hi sergey - error - not found omailitem - i've obviously not applied it comrrectly. Please bear with me.
here is the whole code i am using (borrowing). can you let me know how to adapt your suggestion and apply it to my situtation and i will give it another go.
thanks for your patience. K

PROCEDURE Send1ViaOutlook(tcReturn, tcTo, tcSubject, tcBody, taFiles, tcCC, tcBCC, tlHTMLFormat, tnImportance, tlOpenEmail)
 *******************************************
 LOCAL loOutlook, loItem, lnCountAttachments, loMapi
 TRY
  loOutlook = CREATEOBJECT("outlook.application")
  loMapi = loOutLook.GetNameSpace("MAPI")
  loMapi.Logon()
  loItem = loOutlook.CreateItem(0)
  WITH loItem
   .Subject = tcSubject
   .TO = tcTo
   IF tlHTMLFormat
    .HTMLBody = tcBody
   ELSE
    .Body = tcBody
   ENDIF
   IF TYPE("tcCC") = "C"
    .CC = tcCC
   ENDIF
   IF TYPE("tcBCC") = "C"
    .BCC = tcBCC
   ENDIF
   *IF TYPE("tnImportance") != "N"
    tnImportance = 0 && normal importance
   *ENDIF
   .Importance = tnImportance
   
  *OlWindowState
*  olMaximized = 0
*  olMinimized = 1
*  olNormalWindow = 2

   IF tlOpenEmail
     .display()
     olNormalWindow = 0

     loInspector = .GetInspector()
     loInspector.WindowState = olNormalWindow
oWSH = CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )  &&&& Sergey's suggestion to bring window to forefront
oWSH.AppActivate( oMailItem.Application.ActiveInspector.Caption )
     
   *olMinimized = 1
   * loInspector = .GetInspector()
   * loInspector.WindowState = olMinimized
   ELSE

    .SEND()
   ENDIF
  ENDWITH

>Try
>

>oWSH = CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )
>oWSH.AppActivate( oMailItem.Application.ActiveInspector.Caption )
>

>
>>i am running outlook automation - when the email has been prepared and ready to send, i would like the email to appear as the front window - but VFP pops up in front of the email - as a temporary solution i minimize the VFP screen thus:
>>

>>_SCREEN.WINDOWSTATE=1
>>

>>
>>in my outlook automation i am using the following code.
>>

>>IF tlOpenEmail
>>     .display() 
>>     olNormalWindow = 0
>>
>>     loInspector = .GetInspector()
>>     loInspector.WindowState = olNormalWindow
>>endif
>>

>>
>>what is the line of code i would add to bring the email to the front window?
>>
>>thanks for any suggestions.
>>k