How to close another application when the main process has been killed?

[Laszlo M]

I have a vb application(1) which is made to launch another software(2) with specified parameters, but i wanna keep my application opened as long as the 2nd one is opened too, and I also want to close the second one automatically if mine has been force closed by the user in windows taskmanager, on the desktop, or in any way.
So I need something which detects if windows is closing the program and kill the second application auto.

I would like to avoid the task manager block, because that isn't necessary for this i guess.

Any idea?

[!NoItAll]

You will need to look at the system.diagnostics

myProcesses = Process.GetProcessesByName("my application name")

You will need this call in a continuous running loop, possibly a secondary thread, in both applications. I would call this the suicide loop. If MyProcess no longer appears then you can end - or also call process.closemainwindow

To keep an application running as long as another specific application is also running

Dim myProcesses() As Process = Nothing
myProcesses = Process.GetProcessesByName("process name I want to make sure is still there")
If isNothing(myProcess) then
     me.close
     'end this application
End if
 
 
 

To kill another application before you close this one (call this on form.unload)

Dim myProcesses() As Process = Nothing
Dim Instance as Process = Nothing
myProcesses = Process.GetProcessesByName("process name I want to kill before I exit")
For each Instance in myProcesses
    process.CloseMainWindow()
Next
 
 

Good luck..

[Laszlo M]

Thank you for your fast feedback, but the second application is external, i can't edit the source of that, although i want to close that when my application shut down by taskmanager, is that possible?

[!NoItAll]

- ok, it's sounding a little like you are writing a virus - or a program that acts like one. Tell us more information about your project please.

[Laszlo M]

it's made for a game server, and i coded an "anti-hack" feature into it, which scan the unwanted applications periodically and close those, it concentrate to specified known hack applications which are in hide against anti virus softwares, so i need it running while the costumers playing, they have option to close my program anytime, but i want to close the game itself too in that case for better security.
yes it acts like a virus, like all anti-virus program in fact.

[!NoItAll]

The info in the first post provides much of the code you need. If you specifically want to handle the case where your application is closed through the task manager you need to handle it in your FormClosing event.

Private Sub MyForm_FormClosing(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs) Handles Me.FormClosing
    If e.CloseReason = CloseReason.TaskManagerClosing Then
        Dim myProcesses() As Process = Nothing
        Dim Instance as Process = Nothing
        myProcesses = Process.GetProcessesByName("process name I want to kill before I exit")
        For each Instance in myProcesses
            process.CloseMainWindow()
        Next
    End if
 
End sub
 
 

Now this is all fine and good, but the other applications may well catch this close and throw it away, popup a message, or something else that foils your efforts...

Good luck.

[Laszlo M]

I can't get it work, I've added and imported the System.Windows.Forms as reference, and I used this sub to avoid the errors in my application (I've used notepad for test):

Private Sub FormClosing(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs) Handles MyBase.FormClosing
        If e.CloseReason = CloseReason.TaskManagerClosing Then
            Dim myProcesses() As Process = Nothing
            Dim Instance As Process = Nothing
            myProcesses = Process.GetProcessesByName("notepad")
            For Each Instance In myProcesses
                Me.CloseMainWindow()
            Next
        End If
End Sub

What's wrong with it? I'm using Windows 7 x64 if that's matter.

[!NoItAll]

Ooops - sorry, I copied the wrong line. Don't use
me.closewindow. Instead use:

Instance.closemainwindow

I'm not near my original code - but I think that is correct...