How to open specific version of Word 2007/2010 in Excel

Question

I have both Word 2007 and 2010 installed. I need to open Word from within Excel but I need to specify which version I need to open within VBA.

I've tried late binding

Dim wordApp2007 As Object
Dim wordApp2010 As Object

Set wordApp2007 = CreateObject("Word.Application.12")
wordApp2007.Visible = True
Set wordApp2010 = CreateObject("Word.Application.14")
wordApp2010.Visible = True

but both open Word 2010

I've also tried early binding by using

Dim wordApp As Word.Application
Set wordApp2007 = New Word.Application
wordApp2007.Visible = True

and setting references to the Word 12.0 object model but this still opens Word 2010

If I register each version of Word using

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\WINWORD.EXE" /regserver

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\WINWORD.EXE" /regserver

then the version registered opens but then I can't open open the non-registered.

Can anyone help and show me how to open a specific version of Word within Excel using VBA?

Thank you

Edit: Example code....

Option Explicit

Dim wordApp2007 As Word.Application

Sub Word_InfoEarly()
'early binding
Set wordApp2007 = New Word.Application
wordApp2007.Visible = True

    'other Stuff
    Stop

    wordApp2007.Quit
    Set wordApp2007 = Nothing

End Sub


Sub Word_InfoLate()
Dim wordApp2007 As Object
Dim wordApp2010 As Object

    Set wordApp2007 = CreateObject("Word.Application.12")
    wordApp2007.Visible = True
    Set wordApp2010 = CreateObject("Word.Application.14")
    wordApp2010.Visible = True

    'other Stuff
    Stop

    wordApp2007.Quit
    Set wordApp2007 = Nothing
    wordApp2010.Quit
    Set wordApp2010 = Nothing

End Sub

Solution 1

This is a work around:

TaskID = Shell("C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\WINWORD.EXE",vbHide) '2007
'TaskID = Shell("C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\WINWORD.EXE",vbHide) '2010
GetObject(,"Word.Application")

You would also need to test if a previous version of word is open, or use something other than a basic GetObject to activate the window, else there's no guarantees that it will get the right version.

The other way would be to pass the document name in the Shell command, and then GetObject could be called with the document name

Solution 2

This may further explain why the code works some times and not others.

My observation on the situation of the command

'Set wordAppxxxx = CreateObject("Word.Application.xx")'

working or not on your computer is that it is a function of the latest update you get from Microsoft.

Why I believe this:

I have an application that converts a text file to a Word document for backwards compatibility with some legacy apps. The best plan includes using a version of Word similar to the version the legacy apps were designed with/to. As a result, I searched on how to invoke a legacy version of Word as opposed to the default offering on my computer which is Word 2010.

The solution noted in this discussion chain provided the answer to my question. (Thank you Stack Overflow contributors!) I wanted to use Word XP, so I looked at my directories and observed that Word XP (aka Word 2002) is a member of Office 10, so I created the command

'Set wordApp2002 = CreateObject("Word.Application.10")'

and my program launched Word 2002 and the world was a happy place.

Over the weekened, I had an update to my computer. I control the updates via an app which gives me control over when updates occur such that I can observe changes to my configuration. This morning (9/30/13) I turned on a computer that had a Word update. I did not know this until after I had made one run of my app from last week. The app ran fine and invoked Word 2002 as expected.

But then I got the banner page informing me of a Word 2010 update that was installing itself.

Afterwards, I ran the app that worked so well for me last week and once today. Now, after the Word update (immediately after!), the same code now launches Word 2010 despite the fact that the command line invoking Word 2002 has not changed.

This appears strong evidence that a Microsoft update tweaked the settings that previously allowed the VB code to work as expected. This might be a good item to bring to Microsoft's attention so see if we can get this item stabilized in subsequent update packages to allow consistent behavior in future releases.

I hope this is helpful,

JeffK

Solution 3

I wasted half a day on this, and want to help prevent others doing the same! I'm running Windows 7 and Office 2013 and 2010 on the same laptop. I wanted to get Access VBA to open up an old version of Word, as Word 2013 call-outs are printing with thick black borders.

Having tried lots of variations, here's my code which worked:

Sub GetWordReference()

'finally got Access to open old version of Word

'open Word 2010
Shell "C:\Program Files (x86)\Office 2010\Office14\winword.exe"

'open Word 2013
'Shell "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\winword.exe"

TryAgain:

    On Error GoTo NoWord
    Set word2010 = GetObject(, "Word.Application")
    On Error GoTo 0

    word2010.Visible = True

    'word2010.Documents.Add
    'word2010.Selection.TypeText "This is Word " & word2010.Version

    Exit Sub

NoWord:
    Resume TryAgain

End Sub

I can't get the SO code editor to show this correctly, but copying and pasting should work.

Comments

[EastOfJupiter]

Can you please post the code which creates the object, then calls the registered version of MS Word?

[Admin]

I've edited my question to show both declaration and assign of the objects

[EastOfJupiter]

I wasn't clear. I appologize, but I'd like the entire subroutine(s). It's hard to see what might be missing or incorrect without the whole block.

[EastOfJupiter]

Do you have both documents loading, but in only one instance of MS Word? For example, if you minimize Word, do all documents minimize with it, or just the specific document leaving all other word documents visible?

[Admin]

No 2 application of Word open, both are the current registered version of Word. I do want 2 applications open but the first being Word2007 and the second Word2010.

[barrowc]

This related SuperUser question may help superuser.com/q/362906

[Matt Donnan]

+1 Logically this should shell the correct app, unless MS have some irritating validation in place to always launch the newer version

[Admin]

Using the Shell starts the Office configuration process if the version is not the current registered version. It then fails on GetObject as it's not ready for a few minutes.

[Admin]

Dim wordApp2007 As New Object doesn't compile.

[Scott Holtzman]

@ooo - a bit of a hack, but you could use Application.Wait to tell VBA to hang out for a bit while the Shell does its thing.

[Jean-François Corbett]

Try the WshShell object instead of the native Shell function. Have a look this previous answer of mine.

[CaBieberach]

drop the New. Use Dim wordApp2007 As Object

[EastOfJupiter]

@CaBieberach - The OP already had that line of code, which does not work. I've spent quite a bit of time lately doing .NET development, and I caught that as a perceived bug, however, I was incorrect.

[Admin]

@Jean-François Corbett - thanks for that. Essentially using Sean's idea with WshShell works. Not what I was expecting and seems a bit of a hack but it'll do for now. Thanks everyone!