You're welcome.

>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