Something like this should work.

Dim ppApp As PowerPoint.Application
Dim PPPres As PowerPoint.Presentation
Dim PPSlide As PowerPoint.Slide
On Error Resume Next
Set ppApp = GetObject(, "Powerpoint.Application")
On Error goto 0
If ppApp Is Nothing Then
Set ppApp = CreateObject("Powerpoint.Application")
End If
With ppApp
.Visible = msoTrue
.WindowState = ppWindowMaximized
Set PPPres = ppApp.Presentations.Open( _
"C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\IBSTest.ppt")
End With



--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

"ibeetb" wrote in message
...
I am trying to determine if an object variable (application) exists. If it
doesn't, I want to CreateObject, if it does, I want to GetObject....but I
keep gettting the object variable doesn't exist error whenever the code
gets
to the "If ppApp is Nothing" part. Please see below.....

Dim ppApp As PowerPoint.Application
Dim PPPres As PowerPoint.Presentation
Dim PPSlide As PowerPoint.Slide

If ppApp Is Nothing Then
Set ppApp = CreateObject("Powerpoint.Application")
With ppApp
.Visible = msoTrue
.WindowState = ppWindowMaximized
Set PPPres = ppApp.Presentations.Open("C:\Documents and
Settings\My Documents\IBSTest.ppt")
End With
Else
Set ppApp = GetObject(, "Powerpoint.Application")
End If