Remove something from memory?

[Oafo]

After I quit a program (Diablo2), it doesn't completely remove it from memory, which causes my computer to not shutdown properly. When I run Spy++, I can see that it's still in memory, but when I press ctrl+alt+del, it's not in the task list. Question is: How can I wipe it from memory?

[Megatron]

Use Process Viewer.

[Oafo]

Well, I tried process viewer, and that didn't kill it completely either. I'd click the process (Game.exe) and it'd ask if I wanted to kill it and I'd click yes... it refreshed with the process still running. Any other ideas?

[Oafo]

Cmon Megatron, you're supposed to be the good one here

[Megatron]

Sorry, my computer crashed a couple days ago, and I had to re-install everything

Have you tried using the TerminateProcess API?

I'll see if I can find an example for you.

[Megatron]

OK, here's an example.

Private Declare Function ProcessFirst Lib "kernel32" _
Alias "Process32First" (ByVal hSnapshot As Long, uProcess _
As PROCESSENTRY32) As Long
 
Private Declare Function ProcessNext Lib "kernel32" _
Alias "Process32Next" (ByVal hSnapshot As Long, uProcess As _
PROCESSENTRY32) As Long
 
Private Declare Function CreateToolhelpSnapshot Lib "kernel32" _
Alias "CreateToolhelp32Snapshot" (ByVal lFlags As Long, _
lProcessID As Long) As Long
 
Private Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject _
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 TerminateProcess Lib "kernel32" _
(ByVal hProcess As Long, ByVal uExitCode As Long) As Long
 
 
 
Type PROCESSENTRY32
    dwSize As Long
    cntUsage As Long
    th32ProcessID As Long
    th32DefaultHeapID As Long
    th32ModuleID As Long
    cntThreads As Long
    th32ParentProcessID As Long
    pcPriClassBase As Long
    dwFlags As Long
    szexeFile As String * MAX_PATH
    End Type
 
 
Public Function KillApp(myName As String) As Boolean
    Const PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS = 0
    Dim uProcess As PROCESSENTRY32
    Dim rProcessFound As Long
    Dim hSnapshot As Long
    Dim szExename As String
    Dim exitCode As Long
    Dim myProcess As Long
    Dim AppKill As Boolean
    Dim appCount As Integer
    Dim i As Integer
    On Local Error GoTo Finish
    appCount = 0
    
    Const TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS As Long = 2&
    
    uProcess.dwSize = Len(uProcess)
    hSnapshot = CreateToolhelpSnapshot(TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS, 0&)
    rProcessFound = ProcessFirst(hSnapshot, uProcess)
    
    Do While rProcessFound
        i = InStr(1, uProcess.szexeFile, Chr(0))
        szExename = LCase$(Left$(uProcess.szexeFile, i - 1))
        If Right$(szExename, Len(myName)) = LCase$(myName) Then
            KillApp = True
            appCount = appCount + 1
            myProcess = OpenProcess(PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS, False, uProcess.th32ProcessID)
            AppKill = TerminateProcess(myProcess, exitCode)
            Call CloseHandle(myProcess)
        End If
        rProcessFound = ProcessNext(hSnapshot, uProcess)
    Loop
 
    Call CloseHandle(hSnapshot)
Finish:
End Function
 
 
'Usage
 
 
Call KillApp("C:\Program.exe")

[moinkhan]

If you set every object variable to Nothing when it is no longer needed..(like database connections, recordsets, or any object)
If you unload each form when your application is closed.. Then
The program will be clean sweaped automatically from memory. right?

[Megatron]

But he's dealing with an external process here

[snakeeyes1000]

Try rewriting it's entire process memory first. Make it all zero, the either it will cease functioning and exit, generate a huge error and exit, or be in an exposed position for you to terminate it.

[amitabh]

Originally posted by snakeeyes1000
Try rewriting it's entire process memory first. Make it all zero, the either it will cease functioning and exit, generate a huge error and exit, or be in an exposed position for you to terminate it.

I think this mehtod will shut down your application rather than the target application by causing an illegal operation error. I don't think you an write to another process's memory.

[snakeeyes1000]

yes you can. Open the process with the WriteProcessMemory flag and use the WriteProcessMemory API. At least I think... been a while since I used it.

[Oafo]

I think that would require you having to go through each and every memory address and set it to zero, which could take a while depending on what program it is. Afterall, it IS VB ya know

[Megatron]

Did my code with TerminateProcess work?

[snakeeyes1000]

Oafo:not at all,please look at and test WriteProcessMemory with OpenProcess before you say it won't work. but there should be an easier way to do it.

[Oafo]

Megatron: I still haven't tested it but I'll let ya know.

snakeeyes: I didn't say it wouldn't work, I just said it would be slow.

[Megatron]

I just the following in MSDN

Terminating a process does not necessarily remove the process object from the system. A process object is deleted when the last handle to the process is closed.

So basically, if your process has any child processes, you might have to do a little extra work to get rid of it.