Disabling parts of any application's interface

[FatDaz]

Is there any way of controlling the interface of any application currently running? In particular, is there any way of disabling the menus or toolbars? Assuming we have the window id or process id of the application we want to work with.

Here's the scenario. I'm writing bespoke applications working with CAD/CAM softare, and the main VB app controls two or three different applications via OLE. Each application is displayed on the VB Form itself. The applications I'm controlling do not expose any methods to allow the interface to be controlled so I'm wanting to override it some how.

Firstly, I want my VB app to control when the user exits each individual application, so need to disable not only the application close icon, but also the FILE, EXIT menus too.

Secondly, I want to limit the functionality available to the user in the main applications so that they use only the functionality made available through my VB App can be used.

I'm hoping there's some way via the API, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[mrcc]

try disabling the window

[FatDaz]

I don't want to disable the window altogether.

The user still needs to use the main applications embedded on the VB form, but I want to prevent them closing down each individual application, and prevent them accessing the menus/toolbars. Access to functionality within the main application will be provided in my VB app.

[manavo11]

Maybe if you put the controls in some frames?

[FatDaz]

The controls and menus I'm trying to disable/hide are not in my VB app, they're in the 3rd party application.

[manavo11]

Sorry, I misread your first post