Gary,
You could call a dos batch file from VBA.
Helmut Weber mentioned this:
<http://vb.mvps.org/samples/project.asp?id=Shell32>

Or this xShell code works in Word97, too:

Put this in Declarations section at the top of your VBA code module so that
all subroutines can take advantage of the 'wait for shell' code.

Private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" ( _
   ByVal hObject As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetExitCodeProcess Lib "kernel32" ( _
   ByVal hProcess As Long, lpExitCode As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function OpenProcess Lib "kernel32" ( _
   ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, ByVal bInheritHandle As Long, _
   ByVal dwProcessId As Long) As Long

'Add this code as one of the regular subroutines.

Public Function ShellX( _
   ByVal PathName As String, _
   Optional ByVal WindowStyle As Integer = vbMinimizedFocus, _
   Optional ByVal Events As Boolean = True _
 ) As Long

 'Declarations:
 Const STILL_ACTIVE = &H103&
 Const PROCESS_QUERY_INFORMATION = &H400&
 Dim ProcId As Long
 Dim ProcHnd As Long

 'Get process-handle:
 ProcId = Shell(PathName, WindowStyle)
 ProcHnd = OpenProcess(PROCESS_QUERY_INFORMATION, True, ProcId)

 'wait for process end:
 Do
   If Events Then DoEvents
   GetExitCodeProcess ProcHnd, ShellX
 Loop While ShellX = STILL_ACTIVE

 'clean up:
 CloseHandle ProcHnd
End Function

'And call it like this:

  Dim x As Long
  Dim strDosBatchFullPath As String
  strDosBatchFullPath = ³C:\...myDosBatchFile.bat²
  System.Cursor = wdCursorWait
  x = ShellX(Chr(34) & strDosBatchFullPath & Chr(34))