven't had the time to test this, but the IE object is supposed to have a "Path" property (cf. msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa752084(v=vs.85).aspx ). Maybe that could offer some clue? — NiH
I tried changing it to: Set ie = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application") ie.Path = "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IExplore.exe" ie.Visible = True but that didn't work either — Todd Baker
yeah, looks like it's a read-only property. Was worth the try though :). Another suggestion maybe: if I understand your question right, your users have two versions installed and your macro opens the 32bit version by default, right? This seems like a Windows setting. If you click a link in another program, e.g. in an email in Outlook or something, it probably opens the 32bit version as well, right? You should be able to change the default program for websites. In Windows 7 it's in Control Panel->All Control Panel Items->Default Programs->Set Default Programs — NiH
I don't see Internet Explorer 64 bit as an option in there. I only see one option for Internet Explorer. It doesn't specify whether it is 32 or 64 bit. — Todd Baker
which version opens when you do click a hyperlink in another program? — NiH

MikeC MikeC · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-31T21:15:07

The so-called Desktop version of IE (not the Metro version) runs a 64-bit IE frame with all IE windows being 32-bit. This is accomplished by Windows shipping default with both 64-bit (in Program Files) and 32-bit (in Program Files (x86)) versions of IE. Microsoft doesn't want people to run Desktop version of IE. Their most excellent reasoning is in the article by an Internet Explorer manager at Q&A: 64-Bit Internet Explorer. The 64-bit version of Internet Explorer 9 cannot be set up as the default browser either.

The following from your Q might suggest another way of attacking this: However, some of my users have discovered that they need 64 bit internet explorer running in order to maintain some of their printing preferences: Why is this so and does it have anything to do with the bit-ness of the printer drivers installed?

Open Internet Explorer In Excel VBA through direct program path

1 Answers