# Visual Basic

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visual-basic/125589>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 26, 2002, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visual-basic/125589 "2002-08-26T07:31:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BlahMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BlahMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlahMan)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visual-basic/125589/1 "2002-08-26T07:31:24Z")

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Yo,

Sorry for posting something as mundane as this to the SD forum, but Ive searched everywhere for the answer including the M$DN reference disks, the M$DN website, VB websites and even asked a couple professional VB coders.

How do you launch an external application from a VB app using VB code (including passing arguments to the ext app)? Is that possible or is it blocked for security reasons? I know how to do it easily in VC++ so I could always write a VC++ DLL that launches the ext app and then interface with it in VB but I REALLY dont want to do that.

Also because im asking coder questions, how do you make a VB or VC++ app minimise to the systray? Or even get the Icon there in the first place. Ive looked everywhere for that too. I dont need to know all the details, I know how to capture windows messages in VC++ etc, I just need to know how to get it in the tray.  
If the answer to either is to long, please post a link.

TY

-Blah