thanks tore - absolutely right on this guess.
k

>It's always impossible to guess what name someone else uses for a variable. My guess is to replace oMailItem with loItem.
>
>>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