***---How To Terminate Programs Running---***

[mykg4orce]

hello, how can i write a vb program to terminate a application running in the computer's background. I suppose this is like hacking because, I have a computer running a security program in the taskbar and it is taking up ram so can I terminate it from a vb form.

[Ravyn]

It's pretty simple. Take a look:

First you need to declare this in the general declrations section of your program:

Private Declare Function M_GetActiveWindow Lib "user32" _
Alias "GetActiveWindow" () As Long

Private Declare Function M_GetClassName Lib "user32" _
Alias "GetClassNameA" (ByVal lHwnd As Long, ByVal lpClassName _
As String, ByVal lMax As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function GetWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wCmd As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetParent Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetWindowTextLength Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowTextLengthA" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetWindowText Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowTextA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpString As String, ByVal cch As Long) As Long

Const GW_HWNDFIRST = 0
Const GW_HWNDNEXT = 2

Next, use this code to actually shut down a program (I chose Notepad for the example). The name is the name you'd find in the titlebar, or in the CTRL+ALT+DEL list:

Dim winHwnd As Long
Dim RetVal As Long
If TasksRunning(0) = "" Then Exit Sub
winHwnd = FindWindow(vbNullString, "Notepad")
RetVal = PostMessage(winHwnd, WM_CLOSE, 0&, 0&)

It merely posts the close command to the window that you selected. Enjoy =)

===================
- Jason Egan
Entry-level programmer, VB Lover

If you know the exe:

Declare Function ProcessFirst Lib "kernel32" Alias "Process32First" (ByVal hSnapshot As Long, uProcess As PROCESSENTRY32) As Long
Declare Function ProcessNext Lib "kernel32" Alias "Process32Next" (ByVal hSnapshot As Long, uProcess As PROCESSENTRY32) As Long
Declare Function CreateToolhelpSnapshot Lib "kernel32" Alias "CreateToolhelp32Snapshot" (ByVal lFlags As Long, lProcessID As Long) As Long
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:\Security\Security.exe")

[Thom]

OK Mr smartguy <g>! I pasted your code in my project & I get "Sub or Function not defined" here at the PostMessage point! I'm guessing because there's no PostMessage Sub?? btw I had to change "FindWindow" to "GetWindow" to get this far...
RetVal = PostMessage(winHwnd, WM_CLOSE, 0&, 0&))

So what SHOULD it be? I can't figure out what else PostMessage could be in your code. Please help! I feel like I'm ALMOST there!

btw the code I'm using to LAUNCH the media player is as follows:

Dim ItemFile As String
ItemFile = "First.MPG"
Call ShellExecute(hwnd, "Open", ItemFile, "", App.Path & "\Items\", 1)

thomas

[Ravyn]

Did you put the first chunk of code in the main form's general declarations section?

Double click the form and put the code at the very top.