Application.StatusBar (Excel)

Returns or sets the text in the status bar. Read/write String.

This property returns False if Microsoft Excel has control of the status bar. To restore the default status bar text, set the property to False; this works even if the status bar is hidden.

oldStatusBar = Application.DisplayStatusBar 
Application.DisplayStatusBar = True 
Application.StatusBar = "Please be patient..." 
Workbooks.Open filename:="LARGE.XLS" 
Application.StatusBar = False 
Application.DisplayStatusBar = oldStatusBar