C# Run Excel Macro Through IIS Server

Question

I have a C# (using Razor) Web Application that runs through my company's intranet.

I have been using ClosedXML to manage all of my Excel needs and it works great, however, now I need to run Macros inside Excel Files and apparently ClosedXML cannot do this, so I must use Excel Interop.

My code below gives the dreaded:

Microsoft Excel cannot access the file ... There are several possible reasons: • The file name or path does not exist. • The file is being used by another program. • The workbook you are trying to save has the same name as a currently open workbook.

1. The file name and path DOES exist
2. I made sure that Excel is not even running on the server
3. The workbook is not open (see above).

Things I've tried. I've tried to create security provisions for the C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile and SysWOW64\config\systemprofile.

(Side Note: I could not find IIS_USRS when I tried to add the security provisions - this may be the problem.)

I've also tried editing the Excel Application properties via dcomcnfg and I still get the same error.

here's what I'm trying to do:

//C# with Razor Syntax
@using MSExcel = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel
@using System.Runtime.InteropServices
@using System.Web
@using System.IO

string worksheetName = "Sheet1";

string[] macros = new string[] { "Module1.Reset_List()", "Module1.Run_Setup()"};

string workbookPath = HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath(@"~/uploads/test.xlsm");

FileInfo xlsFile = new FileInfo(workbookPath);

string msg = (File.Exists(xlsFile.FullName)) ? "Found It!" : "Can't Find It...";
<p>@msg</p>;   // <-- This always returns "Found It!"

//Create the Excel Object
MSExcel.Application xlsApp = new MSExcel.Application();
xlsApp.Visible = true;

try
{
    //Identify the workbook (open the file)
    // *** the error occurs on the line below *** //
    MSExcel.Workbook xlsBook = xlsApp.Workbooks.Open(xlsFile.FullName);
    xlsBook.Activate();

    //Identify the worksheet
    MSExcel.Worksheet xlsSheet = (MSExcel.Worksheet)xlsBook.Sheets[worksheetName];
    xlsSheet.Activate();



    foreach (string macro in macros)
    {
        xlsApp.Run(macro);
    }

    xlsBook.Save();
    xlsBook.Close(false, "", false);
    xlsApp.Quit();
}
catch (Exception e)
{
    <p>@e.Message</p>
    Marshal.ReleaseComObject(xlsApp);
    xlsApp = null;
}

if (xlsApp != null)
{
    Marshal.ReleaseComObject(xlsApp);
    xlsApp = null;
}