Determine if application is running with Excel

Question

Goal

Have an Excel file with a "Search" button that opens a custom program. This program is used for researches. If the program is already opened when the user clicks on the button, make it popup and focus on that given program.

Current Situation

Here's the code I'm trying to use to make it work:

Search Button

Private Sub btnSearch_Click()
    Dim x As Variant
    Dim Path As String

    If Not IsAppRunning("Word.Application") Then
        Path = "C:\Tmp\MyProgram.exe"
        x = Shell(Path, vbNormalFocus)
    End If
End Sub

IsAppRunning()

Function IsAppRunning(ByVal sAppName) As Boolean
    Dim oApp As Object
    On Error Resume Next
    Set oApp = GetObject(, sAppName)
    If Not oApp Is Nothing Then
        Set oApp = Nothing
        IsAppRunning = True
    End If
End Function

This code will work only when I put "Word.Application" as the executable. If I try to put "MyProgram.Application" the function will never see the program is running. How can I find that "MyProgram.exe" is currently opened?

Further more, I'd need to put the focus on it...

Answer 1

You can check this more directly by getting a list of open processes.

This will search based on the process name, returning true/false as appropriate.

Sub exampleIsProcessRunning()  
    Debug.Print IsProcessRunning("MyProgram.EXE")
    Debug.Print IsProcessRunning("NOT RUNNING.EXE")
   
End Sub

Function IsProcessRunning(process As String)
    Dim objList As Object
    
    Set objList = GetObject("winmgmts:") _
        .ExecQuery("select * from win32_process where name='" & process & "'")
    
    IsProcessRunning = objList.Count > 0
End Function

Answer 2

Here's how I brought the search window to front:

Private Const SW_RESTORE = 9

Private Declare Function BringWindowToTop Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As Any, ByVal lpWindowName As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function ShowWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nCmdShow As Long) As Long

Private Sub btnSearch_Click()
    Dim x As Variant
    Dim Path As String

    If IsProcessRunning("MyProgram.exe") = False Then
        Path = "C:\Tmp\MyProgram.exe"
        x = Shell(Path, vbNormalFocus)
    Else
        Dim THandle As Long
        THandle = FindWindow(vbEmpty, "Window / Form Text")
        Dim iret As Long
        iret = BringWindowToTop(THandle)
        Call ShowWindow(THandle, SW_RESTORE)
    End If
End Sub

Now if the window was minimized and the user clicks the search button again, the window will simply pop up.