GetObject or GetActiveObject cannot find a running Office application

Private Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" _
    (ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Dim intSection As Integer
    Dim intTries As Integer
    Dim oExcel As Object
    
    ' Enable error handler for this procedure:
    On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
    
    ' Launch Microsoft Excel, giving it focus:
    Shell "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Excel.EXE", _
        vbMinimizedFocus 'other options for starting with
        'focus: vbMaximizedFocus and vbNormalFocus
    
    ' Move focus back to this form. (This ensures the Office
    '  application registers itself in the ROT, allowing
    '  GetObject to find it.)
    Me.SetFocus
    
    ' Attempt to use GetObject to reference the running
    '  Office application:
    intSection = 1 'attempting GetObject...
    Set oExcel = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
    intSection = 0 'resume normal error handling
    
    ' Now you can automate Microsoft Excel:
    MsgBox oExcel.Name & ": able to GetObject after " & _
        intTries + 1 & " tries.", vbMsgBoxSetForeground
    
    ' Finished with automation so release your reference:
    Set oExcel = Nothing
    
    ' Exit procedure:
    Exit Sub
    
ErrorHandler:
    If intSection = 1 Then 'GetObject may have failed because the
    'Shell function is asynchronous; enough time has not elapsed
    'for GetObject to find the running Office application. Wait
    'wait 1/2 seconds and retry the GetObject. If you try 20 times
    'and GetObject still fails, assume some other reason
    'for GetObject failing and exit the procedure.
        intTries = intTries + 1
        If intTries < 20 Then
            Sleep 500 ' wait 1/2 seconds
            Resume 'resume code at the GetObject line
        Else
            MsgBox "GetObject still failing. Process ended.", _
                vbMsgBoxSetForeground
        End If
    Else 'intSection = 0 so use normal error handling:
        MsgBox Error$
    End If
End Sub

//Store the handle of the currently active window...
HWND hwndCurrent = ::GetForegroundWindow();

//Launch Excel and wait until it is waiting for
//user input...
STARTUPINFO Start;
PROCESS_INFORMATION ProcInfo;
ZeroMemory(&Start,sizeof(STARTUPINFO));
Start.cb=sizeof(Start);
Start.dwFlags = STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW;
Start.wShowWindow = SW_SHOWMINIMIZED;

//Change the path to Excel as needed...
LPSTR pszExcelPath = 
      "c:\\program files\\microsoft office\\office\\excel.exe";

::CreateProcess(NULL, pszExcelPath, 0, 0, 1,
       NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS, 0, NULL, &Start, &ProcInfo);


if((::WaitForInputIdle(ProcInfo.hProcess, 10000))==WAIT_TIMEOUT)
{
    ::MessageBox(NULL, "Timed out waiting for Excel.", NULL,  
                 MB_OK);
}

//Restore the active window to the foreground...
//  NOTE: If you comment out this line, the code will fail!
::SetForegroundWindow(hwndCurrent);

//Initialize COM library...
::CoInitialize(NULL);

//Attach to the running instance...
CLSID clsid;
CLSIDFromProgID(L"Excel.Application", &clsid);  
IUnknown *pUnk = NULL;
IDispatch *pDisp = NULL;

for(int i=1;i<=5;i++) //try attaching for up to 5 attempts
{
   HRESULT hr = GetActiveObject(clsid, NULL, (IUnknown**)&pUnk);
   if(SUCCEEDED(hr)) 
   {
       hr = pUnk->QueryInterface(IID_IDispatch, (void **)&pDisp);
       break;
   }
   ::Sleep(1000);
}
        
if (!pDisp) {
    ::MessageBox(NULL, "Failed to find instance!!", "Error", 
                 MB_ICONHAND);
}
else {
    ::MessageBox(NULL, "Got instance of Excel!", "Success", MB_OK);
}

//Release the no-longer-needed IUnknown...
if (pUnk) 
    pUnk->Release();

//... Add your automation code for Excel here ...

//Release pDisp when no longer needed...
if (pDisp)
    pDisp->Release();

//Cleanup COM...
CoUninitialize();