Open any Program from Excel

Add to Favorites
Author:
This free excel macro allows you to open any program on your computer from excel. You can open a media player, file viewer, image editor, internet browser, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, or any other program on your computer. This is a really useful macro to, in essence, combine excel's functionality with that of another program. The vba code below can be used on its own or integrated into an existing macro in order to open some other program on your computer.

This macro uses a Shell Command to open a program.

Note: To use this macro to open a program on your computer, you must enter the full file path to the program's executable file. So, you need to enter the file path from the harddrive through all the folders up to the file. Also, each executable file will end in a ".exe" file format; don't forget to include that extension in the macro as well.

To change the file path and extension to point to the location of your program's executable file, simply change this line of code within the excel macro Shell ("C:\TEST\TEST.exe"). Change the file path which is between the quotation marks to whatever your file path is.

Where to install the macro:  Module

Open any Program from Excel

Sub Open_Program()

'Change the File Path below to point to any program
'on your computer. Don't forget to include the file extension

Shell ("C:\TEST\TEST.exe")

End Sub






Excel VBA Course
Excel VBA Course - From Beginner to Expert

200+ Video Lessons 50+ Hours of Instruction 200+ Excel Guides

Become a master of VBA and Macros in Excel and learn how to automate all of your tasks in Excel with this online course. (No VBA experience required.)

View Course

Similar Content on TeachExcel
Open Microsoft Outlook from Excel
Macro: This free macro will open the Microsoft Outlook program on your computer. You do need...
Open Microsoft Word from Excel
Macro: This free macro will open the Microsoft Word program on your computer. You do need to have...
Open Microsoft PowerPoint from Excel
Macro: This free macro will open the Microsoft PowerPoint program on your computer. You do need t...
Macro to Open a Website from Excel
Tutorial: How to open a website in the browser from Excel using a Macro and VBA. This is the same as...
Open PDF from Excel
Tutorial: How to open a PDF file from a clickable button, link, or image in Excel.  This allows yo...
Open a PowerPoint Presentation from Excel
Macro: This free macro for Microsoft Excel allows you to open any PowerPoint presentation fro...


How to Install the Macro
  1. Select and copy the text from within the grey box above.

  2. Open the Microsoft Excel file in which you would like the Macro to function.

  3. Press "Alt + F11" - This will open the Visual Basic Editor - Works for all Excel Versions.  Or For other ways to get there, Click Here.

  4. On the new window that opens up, go to the left side where the vertical pane is located. Locate your Excel file; it will be called VBAProject (YOUR FILE'S NAME HERE) and click this.

  5. If the Macro goes in a Module, Click Here, otherwise continue to Step 8.

  6. If the Macro goes in the Workbook or ThisWorkbook, Click Here, otherwise continue to Step 8.

  7. If the Macro goes in the Worksheet Code, Click Here, otherwise continue to Step 8.

  8. Close the Microsoft Visual Basic Editor window and save the Excel file. When you close the Visual Basic Editor window, the regular Excel window will not close.

  9. You are now ready to run the macro.

Tutorial Details
Similar Content
Open Microsoft Outlook from Excel
Macro: This free macro will open the Microsoft Outlook program on your computer. You do need...
Open Microsoft Word from Excel
Macro: This free macro will open the Microsoft Word program on your computer. You do need to have...
Open Microsoft PowerPoint from Excel
Macro: This free macro will open the Microsoft PowerPoint program on your computer. You do need t...
Excel VBA Course
Excel VBA Course - From Beginner to Expert

200+ Video Lessons
50+ Hours of Video
200+ Excel Guides

Become a master of VBA and Macros in Excel and learn how to automate all of your tasks in Excel with this online course. (No VBA experience required.)

View Course