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Form code

vb Code:

Private Type STARTUPINFO
          cb As Long
          lpReserved As String
          lpDesktop As String
          lpTitle As String
          dwX As Long
          dwY As Long
          dwXSize As Long
          dwYSize As Long
          dwXCountChars As Long
          dwYCountChars As Long
          dwFillAttribute As Long
          dwFlags As Long
          wShowWindow As Integer
          cbReserved2 As Integer
          lpReserved2 As Long
          hStdInput As Long
          hStdOutput As Long
          hStdError As Long
       End Type
     
       Private Type PROCESS_INFORMATION
          hProcess As Long
          hThread As Long
          dwProcessId As Long
          dwThreadID As Long
       End Type
     
       Private Declare Function WaitForSingleObject Lib "kernel32" (ByVal _
          hHandle As Long, ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long) As Long
    'API Constants
    Const SMTO_BLOCK = &H1
    Const SMTO_ABORTIFHUNG = &H2
    Const WM_NULL = &H0
    Const WM_CLOSE = &H10
    Const PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS = &H1F0FFF
    'API functions
    Private Declare Function GetWindowThreadProcessId Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
    lpdwProcessId As Long) As Long
     
    Private Declare Function OpenProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, _
    ByVal bInheritHandle As Long, ByVal dwProcessId As Long) As Long
     
    Private Declare Function SendMessageTimeout Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageTimeoutA" _
    (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal msg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As _
    Long, ByVal fuFlags As Long, ByVal uTimeout As Long, lpdwResult As Long) As Long
     
    Private Declare Function TerminateProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hProcess As Long, _
    ByVal uExitCode As Long) As Long
     
       Private Declare Function CreateProcessA Lib "kernel32" (ByVal _
          lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpCommandLine As String, ByVal _
          lpProcessAttributes As Long, ByVal lpThreadAttributes As Long, _
          ByVal bInheritHandles As Long, ByVal dwCreationFlags As Long, _
          ByVal lpEnvironment As Long, ByVal lpCurrentDirectory As String, _
          lpStartupInfo As STARTUPINFO, lpProcessInformation As _
          PROCESS_INFORMATION) As Long
     
       Private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" _
          (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long
     
       Private Declare Function GetExitCodeProcess Lib "kernel32" _
          (ByVal hProcess As Long, lpExitCode As Long) As Long
     
       Private Const NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H20&
       Private Const INFINITE = -1&
          Dim proc As PROCESS_INFORMATION
          Dim start As STARTUPINFO
     
     
       Public Function ExecCmd(cmdline$)
       
          ' Initialize the STARTUPINFO structure:
          start.cb = Len(start)
     
          ' Start the shelled application:
          ret& = CreateProcessA(vbNullString, cmdline$, 0&, 0&, 1&, _
             NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS, 0&, vbNullString, start, proc)
     
          ' Wait for the shelled application to finish:
             ret& = WaitForSingleObject(proc.hProcess, INFINITE)
             Call GetExitCodeProcess(proc.hProcess, ret&)
             Call CloseHandle(proc.hThread)
             Call CloseHandle(proc.hProcess)
             ExecCmd = ret&
       End Function
     
       Sub Form_Click()
          Dim retval As Long
            Dim lngResult As Long
        Dim lngReturnValue As Long
       
        'Replace the path and app.name.type with that of the application you want to use
          retval = ExecCmd("C:\Users\User\Desktop\Project.exe")
            lngReturnValue = SendMessageTimeout(retval, WM_NULL, 0&, 0&, SMTO_ABORTIFHUNG And SMTO_BLOCK, 1000, lngResult)
        DoEvents
         'u can give a tool tip text here
        nid.szTip = "" & vbNullChar
          nid.cbSize = Len(nid)
        nid.hwnd = retval
        nid.uId = vbNull
        nid.uFlags = NIF_ICON Or NIF_TIP Or NIF_MESSAGE
        nid.uCallBackMessage = WM_MOUSEMOVE
        nid.hIcon = Me.Icon
        If lngReturnValue Then
            MsgBox ("Responding")
        Else
            Shell_NotifyIcon NIM_DELETE, nid
        'Close the host and the client if the client does not respond
            Call GetExitCodeProcess(proc.hProcess, ret&)
            Call CloseHandle(proc.hThread)
            Call CloseHandle(proc.hProcess)
           Unload Me
        End If
       End Sub

module code

vb Code:

Public Declare Function Shell_NotifyIcon Lib "shell32" Alias "Shell_NotifyIconA" (ByVal dwMessage As Long, pnid As NOTIFYICONDATA) As Boolean
'declaration for putting the application to system tray
Public Type NOTIFYICONDATA
    cbSize As Long
    hwnd As Long
    uId As Long
    uFlags As Long
    uCallBackMessage As Long
    hIcon As Long
    szTip As String * 64
End Type
 
    'declare constants
Public Const NIM_ADD = &H0
Public Const NIM_MODIFY = &H1
Public Const NIM_DELETE = &H2
Public Const WM_MOUSEMOVE = &H200
Public Const NIF_MESSAGE = &H1
Public Const NIF_ICON = &H2
Public Const NIF_TIP = &H4
'Dimension a variable as the user-defined data type.
Public nid As NOTIFYICONDATA

Change

"C:\Users\User\Desktop\Project.exe"

to match that of your system and the external program.

Edit:

I posted the original code in the Detect if program is not responding! thread.