Exit script after "While" loop

[scanie]

The loop will not even start with WinExists(). Instead use WinWaitActive().

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "C:BGInfoBginfo.lnk", @TempDir, @SW_HIDE)
$Title = "BGInfo"
WinWait($Title, "", 60)
WinActivate($Title)
WinWaitActive("title", "", 10)
Send("{ESC}")

Autoit will do all the looping internally.

Hmm ok, I will try your script on Monday when I'm back at work. Thank you!

WinClose() ? Should be the same as hitting ESC or the window X

I will give that a try if John's version don't work! Thanks

[John]

Mechaflash213's advice was good and not mutually exclusive. The script would look like:

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "C:\BGInfo\Bginfo.lnk", @TempDir, @SW_HIDE)
$Title = "BGInfo"
WinWait($Title, "", 60)
WinActivate($Title)
WinWaitActive($Title, "", 10)
WinClose($Title)

[Mechaflash]

He doesn't even need the window activated before telling it to minimize. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you just want it so that when BGinfo starts automatically on logon, you want it minimized to the system tray? (with the way you're spawning BGinfo, minimizing to tray is done by pressing ESC... and should also give you the same result if you press the window X).

Try this out:

$title = "BGInfo"
WinWait($title)
WinClose($title)

Edited June 29, 2012 by mechaflash213

[John]

Quiet true.

[scanie]

The loop will not even start with WinExists(). Instead use WinWaitActive().

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "C:BGInfoBginfo.lnk", @TempDir, @SW_HIDE)
$Title = "BGInfo"
WinWait($Title, "", 60)
WinActivate($Title)
WinWaitActive("title", "", 10)
Send("{ESC}")

Autoit will do all the looping internally.

Thank you! It almost worked! As long as no other windows steal focus from BGInfo it closes as it should, but since a lot of other applications will launch at the same time this won't do it in the long run..

WinClose() ? Should be the same as hitting ESC or the window X

Thanks, nice suggestion. And I thought it worked for a little while, but then I noticed that the icon from the taskbar was gone as well as the window..

Geez this is frustrating

Edited July 3, 2012 by scanie

[John]

It appears as though {ESC} likley just set the window attribute to hidden, rather than closes it. If this is the case you can use:

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "C:\BGInfo\Bginfo.lnk", @TempDir, @SW_HIDE)
$Title = "BGInfo"
WinWait($Title, "", 60)
WinSetState ($Title, "", @SW_HIDE)

Best to check if this is so first though. Run the program normally and hit {ESC} to close it. Then run:

$state=WinGetState($Title)
If BitAnd($state, 2) Then
MsgBox(0,"Visible?","Visible: True")
Else
MsgBox(0,"Visible?","Visible: False")
EndIf

If the state comes back hidden the above code should work. Otherwise it'll require a retry loop to get the {ESC} key approach to work properly in the event focus is stolen.

[scanie]

It appears as though {ESC} likley just set the window attribute to hidden, rather than closes it. If this is the case you can use:

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "C:BGInfoBginfo.lnk", @TempDir, @SW_HIDE)
$Title = "BGInfo"
WinWait($Title, "", 60)
WinSetState ($Title, "", @SW_HIDE)

Best to check if this is so first though. Run the program normally and hit {ESC} to close it. Then run:

$state=WinGetState($Title)
If BitAnd($state, 2) Then
MsgBox(0,"Visible?","Visible: True")
Else
MsgBox(0,"Visible?","Visible: False")
EndIf

If the state comes back hidden the above code should work. Otherwise it'll require a retry loop to get the {ESC} key approach to work properly in the event focus is stolen.

You sir, are awesome! It worked, at least on my test rig. I will try it on some other clients during the day! But it seems to me that you have solved my problem.

Big thanks!

P.S, how would I insert a loop in this script?

Edited July 3, 2012 by scanie

[John]

Note: Will not work if the window is intended to merely be hidden.

