Open Excel file for reading with VBA without displ

Question

I want to search through existing Excel files with a macro, but I don't want to display those files when they're opened by the code. Is there a way to have them open "in the background", so to speak?

Answer 1

Even though you've got your answer, for those that find this question, it is also possible to open an Excel spreadsheet as a JET data store. Borrowing the connection string from a project I've used it on, it will look kinda like this:

strExcelConn = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" & objFile.Path & ";Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes"""
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM [RegistrationList$] ORDER BY DateToRegister DESC"

Note that "RegistrationList" is the name of the tab in the workbook. There are a few tutorials floating around on the web with the particulars of what you can and can't do accessing a sheet this way.

Just thought I'd add. :)

Answer 2

To open a workbook as hidden in the existing instance of Excel, use following:

    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    Workbooks.Open Filename:=FilePath, UpdateLinks:=True, ReadOnly:=True
    ActiveWindow.Visible = False
    ThisWorkbook.Activate
    Application.ScreenUpdating = True

Answer 3

The problem with both iDevlop's and Ashok's answers is that the fundamental problem is an Excel design flaw (apparently) in which the Open method fails to respect the Application.ScreenUpdating setting of False. Consequently, setting it to False is of no benefit to this problem.

If Patrick McDonald's solution is too burdensome due to the overhead of starting a second instance of Excel, then the best solution I've found is to minimize the time that the opened workbook is visible by re-activating the original window as quickly as possible:

Dim TempWkBk As Workbook
Dim CurrentWin As Window

Set CurrentWin = ActiveWindow
Set TempWkBk = Workbooks.Open(SomeFilePath)
CurrentWin.Activate      'Allows only a VERY brief flash of the opened workbook
TempWkBk.Windows(1).Visible = False 'Only necessary if you also need to prevent
                                    'the user from manually accessing the opened
                                    'workbook before it is closed.

'Operate on the new workbook, which is not visible to the user, then close it...