Failed to open Excel document '(Excel launching error.)'.

[HarshChauhan]

Last Night It was working Fine, Today I haven't changed any settings and don't know why it not working.
Failed to open Excel document '(Excel launching error.)' . - Subflow: Main, Action: 1, Action name: Launch Excel

DetailsError Message:- 
Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Robin.SDK.ActionException: Failed to open Excel document '(Excel launching error.)' . ---> System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: type
at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic)
at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.Excel.Actions.ExcelActions.LaunchExcel(Variant documentPath, Variant varPassword, Variant& excelInstance, Int32 launchMode, Boolean visible, Boolean loadAddInsAndMacros, Boolean needsAuthentication, Boolean readOnly)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Modules.Excel.Actions.LaunchExcel.Execute(ActionContext context)
at Microsoft.Flow.RPA.Desktop.Robin.Engine.Execution.ActionRunner.Run(IActionStatement statement, Dictionary`2 inputArguments, Dictionary`2 outputArguments)

[MichaelAnnis]

Go to Task Manager, find any Excel, right click and End Task.  Make sure they are all gone.  Then try to rerun.

[HarshChauhan]

I tried closing all excel tasks. Also, I restarted the laptop, Still Not Working. 

[mgrachii]

Do you have installed the most recent version of Power Automate for DEsktop?

[HarshChauhan]

Checked Sir, It's Updated.

[HarshChauhan]

Even I have reinstalled Power Automate and WPS software.

Do anyone, have any other suggestion?

[HarshChauhan · Accepted solution]

Finally, I got the Solution. This Works for me, I hope it works for you too.
🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆

Step 1:- Use "Run Application" Action As shown in the Images below.
Solution for Excel Error In Power Automate Desktop

The Problem:-  WPS Software was asking for Make it default setting for opening all office files and power automate was unable to handle it. so when the application opened I clicked on "Don't ask me again" and now its's working. Maybe your software is asking for any permission, or update. so check it ones. Hopefully, I have explained it well.

Don't forget to try other basic solutions like
1. Restart PC
2. Repairing Both Software(Office and Power Automate). Repair by offline and online Both.
3. Check if your PC OS and software are updated.

4. Try to "End Task" all excel processes in Task Manager before starting power automate.

Thank you everyone for helping me 😊.

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Edit On 1-July-2022

Reinstalling Software always works. Also, try to uninstall the software entirely because sometimes software keeps a few files(like cache, obsolete files, logs) on your PC.

Before uninstalling any software make sure to save your document files somewhere safe. You can also create a restore point in windows and Backup your files in external storage to be extra safe😊.

[HarshChauhan]

Yes, pls.

It's always better to work with updated software than outdated.

[jhaskamp]

For me this was due to the variable of the path being in a list so I had to set excel to open a file with name of %Excel_File_Path[0]%

[Sheridon]

Been having the same issue since i updated PAD @HarshChauhan  did restarting work, i have restarted multiple times and i use a "terminate process EXCEL" before and after opening excel but i still get an error

[Dion_tw]

I got the exact same thing since i updated PAD yesterday. Very strange and frustrating..

[mtassara]

I had a similar problem.  The flow run ok in some PCs but failed in others.  I updated the flow software to the newest version and that solved the problem!

[Adlen]

I too tried all the possible solutions and apparently, the cause for this error is hidden.

Trigger: If you see an issue with Win 32 in the error message.

Cause: When Windows is updated it creates a text file named 'Program' in the C drive. This apparently occurs only in the updates of 2022 onwards.

Solution: All you need to do is delete that text file. ugh...  Follow this link to get more details: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/50970449/error-800700c1-in-instantiating-an-object-for-microsoft...

[phuft]

That's odd, because I updated the flow software to the newest version and it caused my problem.

[mstjohnsomc]

@phuft - curious if you ever figured out the issue - I too have had the issue randomly appear after running a PAD flow for 9-months with no error - the only change was the PAD updates. Very frustrating!

[phuft]

This happened multiple times to me, and I tried all the steps mentioned above, starting with uninstalling and reinstalling the web extension for Edge. (It is confusing because the newest version of the extension icon is always greyed out, so I'm not sure if it is actually on.)

The first time I was able to find that text file mentioned in Adlen's post, and that worked.

The second time I reinstalled the extension, then in the flow I copied the offending step, deleted the original step, and pasted it back in in the same spot. (That is my goto for fixing steps that break for no reason, and it often works.)

The third time I reinstalled the extension and then restarted the machine and that seemed to do the trick. 

Unfortunately, there is no rhyme nor reason that I can see, other than that the updates seem to cause the problem.

[mstjohnsomc]

@phuft appreciate your response - FYI - My issue was some Update was causing ONE DRIVE Sync to "keep the file OPEN". So I moved the file to users\publilc directory (instead of the ODB location) and now having NO ISSUE!