If the window is actually supposed to close, instead of just being hidden, this should work to retake focus every second until the ESC actually works:

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "C:BGInfoBginfo.lnk", @TempDir, @SW_HIDE)
$Title = "BGInfo"
WinWait($Title, "", 60)
While WinExists($Title)
WinActivate($Title)
Send("{ESC}")
Sleep(1000)
WEnd

Problem with this is that if the window is only supposed to be hidden, instead of close, the loop will never end. Could create some issues.

Another loop alternative that takes into account either possibility is:

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "C:BGInfoBginfo.lnk", @TempDir, @SW_HIDE)
$Title = "BGInfo"
WinWait($Title, "", 60)
While BitAnd(WinGetState($Title), 2)
WinActivate($Title)
Send("{ESC}")
Sleep(1000)
WEnd

This uses the ESC loop, but only continues the loop if the window state remains visible.

If the test script I provided returns false, after hitting ESC to close the window, then the script you have is the best solution. If you want more complete information this script will give 2 MsgBox's. One that tells you whether the window exist or not and the other telling you whether it's visible or not. (Note: It doesn't run BGInfo first).

$Title = "BGInfo"
$state=WinGetState($Title)
If @error Then MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","BGInfo window not found.")
If BitAnd($state, 1) Then MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","BGInfo window exist.")

If BitAnd($state, 2) Then
MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","Visible: True")
Else
MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","Visible: False")
EndIf

Edit: Said 'true' when it should have been 'false'.

Edited July 3, 2012 by John

[scanie]

The first script you provided closes the window as soon as the BGInfo window loses focus, but the script doesn't close afterwards.

The second script doesn't work at all, strangely enough.

The script that worked the best so far was the one you provided before your last post. But, it's not consistant, because it works fine on my machine even though other windows are open in front of it. But on some other machines that I have tried it on, it doesn't always hide the window..

Haha, this has given me more work than I thought it would I thought this was going to be an easy task, I have done several autoit scripts before that has been more complex..

[Mechaflash]

Does minimizing the screen minimize it to the tray? Or does the window stay?

[scanie]

Does minimizing the screen minimize it to the tray? Or does the window stay?

What do you mean with minimizing the "screen"? The BGInfo window only has one button and it's the X. If that's what you meant?

[Mechaflash]

Try this...

WinSetState($title, "", @SW_MINIMIZE)

[scanie]

Try this...

WinSetState($title, "", @SW_MINIMIZE)

No go

This is what works best at the moment:

Run(@ComSpec & " /c " & "C:BGInfoBginfo.lnk", @TempDir, @SW_HIDE)
$Title = "BGInfo"
WinWait($Title, "", 60)
WinSetState ($Title, "", @SW_HIDE)
Send("{ESC}")

[John]

In order for me to have an idea of why it doesn't work on some other machines I need the information from the test scripts I provided. In fact I'll add more information based on the other questions here.

1) Open BGInfo normally without script.

2) Manually hit ESC to close/hide/minimize BGInfo

3) Run the following script and post every msgbox it pops up.

$Title = "BGInfo"
$state=WinGetState($Title)
If @error Then MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","BGInfo window not found.")
If BitAnd($state, 1) Then MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","BGInfo window exist.")
If BitAnd($state, 16) Then MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","BGInfo is minimized.")
If BitAnd($state, 32) Then MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","BGInfo is maximized.")

If BitAnd($state, 2) Then
MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","Visible: True")
Else
MsgBox(0,"BGInfo","Visible: False")
EndIf

Do the same on the machine the other script doesn't seem to work on, but first I need to know how BGInfo is supposed operate normally from you main machine.

[Decipher]

If I understand correctly then all you need to do is register BGInfo to start with the following CLI switches: /NOLICPROMPT /TIMER:0 /TASKBAR

*** /TIMER:0 *** Is the key here as it removes the need to send the ESC key once the application starts.... It applies the changes immediately and minimizes the applicaiton to the system tray. Also as mentioned above you can start the application hidden without interfering with system tray functionality.

Prepending the path to a saved config file(saved from within the GUI with quotes) to the above for non default configuration.

Edited March 30, 2013 by Decipher