access .Net components from Excel 97

Hi all,

I have also posted this appeal for help to a google group, but I don't see much activity there. This forum seems more on target for my problem.

I am trying to access .Net components from Excel 97.  For testing I am following an example presented in a 2001 posting by Manish Mehta at:
  http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/articles/accessingdotnetfromcom.asp

Source code for the VB.Net component is:

  imports system
  namespace CCWComponent
  public class CCWClass
    public function PassStr as string
      PassStr = "Hi from .Net Component"
    end function
  end class
  end namespace 

I compile the above with: 'vbc /t:library testCCW.vb' and register with: 'regasm testCCW.dll /tlb:testCCW.tlb'. (The /tlb switch is used to allow testing of early as well as late binding.)

When I open the VB Editor in a new Excel 97 workbook and navigate to Tools/References, a reference to 'testCCW' does show up.

Within the workbook I create the following macro to invoke the CCWClass.PassStr method when the workbook is opened.

  Private Sub Workbook_Open()
    Dim o As Object
    Set o = CreateObject("CCWComponent.CCWClass")
    MsgBox o.PassStr
  End Sub
 
The problem is that when I open the workbook the following error appears with the macro stopped at the 'Set o = ...' statement.

  Run-time error '-2146232576(80131700)':
  Automation error
 
I am pretty much clueless about how to locate the source of this problem.  Any information or suggestion about resolving it would certainly be appreciated.

Ennis