That is by design. The help file states that you have to use the
RunAutoMacros, like this:

xlapp.ActiveWorkbook.RunAutoMacros 1 'xlAutoOpen

from the help file:

Runs the Auto_Open, Auto_Close, Auto_Activate, or Auto_Deactivate macro
attached to the workbook. This method is included for backward
compatibility. For new Visual Basic code, you should use the Open, Close,
Activate and Deactivate events instead of these macros.

expression.RunAutoMacros(Which)

expression Required. An expression that returns one of the objects in the
Applies To list.

Which Required XlRunAutoMacro.
XlRunAutoMacro can be one of these XlRunAutoMacro constants.
xlAutoActivate. Auto_Activate macros
xlAutoClose. Auto_Close macros
xlAutoDeactivate. Auto_Deactivate macros
xlAutoOpen. Auto_Open macros

Example
This example opens the workbook Analysis.xls and then runs its Auto_Open
macro.
Workbooks.Open "ANALYSIS.XLS"
ActiveWorkbook.RunAutoMacros xlAutoOpen

This example runs the Auto_Close macro for the active workbook and then
closes the workbook.
With ActiveWorkbook
.RunAutoMacros xlAutoClose
.Close
End With


--
Regards,

Juan Pablo González
Excel MVP

"CRayF" wrote in message
...
I've created an example.VBS file that contains:
-----------------
Dim XLApp
Set XLApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
xlapp.visible = true
xlapp.workbooks.open "myworkbook.xls"
-----------------

In the myworkbook.xls is an auto run macro
-------------
Sub Auto_Open()
'some code
End Sub
-------------

If I start the myworkbook.xls by itself it runs the Auto_Open() macro
*just
fine*. However, when my myworkbook.xls is called via the example.VBS
script
it DOES NOT auto run the macro.
Any clues?