Open a program with python minimized or hidden

python, windows

Solution

You should use win32api and hide your window e.g. using win32gui.EnumWindows you can enumerate all top windows and hide your window

Here is a small example, you may do something like this:

import subprocess
import win32gui
import time

proc = subprocess.Popen(["notepad.exe"])
# lets wait a bit to app to start
time.sleep(3)

def enumWindowFunc(hwnd, windowList):
    """ win32gui.EnumWindows() callback """
    text = win32gui.GetWindowText(hwnd)
    className = win32gui.GetClassName(hwnd)
    #print hwnd, text, className
    if text.find("Notepad") >= 0:
        windowList.append((hwnd, text, className))

myWindows = []
# enumerate thru all top windows and get windows which are ours
win32gui.EnumWindows(enumWindowFunc, myWindows)

# now hide my windows, we can actually check process info from GetWindowThreadProcessId
# http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms633522(VS.85).aspx
for hwnd, text, className in myWindows:
    win32gui.ShowWindow(hwnd, False)

# as our notepad is now hidden
# you will have to kill notepad in taskmanager to get past next line
proc.wait()
print "finished."

Problem

What I'm trying to do is to write a script which would open an application only in process list. Meaning it would be "hidden". I don't even know if its possible in python. If its not possible, I would settle for even a function that would allow for a program to be opened with python in a minimized state maybe something like this: ``` import subprocess def startProgram(): subprocess.Hide(subprocess.Popen('C:\test.exe')) # I know this is wrong but you get the idea... startProgram() ``` Someone suggested to use win32com.client but the thing is that the program that i want to launch doesn't have a COM server registered under the name. Any ideas?

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