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Thread: Hiding the taskbar

  1. #1

    Thread Starter
    Hyperactive Member cameron2's Avatar
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    Hiding the taskbar

    Here is how one might go about hiding the taskbar:

    Code:
     Private Declare Function apiFindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Int32
        Private Declare Function apiFindWindowEx Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowExA" (ByVal hWnd1 As Int32, ByVal hWnd2 As Int32, ByVal lpsz1 As String, ByVal lpsz2 As String) As Int32
       Private Declare Function apiShowWindow Lib "user32" Alias "ShowWindow" (ByVal hwnd As Int32, ByVal nCmdShow As Int32) As Int32
        
    'event to hide
    Dim tWnd As Int32 = apiFindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", vbNullString)
            Dim bWnd As Int32 = apiFindWindowEx(tWnd, bWnd, "BUTTON", vbNullString)
    apiShowWindow(tWnd, 0)'to hide taskbar
                apiShowWindow(bWnd, 0)'to hide startbutton
    'event to unhide
    Dim tWnd As Int32 = apiFindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", vbNullString)
            Dim bWnd As Int32 = apiFindWindowEx(tWnd, bWnd, "BUTTON", vbNullString)
    apiShowWindow(tWnd, 1)'to unhide taskbar
                apiShowWindow(bWnd, 1)'to unhide startbutton
    Also you can make your form cover the whole screen(including taskbar) with this code:
    Code:
     Me.WindowState = FormWindowState.Maximized
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    Autoclicker, Hide Taskbar, Sounds on internal speaker, Changing Start Button Text (with code)

  2. #2
    Frenzied Member Icyculyr's Avatar
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    Re: Hiding the taskbar

    My start button didn't return, lol...

    I had to restart, do you also know how to hide the side menu that pops up when you press "win" (Windows Logo)

    Cheers
    Icyculyr

  3. #3

    Thread Starter
    Hyperactive Member cameron2's Avatar
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    Re: Hiding the taskbar

    Hmmmm i just tried the exact code then and it worked make sure you have two different buttons, one to hide it and one to unhide it.

    Well i'll look more into that but this is what i found:

    Code:
    Option Strict Off
    Public Class Form1
        Private Declare Auto Function SendMessage Lib "user32.dll" Alias "SendMessage" (ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, ByVal Msg As Integer, ByVal wParam As Integer, ByVal lParam As IntPtr) As IntPtr
        Private Declare Auto Function FindWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Integer
        Declare Function FindWindowEx Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowExA" (ByVal hWnd1 As Integer, ByVal hWnd2 As Integer, ByVal lpsz1 As String, ByVal lpsz2 As String) As Integer
        Private Declare Auto Function GetDesktopWindow Lib "user32.dll" () As IntPtr
        Const WM_SYSCOMMAND As Long = &H112 
        Const SC_CLOSE As Int32 = &HF060
        Dim hwnd As Int32
        Dim hwnd2 As Int32
        Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
            Timer1.Enabled = True
            Dim hDesktop = GetDesktopWindow()
            MessageBox.Show(hDesktop)
            Dim hTray = FindWindowEx(hDesktop, 0, "Shell_TrayWnd", Nothing)
            MessageBox.Show(hTray)
            Dim hReBar = FindWindowEx(hTray, 0, "ReBarWindow32", Nothing)
            MessageBox.Show(hReBar)
            Dim hTask = FindWindowEx(hReBar, 0, "MSTaskSwWClass", Nothing)
            MessageBox.Show(hTask)
            Dim hToolbar = FindWindowEx(hTask, 0, "ToolbarWindow32", Nothing)
            MessageBox.Show(hToolbar)
            SendMessage(hToolbar, WM_SYSCOMMAND, SC_CLOSE, Nothing)
    'if you do the following it makes the menu black and opens up the shutdown menu WARNING! menu stays black!
    SendMessage(hTray, WM_CLOSE, Nothing, Nothing)'i put this into a timer at 1000ms :S very hard to stop as it continuously came up, for some reason the closing event of this menu triggers the button press of the shutdown 
    'hmmm i'm contemplating whether or not to try the WM_DESTROY, who knows what will happen
        End Sub
    Now this totally wiped clean my taskbar... as in i don't see the applications in it and i dont know how to get them back without restarting but as i said before i'll do a bit of research.
    Last edited by cameron2; Apr 16th, 2008 at 07:10 AM.
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    Autoclicker, Hide Taskbar, Sounds on internal speaker, Changing Start Button Text (with code)

  4. #4

    Thread Starter
    Hyperactive Member cameron2's Avatar
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    Re: Hiding the taskbar

    I just had a thought, since a change in focus closes this menu why don't you detect the window keypress event and then change the focusa? This should cause the menu to close.
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    Autoclicker, Hide Taskbar, Sounds on internal speaker, Changing Start Button Text (with code)

  5. #5

    Thread Starter
    Hyperactive Member cameron2's Avatar
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    Re: Hiding the taskbar

    Problem Solved:

    Code:
    Dim startmenu = FindWindow("DV2ControlHost", "Start Menu")
            SendMessage(startmenu, WM_CLOSE, Nothing, Nothing)
    If this post helped you, please click the rate button to say thank you! Remember to mark the thread as resolved too.
    Autoclicker, Hide Taskbar, Sounds on internal speaker, Changing Start Button Text (with code)

  6. #6
    Frenzied Member Icyculyr's Avatar
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    Re: Hiding the taskbar

    Cool..

    Cheers
    Icyculyr

  7. #7

    Thread Starter
    Hyperactive Member cameron2's Avatar
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    Re: Hiding the taskbar

    Oh btw thanks for making me look into this... this is great for my security app.
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    Autoclicker, Hide Taskbar, Sounds on internal speaker, Changing Start Button Text (with code)

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