Automating a dialog box via VB sendKeys and SetTimer

I am building a command line VB application that automates the dialog boxes
displayed by the Secure Pack plug-in.

I used setTimer to create a function to be called after a short delay, where
I issue SendKeys. However, the timer does not go off. It looks like the
PowerPoint thread is in the middle of the plug-in, and the timer is blocked.
Once I manually work my way through SecurePack dialogs, my code resumes.

My code is patterned after code posted by Shyam Pillai to open password
protected PowerPoint presentations
(http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...Wi9DHA.3200%40
TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl)

Researching, I have turned up an alternate technique, using an activeX
control, documented at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=259971 . It would
need some adaptation to run in my command-line environment. Has anyone used
this approach, and can comment on how it differs from setTimer?

--
Regards,

Bob Stark [ProTech]