What's causing Microsoft VBScript runtime error '800a01a8' - vbscript

Question

I am getting this specific error, help would be appreciated
Microsoft VBScript runtime error '800a01a8'
Object required: 'openRecordSet(...)'
/admin/users/affiliates/process.asp, line 47
Line 47 is Set objRecordset = openRecordset(strSQL, objConnection)
<%
SetUserLevel(" 2 ")
If (InStr(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER"), "://jim/admin/users/affiliate") = 0) Then
Response.Redirect( "/admin/users/affiliate/" )
End If
Dim objConnection, objRecordset, strSQL, Affiliate_ID
If (IsEmpty(Request.Form("Affiliate_ID")) Or RTrim(Request.Form("Affiliate_ID")) = "") Then
Affiliate_ID = 0
Else
Affiliate_ID = prepareSQL(Request.Form("Affiliate_ID"))
End If
strSQL = "EXEC sp_User_Add_Affiliate " & _
Session("User_ID") & ", '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("First_Name")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Middle_Initial")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Last_Name")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Email_Address")) & "', '" & _
Request.ServerVariables("REMOTE_ADDR") & "', " & _
Session.SessionID & ", '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Address_1")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Address_2")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("City")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("State")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Zip")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Country")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Phone")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Phone_Extension")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Fax")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Company")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Pay_To")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Tax_ID")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Tax_ID_Type")) & "', '" & _
prepareSQL(Request.Form("Tax_Class")) & "', " & _
Affiliate_ID & "," & _
Request.Form("ID") & "," & _
Request.Form("Approved")
Set objConnection = openConnectionAdmin()
Set objRecordset = openRecordset(strSQL, objConnection)
If objRecordset("Error") = "1" Then
Response.Write objRecordset("Data")
Response.End
End If
objRecordset.Close
Set objRecordset = Nothing
Set objConnection = Nothing
Response.Redirect ( "/admin/users/affiliates/" ) %>
Function openRecordSet(ByVal strSQL, ByRef objConnection)
On Error Resume Next
' logSQL(strSQL)
Set openRecordset = objConnection.Execute(strSQL)
If err.Number <> 0 Then
'Response.Write Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description logError("ASP: openRecordset: " & Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description & ": " & strSQL)
' Call displayErrorPage()
End If
End Function

Answer 1

The error typically is caused by using Set to indicate assignment of an object to a variable, but having a non-object for the right value:
>> Set v = New RegExp
>> [no news here are good news]
>> Set v = "a"
>>
Error Number: 424
Error Description: Object required
So check your openRecordset function. Does it return a recordset by executing
Set openRecordset = ....
(mark the Set) for the given parameters?
Update wrt comments:
This test script:
Option Explicit
' How to test the type of a function's return value that should
' be an object but sometimes isn't. You can't assign the return value
' to a variable because of VBScript's disgusting "Set".
WScript.Echo "TypeName(openConnectionAdmin()): ", TypeName(openConnectionAdmin())
WScript.Echo "TypeName(openRecordset(...)) : ", TypeName(openRecordset("", objConnection))
' Trying to create a connection and a recordset
Dim objConnection : Set objConnection = openConnectionAdmin()
Dim objRecordset : Set objRecordset = openRecordset("", objConnection)
Function openConnectionAdmin()
' Set openConnectionAdmin = CreateObject("ADODB.CONNECTION")
Set openConnectionAdmin = Nothing
End Function
' After removing the comments: Obviously this is a function that
' hides all errors; the programmer should be fed to the lions.
Function openRecordSet(ByVal strSQL, ByRef objConnection)
On Error Resume Next
Set openRecordset = objConnection.Execute(strSQL)
End Function
output:
TypeName(openConnectionAdmin()): Connection
TypeName(openRecordset(...)) : Empty
... Microsoft VBScript runtime error: Object required: 'openRecordset(...)'
or
TypeName(openConnectionAdmin()): Nothing
TypeName(openRecordset(...)) : Empty
... Microsoft VBScript runtime error: Object required: 'openRecordset(...)'
shows: By hiding every conceivable error in openRecordset() the function can return Empty (undetected!), which isn't an object and can't be assigned to a variable by using Set.