one option is to use the API have the parser SendMessage to the second program and have the second program use PeekMessage to read it) there are other ways including for example making the other program terminate as well when the counter is 0 etc. but why not instantiate the parser program from within the first one (either as an in-process or out-of-process server?) then you can communicate between the programs better Arnon > >I have two programs: a Front-End application and a Parser program both >written in VFP5a. > >Whenever the front-end app is launched, it increments a counter in a table >and if a logical field is set to .F., it RUNs an external VFP excutable >which happens to be the parser. The parser has a timer which fires every >10 seconds during which it checks the above mentioned table to see if the >counter is set to 0. Each time a Front-End app is closed, the counter is >decremented until it reaches 0. If the value in the counter field is 0, >the Timer Event in the parser, fires a Thisform.Release. The Unload Method >in the Parser form has a CLEAR EVENTS to release the application. > >Unfortunately, the Parser application only releases itself after 10 secs if >it is launched manually from Windows Explorer. If you launch a Front-End >session, which launches the Parser in a separate Windows session, and then >close the Front-End app resetting the counter to 0, the Parser app does not >release itself. > >Is there another way to release an external Windows application from within >VFP ? > >Thanks in advance. > >