It is sometimes useful within a VB.NET program to list currently running processes in a Windows environment. This code will allow you to list running processes along with any relevant window titles.

It uses a form named "Form1" with a button named "Button1" and a list box named "ListBox1". On clicking Button1 it retrieves the list of processes into an array and then adds each item in that array to a List box.

It should be easy to modify this code to search the array for a known process name and use it to confirm if a process is running.

Public Class Form1



  Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object,

                            ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click



    ' Define array to hold list of processes

    Dim ProcessRunning() As Process



    ' Define variable to hold single process

    Dim MyProcess As Process



    ' Get list of running processes into array

    ProcessRunning = Process.GetProcesses



    ' Loop through array

    For index = 0 To ProcessRunning.Length - 1



      ' Get process from array

      MyProcess = ProcessRunning(index)



      ' Add process name to list box

      ListBox1.Items.Add(MyProcess.ProcessName)



    Next



  End Sub



End Class

Another useful attribute of the MyProcess object is MainWindowTitle. MainWindowTitle will give you the title of the window associated with the process (e.g. "Inbox - Microsoft Outlook". If a process has no open window then the MainWindowTitle attribute is empty.

Changing the FOR loop to this :

' Loop through array

For index = 0 To ProcessRunning.Length - 1



  ' Get process from array

  MyProcess = ProcessRunning(index)



  ' Check if the process has a window

  If MyProcess.MainWindowTitle <> "" Then

    ' Add process name to list box with Window title

    ListBox1.Items.Add(MyProcess.ProcessName & " (" & MyProcess.MainWindowTitle & ")")

  Else

    ' Add process name to list box

    ListBox1.Items.Add(MyProcess.ProcessName)

  End If



Next

will display the window title in brackets next to the process name if a window is associated with the process.