Error "The object invoked has disconnected from its clients" - automate IE 8 with python and win32com

Question

I would like to automate Internet Explorer 8 (using python 2.7 on Windows 7) machine. Here is my code after a post found on SO:

import sys, time
from win32com.client import WithEvents, Dispatch
import pythoncom
import threading    

stopEvent=threading.Event()

class EventSink(object): 
    def OnNavigateComplete2(self,*args):
        print "complete",args
        stopEvent.set()



def waitUntilReady(ie):
    if ie.ReadyState!=4:
        while 1:
            print "waiting"
            pythoncom.PumpWaitingMessages()
            stopEvent.wait(.2)
            if stopEvent.isSet() or ie.ReadyState==4:
                stopEvent.clear()
                break;   

if __name__ == '__main__':
    time.clock()
    ie=Dispatch('InternetExplorer.Application',EventSink)
    ev=WithEvents(ie,EventSink)       
    ie.Visible=True
    ie.AddressBar = True
    ie.Navigate("http://www.sap.com/austria/index.epx")
    waitUntilReady(ie)

I got the following error message for http://www.sap.com/austria/index.epx:

waiting
waiting
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\w\My Documents\Aptana Studio 3 Workspace\MyApp\src\GoToIdeaWindow.py", line 41, in <module>
    waitUntilReady(ie)
  File "C:\Users\w\My Documents\Aptana Studio 3 Workspace\MyApp\src\GoToIdeaWindow.py", line 26, in waitUntilReady
    if stopEvent.isSet() or ie.ReadyState==4:
  File "C:\Python27\lib\site-packages\win32com\client\__init__.py", line 463, in __getattr__
    return self._ApplyTypes_(*args)
  File "C:\Python27\lib\site-packages\win32com\client\__init__.py", line 456, in _ApplyTypes_
    self._oleobj_.InvokeTypes(dispid, 0, wFlags, retType, argTypes, *args),
pywintypes.com_error: (-2147417848, 'The object invoked has disconnected from its clients.', None, None)

The code works perfectly for, e.g., google.com or bbc.com. Does anybody know what could be a reason?

Answer 1

On IE9, you need to lower security settings to make the script work:

IE9 -> Internet Options -> Security -> Trusted Sites    : Low
IE9 -> Internet Options -> Security -> Internet         : Medium + unchecked Enable Protected Mode
IE9 -> Internet Options -> Security -> Restricted Sites : unchecked Enable Protected Mode