This error is a result of one of the following:
1. MATLAB not being registered
2. MATLAB not being properly registered as an ActiveX server
3. If this is on a system where you have deployed a COM object created with MATLAB COM Builder, you may have forgotten to install the MATLAB Compiler Runtime libraries (MCRInstaller.exe or MGLINSTALLER.EXE). See the MATLAB Compiler documentation for instructions on installation, and do not forget to perform that PATH update as described in that documentation.
For the first 2 situations above, you need to do the following in order to re-register MATLAB as an ActiveX server:
1. Go to the Start Menu.
2. Select Run.....
3. If MATLAB is installed in C:\MATLAB, enter
C:\MATLAB\BIN\WIN32\MATLAB /regserver
in the field and execute it by clicking the OK button.
4. MATLAB should start as a minimized application. This means that the command windows will not appear, but the MATLAB Icon will be on the Task Bar.
5. MATLAB gets stuck in the 'Initializing' state, see Related Solution 1-2Z18MA for more information.