VB-APP: Check for running processes

[Evolution445]

Hi,

I'm trying to make my program give a MsgBox as soon as there's a certain process on such as 'notepad.exe'. I tried something in the lines of:

        Dim process = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessesByName("notepad")
 
        If process = True Then
            timer_checkforprocess.Enabled = False
            MsgBox("blahblah", MsgBoxStyle.OkOnly)
        End If
 

I've also been searching around on the web and this site. I either dont use the right keywords or the answer isn't there.

How could I get this to work ?

Also, currently it's within a timer with an interval of 100. Does this increase CPU usage/memory usage ? If yes, is there a way to make it use as less cpu as possible ?

Thanks in advance,
Evolution445

[joedeene]

Hi,

I'm trying to make my program give a MsgBox as soon as there's a certain process on such as 'notepad.exe'. I tried something in the lines of:

        Dim process = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessesByName("notepad")
 
        If process = True Then
            timer_checkforprocess.Enabled = False
            MsgBox("blahblah", MsgBoxStyle.OkOnly)
        End If
 

I've also been searching around on the web and this site. I either dont use the right keywords or the answer isn't there.

How could I get this to work ?

Also, currently it's within a timer with an interval of 100. Does this increase CPU usage/memory usage ? If yes, is there a way to make it use as less cpu as possible ?

Thanks in advance,
Evolution445

i would set the timer at a less tick rate, such as 500 or 1000 or even less, depending on what your doing, and you could just use a simple for each statement such as...

 Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        For Each myprocess In Process.GetProcesses
            If myprocess.MainWindowTitle.Contains("Visual Basic") Then 'I only used this because i didnt have notepad running, notice the MainWindowTitle, there are other options such as just the ProcessName...
                MsgBox("Found It")
 
            End If
            ListBox1.Items.Add(myprocess.ProcessName) 'Just adds all of the processes after done with the if statement, whether the if returns true or false...
        Next
    End Sub

this worked fine for me...

joedeene

[Plater]

I would think that your IF statement would always return false, since "process" would either be null(nothing) or an instance of the process object, and never a boolean.

And while I'm at it, if you're in VB.NET and not VB, you should be using the .NET constructs MessageBox.Show() and not MsgBox

[Evolution445]

And while I'm at it, if you're in VB.NET and not VB, you should be using the .NET constructs MessageBox.Show() and not MsgBox

I got both programs, VB2005 and VB.NET, I often confuse both and then my code gets mixed up. I meant VB.NET here.

Thanks joedeene, I now managed to work that out a little further by myself and its working :)

Thanks for the help.

[Curtis Rutland]

You missed Plater's point. VB.NET and VB are different languages. Visual Studio.NET uses VB.NET 2003, Visual Studio 2005 uses VB.NET 2005.

MsgBox is a construct from classic VB 6 and older. You should use the .NET constructs whenever and wherever you can.

[joedeene]

i apologize for the faulty code sample, i guess im already starting to pick up lazy habits of VB.net =(, but i was just showing a simple way to find the process name..

joedeene

[Evolution445]

Sorry to ask another thing related to this..

It now collects all processes inside a listbox, how would I make another messagebox display as soon as the same process appears in there twice or more ?

I thought something like this, but it just results in an error:

        If list_processes.Items.Count.CompareTo(process) = 2 Then
        MessageBox.Show("You cannot have 2 instances of " & psname & " running at the same time!", "Error!", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error, MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1, MessageBoxOptions.DefaultDesktopOnly, False)
        Me.Close()
        End If
 

[joedeene]

well some processes run two instances if they have different ones open ? like what if they are running two internet explorer browsers ? (process name "iexplore.exe")

joedeene

[Evolution445]

Yes, if my listbox contains 2 processes that have exactly the same name, I want to close my program, I know how to close it with "Me.Close()", but how to figure out if there's 2 of the same name.. That's where I'm a little stuck right now.

[joedeene]

well give a little more code sample fully of what you've got so far... i have to see how you are using your variables so i can know how to be of best help, i dont quite understand your code.

joedeene

[Evolution445]

I'm even having trouble understanding my own code. I've been busy for a few hours now on this little bit. I keep changing it, but it never seems to work, or .NET does different things than I want.

