Detect new app and run it in panel

I am creating application that runs another app inside panel.

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern IntPtr SetParent(IntPtr hWndChild, IntPtr hWndNewParent);

public Form3() {
InitializeComponent();

}

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
Process p = Process.Start(@"pathapp.exe");
Thread.Sleep(200); // Allow the process to open it's window
SetParent(p.MainWindowHandle, panel1.Handle);
}


But the problem is, that app.exe sometimes (I know when) creates new window as a new app. I want to add this new window into new panel.

private Process GetProcess() {
//do some magic stuff and find actually running app
return NewAppProcess;
}

private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
Process p = GetProcess();
SetParent(p.MainWindowHandle, panel2.Handle);
}


Thanks for everything that can push me to right way

Win32_ProcessStartTrace

SetParent

1 Answer
1

Using ManagementEventWatcher, you can watch Win32_ProcessStartTrace to receive an event when a new process starts.

ManagementEventWatcher

Win32_ProcessStartTrace

Example

In this example, I shows how you can watch starting of mspaint.exe and adding it as child of a Panel in your form. To so add a reference to System.Management dll to your project and then use the following code.

mspaint.exe

Panel

System.Management

Note 1: The watcher is not super fast and you probably see the the window opens in desktop and then sits in the panel.

Note 2: It's an example and showing hot to do it with mspaint.exe. If you have any problem applying the solution on your real app.exe, you need to specifically ask about the solution for your app.exe.

mspaint.exe

app.exe

app.exe

Note 3: Make sure you run your as administrator.

using System.Management;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern IntPtr SetParent(IntPtr hWndChild, IntPtr hWndNewParent);

ManagementEventWatcher watcher;
protected override void OnLoad(EventArgs e)
{
base.OnLoad(e);
watcher = new ManagementEventWatcher(
"Select * From Win32_ProcessStartTrace Where ProcessName = 'mspaint.exe'");
watcher.EventArrived += new EventArrivedEventHandler(watcher_EventArrived);
watcher.Start();
}
void watcher_EventArrived(object sender, EventArrivedEventArgs e)
{
var id = (UInt32)e.NewEvent["ProcessID"];
var process = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessById((int)id);
this.Invoke(new MethodInvoker(() => {
SetParent(process.MainWindowHandle, panel1.Handle);
}));
}
protected override void OnFormClosed(FormClosedEventArgs e)
{
watcher.Stop();
watcher.Dispose();
base.OnFormClosed(e);
}
}


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