>>Ooopss sorry. I didn't looked into the code I have <*g*>
>>You right. This is mine:
>>

>>   Declare Long GetExitCodeProcess in Kernel32 ;
>>      Long hProcess, Long @nExitCode
>>
>>   ll_Error = (GetExitCodeProcess(ln_hProcess, @ln_ExitCode) == 0)
>>   If !ll_Error and (ln_ExitCode != 259)
>>      *** Do something
>>   endif
>>

>>
>>Btw, I have looked into your code. I don't think it will wait if Acrobat is already running. Have you try that ?
>
>Yes, Herman, I realized that Tracy's code wouldn't work if Acrobat were already running, as I mentioned in Re: ShellExecute WaitForSingleObject IsRunning(GeorgeTasker) Thread #887963 Message #888036. The issue I was addressing had to do with a flakyness in WaitForSingleObject, even without the complication of a prior instance of Acrobat. For some unknown reason, WaitForSingleObject left Acrobat process residue, but this was circumvented by substituting an essentially equivalent (I thought) piece of code that uses GetExitCodeProcess.
>
>Mike

I see. The reason is because it was use an INFINITE for the WaitForSingleObject parameter. The behavior is well documented in MSDN. If something happen to the process (i.e.: self terminated, such as Acrobat & MS Outlook), INFINITE can cause a system deadlocked. It is better (recommended) to use a timeout. Then use GetExitCodeProcess to check what is the exit code. If exit code is 0 then it is closed properly. Usually for self terminated process it returns -1.

Here is part of my code:

#Define STILL_ACTIVE    0x103
#Define STATUS_TIMEOUT  0x0102
#Define WAIT_TIMEOUT    STATUS_TIMEOUT
#Define WAIT_OBJECT_0   0
#Define SYNCHRONIZE     0x100000

Declare Long WaitForInputIdle in User32 ;
   Long hProcess, Long dwMilliseconds
Declare Long GetWindowThreadProcessId in User32 ;
   Long nhWnd, Long @lpdwProcessId
Declare Long OpenProcess in Kernel32 ;
   Long dwDesiredAccess, Long bInheritHandle, Long dwProcessId

ln_Return = CreateProcess(...)
ln_hProcess = ...
ln_hThread = ...

WaitForInputIdle( ln_hProcess, WAIT_TIMEOUT )
ln_ExitCode = STILL_ACTIVE
ll_Error = .F.
Do while ((ln_Return != WAIT_OBJECT_0) or (ln_ExitCode == STILL_ACTIVE)) and !ll_Error
   ln_Return = WaitForSingleObject(ln_hProcess, int(WAIT_TIMEOUT/3))
   If (ln_Return == WAIT_OBJECT_0)
      ll_Error = (GetExitCodeProcess(ln_hProcess, @ln_ExitCode) == 0)
      If ll_Error
         ? 'Error: ', GetLastError()
      endif
   endif

   If (ln_Return == WAIT_OBJECT_0) and (ln_ExitCode == -1) and !ll_Error
      ** The process doesn't exit properly (probably killed / self terminated)
      ** Close the handle first
      CloseHandle( ln_hProcess )
      CloseHandle( ln_hThread )
      Store 0 to ln_hProcess, ln_hThread

      ** Search for the document we are trying to open
      lc_PDF = 'Acrobat Reader - [test.pdf]'
      ln_hWnd = FindWindow( Null, lc_PDF )
      If (ln_hWnd != 0)
         ** It is opened by another process
         ** Get the process handle and start the loop again
         ln_ProcessId = 0
         GetWindowThreadProcessId( ln_hWnd, @ln_ProcessId )
         ln_hProcess = OpenProcess( SYNCHRONIZE, 0, ln_ProcessId )
         If (ln_hProcess != 0)
            ln_Return = STATUS_TIMEOUT
         endif
      endif
   endif
enddo

If (ln_hProcess != 0)
   CloseHandle( ln_hProcess )
endif
If (ln_hThread != 0)
   CloseHandle( ln_hThread )
endif

BTW, is it ok to use this thread for this ?