My first code is a few posts above here, this is my 2nd attempt:

        If list_processes.Items.Item(psname) = list_processes.Items.Count = 2 Then
        MessageBox.Show("You cannot have 2 instances of " & psname & " running at the same time!", "Error!", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error, MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1, MessageBoxOptions.DefaultDesktopOnly, False)        Me.Close()
        End If
 

And just at the moment I'm thinking of something like this:

        Dim i, pscount As Integer
        For i = 0 To list_processes.Items.Count - 1
            pscount = list_processes.Items.Item(i).ToString.Contains(psname)
        Next
        If i = 2 Then
            MessageBox.Show("You cannot have 2 instances of " & psname & " running at the same time!", "Error!", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error, MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1, MessageBoxOptions.DefaultDesktopOnly, False)
            Me.Close()
        End If
 

The program I'm making is for a few games, and as soon as one of them has 2 windows open at the same time, I want my program to close. I thought the best way to find out if there's 2 instances running for that same game by checking the processlist, instead of using API FindWindow().


Evolution445

[joedeene]

I'm even having trouble understanding my own code. I've been busy for a few hours now on this little bit. I keep changing it, but it never seems to work, or .NET does different things than I want.

My first code is a few posts above here, this is my 2nd attempt:

        If list_processes.Items.Item(psname) = list_processes.Items.Count = 2 Then
        MessageBox.Show("You cannot have 2 instances of " & psname & " running at the same time!", "Error!", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error, MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1, MessageBoxOptions.DefaultDesktopOnly, False)        Me.Close()
        End If
 

And just at the moment I'm thinking of something like this:

        Dim i, pscount As Integer
        For i = 0 To list_processes.Items.Count - 1
            pscount = list_processes.Items.Item(i).ToString.Contains(psname)
        Next
        If i = 2 Then
            MessageBox.Show("You cannot have 2 instances of " & psname & " running at the same time!", "Error!", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error, MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1, MessageBoxOptions.DefaultDesktopOnly, False)
            Me.Close()
        End If
 

The program I'm making is for a few games, and as soon as one of them has 2 windows open at the same time, I want my program to close. I thought the best way to find out if there's 2 instances running for that same game by checking the processlist, instead of using API FindWindow().


Evolution445

something as simple as this worked for me, but you'd have to ignore certain processes running two or more instances, such as system services/processes.


code.

  For Each proc In Process.GetProcesses
            If ListBox1.Items.Contains(proc.ProcessName) Then
                MessageBox.Show("Process '" & proc.ProcessName & "' Running To Or More Instances")
            End If
            ListBox1.Items.Add(proc.ProcessName)
 
        Next

this code checks to see if the process name already exists before adding it to the listbox, now after messagebox.show(), place a me.close if necessary for you, but is this what you were looking for ?

[Evolution445]

It's rather like, if it appears in the listbox 2 times, a duplicate item. Then I want to close my program and give a messagebox. But I don't know if that's actually possible ?
I'm just stuck at the bit where to check if the same item appears twice or more times in the listbox.

[joedeene]

It's rather like, if it appears in the listbox 2 times, a duplicate item. Then I want to close my program and give a messagebox. But I don't know if that's actually possible ?
I'm just stuck at the bit where to check if the same item appears twice or more times in the listbox.

yes if the *ProcessName* appears in the listbox already, before adding the *ProcessName* it will check to see if the listbox contains the process name, you can also do many other options from the proc, like when you open notepad twice, you will notice 'notepad.exe' is listed there twice ? it will check for the Processes Name, not the main window title, such as 'Untitled - Notepad'.... ?

joedeene

[Evolution445]

I tried your code, but now the message pops up everytime as there is a duplicate going in the listbox, but it should only be giving the warning for a few certain processes. I now have something like this:

        For Each ps In Process.GetProcesses()
            Dim processname As String
            If list_processes.Items.Contains(ps.ProcessName.Contains(processname)) Then
                timer_checkforprocess.Enabled = False
                MessageBox.Show("Error!")
                Me.Close()
            End If
            list_processes.Items.Add(ps.ProcessName)
 
        Next
 

But this doesnt result in anything

[joedeene]

I tried your code, but now the message pops up everytime as there is a duplicate going in the listbox, but it should only be giving the warning for a few certain processes. I now have something like this:

        For Each ps In Process.GetProcesses()
            Dim processname As String
            If list_processes.Items.Contains(ps.ProcessName.Contains(processname)) Then
                timer_checkforprocess.Enabled = False
                MessageBox.Show("Error!")
                Me.Close()
            End If
            list_processes.Items.Add(ps.ProcessName)
 
        Next
 

But this doesnt result in anything

well ya ? when you said

Dim processname As String

you never set a value for the processname variable to search for, so its returning null, unless you left that part out of your code you posted?