Taking info from closed workbook that has variable name - vba

Question

I am wondering if there is a way to not have to open a workbook to get the information from it. The issue is I am having the user select the file first because the name changes. So I am using Application.GetOpenFilename. Once they select it, since it doesn't actually open, I am trying to just grab some cells from there and copy them over. I have some other cells using vlookups referencing a workbook in the same way but this seems different or won't work. Here is the code:
Dim Window3 As String
Dim x As String
Dim lNewBracketLocation As Long
Dim shtName As String
' Prompt
strPrompt = "Please select the last 'HC Report' located in" & vbCrLf & _
"'C:\file\file\'" & vbCrLf & _
"before the dates of this Report." & vbCrLf & _
"This will be used to find the Interns that are currently working." & vbCrLf & _
"For example, if the date of this report is 9-8-17, you would want to use the 'August 2017.xlsx.' report."
' Dialog's Title
strTitle = "Latest Report"
'Display MessageBox
iRet = MsgBox(strPrompt, vbOK, strTitle)
Window3 = Application.GetOpenFilename( _
FileFilter:="Excel Files (*.xls*),*.xls*", _
Title:="Choose previous quarter's file", MultiSelect:=False)
MsgBox "You selected " & Window3
'below is some extra code from where I used this same startegy for VLOOKUP.
'Not sure if this "x" variable will be needed.
lNewBracketLocation = InStrRev(Window2, Application.PathSeparator)
'Edit the string to suit the VLOOKUP formula - insert "["
x = Left$(Window2, lNewBracketLocation) & "[" & Right$(Window2, Len(Window2) - lNewBracketLocation)
Dim wb3 As Workbook
'I want to do all of this WITHOUT opening this next file. Is that possible?
' If I open this file it works. but I am trying to do it without opening.
'Because it takes a minute
'Set wb3 = Workbooks.Open(Window3)
shtName = wb3.Worksheets("Team Members").name
'*******RIGHT here IS WHERE IT ERRORS******************
'Run-time error '91':
'Object variable or With block variable not set
Stop
wb3.Sheets(shtName).Select
ActiveSheet.Range("$A$1:$P$2769").autofilter Field:=1, Criteria1:="Interns"
Range("A2768").Select
Range(Selection, Selection.End(xlDown)).Select
Range(Selection, Selection.End(xlToRight)).Select
Selection.COPY
This is some other code I have that takes the vlookup without actually opening the other file. Can I do kind of the same thing? I can't get it to work.
Dim Window2 As String
Dim x As String
Dim lNewBracketLocation As Long
Window2 = Application.GetOpenFilename( _
FileFilter:="Excel Files (*.xls*),*.xls*", _
Title:="Choose previous quarter's file", MultiSelect:=False)
MsgBox "You selected " & Window2
'Find the last instance in the string of the path separator "\"
lNewBracketLocation = InStrRev(Window2, Application.PathSeparator)
'Edit the string to suit the VLOOKUP formula - insert "["
x = Left$(Window2, lNewBracketLocation) & "[" & Right$(Window2, Len(Window2) - lNewBracketLocation)
shtName = ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets(1).name
Stop
MainWindow.Activate
Columns("B:B").Select
Selection.Delete Shift:=xlToLeft
Range("AI2").FormulaR1C1 = "=VLOOKUP(RC2,'" & x & "]shtName'!R3C2:R9694C49, 23, FALSE)"
Range("AJ2").FormulaR1C1 = "=VLOOKUP(RC2,'" & x & "]shtName'!R3C2:R9694C49, 19, FALSE)"
Range("AK2").FormulaR1C1 = "=VLOOKUP(RC2,'" & x & "]shtName'!R3C2:R9694C49, 20, FALSE)"
Range("AL2").FormulaR1C1 = "=VLOOKUP(RC36,'" & x & "]shtName'!R3C2:R9694C49, 23, FALSE)"

Answer 1

It's impossible to copy cells across from a closed workbook. The vlookups are a different story as Excel caches a copy of the result to display when the external workbook is closed.
Just like what you're trying to do, i.e., you need to have the external file opened once to grab the data. With vlookup it's when the formula is typed/pasted into the sheet. At that time the external workbook must either be open or Excel opens it behind the scenes when you select the file from the Update Values:Book1.xlsm file selection dialog. With your code, it's when you want to grab the data. You must open it for you to cache the data yourself.
However you can solve the time issue by using this:
Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual
Set wb3 = Workbooks.Open(Window3)
and then after you close the workbook, this:
Application.Calculation = xlCalculationAutomatic