It looks as if the Excel 2003 File, Open dialog ignores or kills any sent
keystrokes after the focus is shifted to the file window in the dialog.
There is another difference too - Excel 2003 highlights the first folder if
there is one, else the first file. Excel 2002 selected the first file, even
if folders are present.

If you can put up with this (second) problem you could use the
WindowsGetOpenfileName API which doesn't kill the sent keystrokes. See
below for an example. Note that I'm passing a space via SendKeys to
actually select the first folder/file.

--
Jim Rech
Excel MVP

Private Declare Function GetOpenFileName Lib "comdlg32.dll" Alias _
"GetOpenFileNameA" (pOpenfilename As OPENFILENAME) As Long

Private Type OPENFILENAME
lStructSize As Long
hwndOwner As Long
hInstance As Long
lpstrFilter As String
lpstrCustomFilter As String
nMaxCustFilter As Long
nFilterIndex As Long
lpstrFile As String
nMaxFile As Long
lpstrFileTitle As String
nMaxFileTitle As Long
lpstrInitialDir As String
lpstrTitle As String
Flags As Long
nFileOffset As Integer
nFileExtension As Integer
lpstrDefExt As String
lCustData As Long
lpfnHook As Long
lpTemplateName As String
End Type

Sub Command1_Click()
Dim OpenFile As OPENFILENAME
Dim lReturn As Long
Dim sFilter As String
OpenFile.lStructSize = Len(OpenFile)
OpenFile.hwndOwner = 0
OpenFile.hInstance = 0
sFilter = "Excel Files (*.xls)" & Chr(0) & "*.xls" & Chr(0)
OpenFile.lpstrFilter = sFilter
OpenFile.nFilterIndex = 1
OpenFile.lpstrFile = String(257, 0)
OpenFile.nMaxFile = Len(OpenFile.lpstrFile) - 1
OpenFile.lpstrFileTitle = OpenFile.lpstrFile
OpenFile.nMaxFileTitle = OpenFile.nMaxFile
OpenFile.lpstrInitialDir = CurDir
OpenFile.lpstrTitle = "File Open using Windows API"
OpenFile.Flags = &H80004
SendKeys "+{TAB} "
lReturn = GetOpenFileName(OpenFile)
If lReturn = 0 Then
MsgBox "The User pressed the Cancel Button"
Else
MsgBox "The user chose " & Trim(OpenFile.lpstrFile)
End If
End Sub