Having trouble with what should be easy,  the goal is to launch a browser and navigate to a specific URL,  re using the named browser window if present.  Problem is that when i go to do the appactivate, (using the wait methods commonly described) they dont work.  e.g. while objIE.busy doevents  nor  does the objIE.readystate.  After poking around, I discovered that I am not getting access to all of the properites in the internet explorer object.  Some are there, some are not.  I havnt done and exhaustive look, but here is what I have found

objie.busy is always 0
Readystate is always null
LocationURL is null
LocationName is null
Name =  Windows Internet Explorer
hwnd  has the windows handle
FullName shows the program location

The only theory I have come up with is that there is some group policy on this corporate machine blocking the properties, but i have found nothing to confirm it, only hints of the possibility this could be done;  i have checked the event log and it shows successful creation of the object, no errors in security nor application;  

any insight is greatly appreciated

here is a snipet of the code

dim objIE as object
dim BrowserString


Set objIE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")

BrowserString = "www.yahoo.com"

' this doesnt work,,   objie.busy is always 0, so I cmmented out

' Error resume next
'   While objIE.busy
'    doevents
'   wend   
   
objIE.Visible = True

' ---------------  

objIE.Navigate (BrowserString),,("LICB") ' reuse window named LICB if it exists, otherwise open new w name LICB
     
' tried it here too
 ' On Error resume next
 '  While objIE.busy
 '    doevents
 '  wend   
 '

 '  the recomended approaches do not work ,  it is never ready  (always 0) and loops
 ' While objIE.readystate < 4    also  <> objie.document.readystate <> "complete" and all variations thereof do not work
 '   doevents
 ' wend
' also tried putting the wait in a callable subroutine,, behavior is same
     

' this works just fine, if the user hasnt navigated away from the window,  
' i tried putting in a pause  on error and appactivate again, but the error doesnt get trapped a second time
'   and I get an illegal function call (err=5) ;  resetting err doesnt help

   On Error goto SkipAppAct
     AppActivate "Yahoo! - microsoft internet explorer provided by xyz"
   
   Goto Endit
   
SkipAppAct:

Msgbox "site did not respond in time; please navigate manually"

Endit: