Minimize All the Applications Running

[Atran]

Hello:
How I can minimize all the applications using C#.

Thanks for anyhelp.

[Plater]

Well I am not sure what specific message you send (you can look it up)
I would say something like this maybe?
(Not you will have to replace AMessageID, TheWParam, and TheLParam)

foreach (Process p in Process.GetProcesses())
            {
                if (p.MainWindowHandle != null)
                {
                    Message.Create(p.MainWindowHandle, AMessageID, TheWParam, TheLParam);
                }
            }

[Motoma]

Hello:
How I can minimize all the applications using C#.

Thanks for anyhelp.

This is how I do it:

You use DllImport on user32.dll and get EnumWindows, GetWindowText, GetWindowLong, and SetWindowLong.

You can use EnumWindows and EnumChildWindow s to iterate through your open windows getting their handles. Then you check visibility with GetWindowLong on WS_MINIMIZE and check the title of the window (optional) with GetWindowText. Then you set the minimized flag on the window with SetWindowLong.

[Motoma]

Although, Platter's method is a much nicer way to grab window handles.

[Motoma]

Played around a little bit, and whipped up a nice bit of code that works (somewhat).

[code=c]
#region Using Statements
using System;
using System.Diagnost ics;
using System.Runtime. InteropServices ;
using System.Windows. Forms;
#endregion

namespace WindowHide
{
public static class UnManagedMethod s
{
[DllImport("user 32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
public static extern bool ShowWindow(IntP tr hWnd, int cmdshow);
}

public class Hide
{
public Hide()
{
foreach (Process p in Process.GetProc esses())
{
UnManagedMethod s.ShowWindow(p. MainWindowHandl e, 6);
}
}
}
}
[/code]

[Atran]

Thanks to you all...........

[TRScheel]

[code=c]
...
UnManagedMethod s.ShowWindow(p. MainWindowHandl e, 6);
...
[/code]

Why 6?

What does 0 - 5 do? And when does it end?

[Motoma]

Why 6?

What does 0 - 5 do? And when does it end?

Oh, I went spelunking through windows.h to grep up the value associated with SW_MINIIMIZE. The answer value is 6.

[TRScheel]

Oh, I went spelunking through windows.h to grep up the value associated with SW_MINIIMIZE. The answer value is 6.

And for awhile there, I thought it was 42, =P. Nice find, I will have to 'spelunk' through there myself...

[TRScheel]

I tried this solution, and it gave me an access denied. So then i placed it within a try catch block. It then, actually showed me a hidden form used for one of my programs (XFire). Other than that... nothing happened.

[code=cpp]
namespace SandBoxTest
{
public static class UnManagedMethod s
{
[DllImport("user 32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
public static extern bool ShowWindow(IntP tr hWnd, int cmdshow);

}

class Program
{
[STAThread]
static void Main(string[] args)
{
foreach (Process p in Process.GetProc esses())
{
try
{
UnManagedMethod s.ShowWindow(p. Handle, 6);
}
catch { }
}
}
}
}
[/code]


EDIT:

Just realized I needed to use MainWindowHandl e instead of Handle. Even then, it didnt grab all the forms, and a new form appeared (probably another hidden form, my guess is MSN Messenger).

[Motoma]

And for awhile there, I thought it was 42, =P. Nice find, I will have to 'spelunk' through there myself...

Yeah, even with C# taking over, it is still good to have wome Win32 API knowledge kicking around in the back of your mind.

[TRScheel]

Ya, i am getting some really strange results depending on the the different applications states. Especially messengers, or 'hidden apps' like outlook. For instance, I just threw in the original call I did with just p.Handle after p.MainHandle, and it got everything, but then a few hidden forms were shown. MSN Messenger showed a weird form with 0C6C1D2B-etc-etc-etc... it goes on as its name.

[Motoma]

Ya, i am getting some really strange results depending on the the different applications states. Especially messengers, or 'hidden apps' like outlook. For instance, I just threw in the original call I did with just p.Handle after p.MainHandle, and it got everything, but then a few hidden forms were shown. MSN Messenger showed a weird form with 0C6C1D2B-etc-etc-etc... it goes on as its name.

Yep, not all windows are supposed to be set to the minimized state, particularly ones set to hidden, as well as explorer and the taskbar. The code I gave will certainly need checks to ensure that the window is in the correct state, my first post mentions how one would start to do this.