OFF97: How to Programmatically Hide and Unhide the Windows Taskbar

ID: Q186119


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Access 97
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.


SUMMARY

By using API calls in Visual Basic for Applications, you can programmatically hide the Microsoft Windows 95 or later, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 taskbar. This article shows you how to create the two functions that you need to hide and unhide the taskbar.


MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Solution Providers, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/mcsp/
For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp
To create the functions and to see how they work, follow these steps:
  1. Press ALT+F11 to start the Visual Basic Editor (or in Microsoft Access, open a database.)


  2. Type the following code in a new module:


  3. 
          Option Compare Database  ' In Microsoft Access only.
          Option Explicit
    
          Dim handleW1 As Long
    
          Private Declare Function FindWindowA Lib "user32" _
          (ByVal lpClassName As String, _
          ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long
    
          Private Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" _
          (ByVal handleW1 As Long, _
          ByVal handleW1InsertWhere As Long, ByVal w As Long, _
          ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal z As Long, _
          ByVal wFlags As Long) As Long
    
          Const TOGGLE_HIDEWINDOW = &H80
          Const TOGGLE_UNHIDEWINDOW = &H40
    
          Function HideTaskbar()
             handleW1 = FindWindowA("Shell_traywnd", "")
             Call SetWindowPos(handleW1, 0, 0, 0, _
             0, 0, TOGGLE_HIDEWINDOW)
          End Function
    
          Function UnhideTaskbar()
             Call SetWindowPos(handleW1, 0, 0, 0, _
             0, 0, TOGGLE_UNHIDEWINDOW)
          End Function 
  4. In Excel or Word, click Immediate Window on the View menu, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
    ?HideTaskBar()
    In Microsoft Access, type the command above in the Debug Window, and then press ENTER.

    Note that the taskbar is no longer visible.


  5. To restore the taskbar in Excel or Word, type the following command in the Immediate Window, and then press ENTER:
    ?UnHideTaskBar()
    In Microsoft Access, type the command above in the Debug Window, and then press ENTER.

    Note that the taskbar is now visible.



REFERENCES

For more information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q163435 VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for Applications

Additional query words: inf vba

Keywords : kbdta AccCon KbVBA
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: November 3, 1999
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