Hi:
I don't use DDE at all, since it is very old (Excel 4) Microsoft technology. But it was my understanding that both Excel and SAS had to be open at the same time for the DDE conversation to take place. If Excel is not open to -that- workbook when DDE starts, then, I think, as far as DDE is concerned the workbook doesn't exist.
There are a few ways to open the proper workbook, as described in these papers:
http://www.sas-consultant.com/professional/papers.html In particular, in this paper, there's a description of opening a workbook via DDE command and then saving it to the name you want BEFORE populating it:
http://www.sas-consultant.com/professional/SUGI27-HOW-DDE.pdf
Perhaps these will be of some help.
cynthia