Re: Checking for running process
From: Joe Earnest (joeearnestNO_at_SPAMqwest.netPLEASE)
Date: 03/03/04
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Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 10:30:18 -0700
Hi,
"Joel" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FAFB314B-F8DA-4C10-B366-D927EAA13BEA@microsoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> I've created a simple WSH script for the Win2000 computers in my kid's
classroom that attempts to solve the problem of the kids launching multiple
instances of slow-loading apps. If the app doesn't respond quickly the kids
get impatient and click multiple times and launch the app a bunch of times.
The record so far is 23 instances.
>
> The script I created accepts the app's path and executable name as a
command line argument and then makes use of WMI to enumerate the running
processes on the computer to check to see if the app is already running:
>
> var e = new
Enumerator(GetObject("winmgmts:").InstancesOf("Win32_process"))
> for (;!e.atEnd();e.moveNext())
> {
> var Process = e.item();
>
> if (AppNameNoPath.toUpperCase() ==
Process.Name.toUpperCase())
> {
> //
> // We have a name match which means the application is already
> // running. Activate the already running instance and then quit.
> //
>
> WshShell.AppActivate(
Process.processid );
> WScript.Quit();
>
> If the app isn't already running the script launches it via
WshShell.Run().
>
> This all works great except with some old shareware DOS-based programs
they have. The DOS-based apps run under NTVDM and as a result my name
comparison never sees a match. I've looked at the command line arguments
that the NTVDM process was launched with but there's nothing useful there.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can detect that an instance of a
specific app is running under NTVDM?
>
> I really don't want to have to resort to doing something like
creating/checking for a temp file to specify that a given app has been
launched.
>
> Thanks in advance for any ideas.
If you were running WinXp, you could check the CommandLine property of the
process in WMI. But this is WinXp only.
Otherwise, a *possibility* would be to modify the trick for a script to get
its own PID (since all scripts show up as WSCRIPT.EXE). Run the program
through WshShell.Exec, instead of WshShell.Run, if you can. (I've never
tried this with a DOS program - you may have to run it as a parameter of
cmd.exe.) The Exec method returns a ProcessId property, although it's not
listed in the MS WSH CHM documentation. The PID will need to be listed,
using a temporary text file, a junk registry key or an IePipe (an invisible
IE window opened just to allow scripts to store and pass data back and
forth -- sort of an eloborate memory sink). A script can check the list to
see if the program has an entry for the program with an associated PID. If
so, it can check the PID to see if it's name is "NTVDM" and is active. If
so, it shuts down. If not, then run the program through WshShell.Exec and
add/replace the PID. To remove all chance of reassigned PID conflicts, you
should recreate an empty temp file or cleanse the registry key at shutdown
or bootup. You could also leave the initiating script active while the
program is active, looping (with something like WScript.Sleep 1000 to
preserve resources) to check the WshShell.Exec's Status flag, and have it
cleanse the list at app shutdown. If using this last method, you could
simply create a specifically name temp file for each application, and not
have to deal with a list. (If the file exists, the app is running.) The
initiating script can then just delete the temporary file when the app is
closed.
I'd throw some code at you, but I script entirely in VBS and you seem to use
JS. There shouldn't be anything difficult in the coding, however.
Joe Earnest
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