Okay, I believe that the first code will work in VB. Has not been tested, but I think the theory is right. Secondly, the last code will work in VBA but has some issues (at least on my PC). The new instance will close whenever the workbook that is created closes, and also will not clean itself up from memory. Just check and see if this happens to you also.
<font face=Courier New><SPAN style="color:#00007F">Sub</SPAN> OpenExcel_VBCode()
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Dim</SPAN> xlApp <SPAN style="color:#00007F">As</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Object</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Dim</SPAN> xlWorkbook <SPAN style="color:#00007F">As</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Object</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">On</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Error</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Resume</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Next</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Set</SPAN> xlApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">If</SPAN> xlApp <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Is</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Nothing</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Then</SPAN>
MsgBox "Unable to start Excel."
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Exit</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Sub</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">End</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">If</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">On</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Error</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">GoTo</SPAN> 0
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Set</SPAN> xlWorkbook = xlApp.Workbooks.Add
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">With</SPAN> xlWorkbook.Sheets(1)
.Name = "New XL"
.Range("A1") = "This is a new instance of XL."
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">End</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">With</SPAN>
xlApp.Visible = <SPAN style="color:#00007F">True</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#007F00">'If you do not want it to show then remove this line</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#007F00">' xlApp.Quit 'will close the newly created XL instance</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Set</SPAN> xlWorkbook = <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Nothing</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Set</SPAN> xlApp = <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Nothing</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">End</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Sub</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Sub</SPAN> OpenExcel_VBACode()
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Dim</SPAN> xlApp <SPAN style="color:#00007F">As</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">New</SPAN> Application
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Dim</SPAN> xlWorkbook <SPAN style="color:#00007F">As</SPAN> Workbook
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Set</SPAN> xlWorkbook = xlApp.Workbooks.Add
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">With</SPAN> xlWorkbook.Sheets(1)
.Name = "New XL"
.Range("A1") = "This is a new instance of XL."
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">End</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">With</SPAN>
xlApp.Visible = <SPAN style="color:#00007F">True</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#007F00">'If you do not want it to show then remove this line</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#007F00">' xlApp.Quit 'will close the newly created XL instance</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Set</SPAN> xlWorkbook = <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Nothing</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">Set</SPAN> xlApp = <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Nothing</SPAN>
<SPAN style="color:#00007F">End</SPAN> <SPAN style="color:#00007F">Sub</SPAN></FONT>
