check for running app

[L3Tech]

Is there a way to check for a running program on a computer in vba and
if it isn't, start the program.

Ex.
Program to check for is domywork.exe
It is found in
c:\MyStuff\domywork.exe

 

[Bob Phillips]

Here is an example using Word

Dim wdApp As Object

On Error Resum Next
Set wdApp = GetObject("Word.Application")
On Error Goto 0
If wdApp Is Nothintg Then
Set mwdApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
End If
--

HTH

Bob Phillips
... looking out across Poole Harbour to the Purbecks
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)

 

[Bob Phillips]

If not COM, you could try

AppActivate ("myapp")

where myapp is as shown in the Task Manager,

--

HTH

Bob Phillips
... looking out across Poole Harbour to the Purbecks
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)

 

[L3Tech]

I don't know if I am understanding your reply.
While my code runs, I need to check to see if an external program is
running on the computer. If it is not, then I need to start that
program. The program is not a microsoft program.

 

[Bob Phillips]

If it is not COM (let's assume it is not) then test as I showed, and if not
there then Shell it. Here is an example using the Calculator program

On Error Resume Next
AppActivate "Calculator"
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Shell "C:\Windows\system32\calc.exe"
End If

You will know the path and app name for Shell, you can check the app by
starting it and see what is in Task Manager.

--

HTH

Bob Phillips
... looking out across Poole Harbour to the Purbecks
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)

 

[L3Tech]

Thanks
I got it to work.
For my info, what is COM?
I am using excel 97. Is this something new?

 

[Bob Phillips]

COM is another, older, term for Automation, which is probably MS's
preferred terminology these days. It's a technology supported by Visual
Basic and the Microsoft Office applications that enables one application to
work with another application's objects. So an Excel app can
create/read/write a Word document. The most common example you might see
here is Excel sending mail via Outlook using COM/Automation .

It was around with 97, and is still with us in 2003. It is an MS technology,
but there are other vendors that support COM/Automation as well, as it
allows them to use the MS apps and not have to write that function
themselves.

--

HTH

Bob Phillips
... looking out across Poole Harbour to the Purbecks
(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)