Apps that starts from a service hang after logout

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From: Wayne L. Phares (REMOVEMEsurooot_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 02/02/05 

Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 09:55:37 -0500

This is a strange one...

We have a program that, among other things, allows a user to schedule other
apps to run via a simple scheduler. This program runs as a Windows service.
It is a java program and is installed as a service via a java service
program. the apps that it launches have GUIs that need to display on the
console (in case of an error dialog the user has to be able to click a
button) as the "Interact with desktop" check box in the service properties
is checked and the service is run by the SYSTEM user. The OS is Windows
2KServer.

Here is what is happening:

The GOOD: If the service starts the app while no one is logged in, it will
run correctly and exit. also it will work if it starts and finishes while
loged in.

The BAD: If the service starts the app while someone is logged in or not (if
not then the GUI shows up at the time of login) and then the user selects
START->LOGOFF (or any other method of logging off), the app continues to run
and finishes all the processing it set out to do, BUT...the app never exits.
If the user logs back in the GUI is visible to the user and even responds to
mouse clicks, but WILL NOT CLOSE.

It makes sense the the APP continues to run becuase it is owned by SYSTEM
and not the user so logging off should not close it.

The app that is causing the problem is written in Visaul Basic 6 and is
calling "unload me", I even tried "end" and it still does not go away.

So, if the VB app that is lauched by the service that interacts with the
desktop and the user logs off while running it never exits.

My strange theory is that the VB app no longer has a handle to the screen to
remove the GUI.....Please help!!

-Wayne

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