How do I WinActivate program running in system tray?

Ron7

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Last active:
Joined: --

Hi,
I'm brand new to AHK. I am using hotkeys to fire up programs if not running, and bring to the front if they are. Like this:

#o::
IfWinExist Outlook
{
    WinActivate
}
else
{
    Run %A_ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\OFFICE14\OUTLOOK.EXE
    WinWait Outlook
    WinActivate
}
Return

which works great. Now I'd like to do the same to a program (IM type called SPARK) that typically starts up and lives minimized in the system tray (lower right) until you click on it. Then when you close it it goes back to just the tray but is still running.

If it's running in the tray, I'd like to open the window and bring it front. If it's already open in a window (not necessarily maximized, just in an open window) then I just want to bring it to the front, and of it's neither I just want to start it because I can set it so it doesn't start minimized in the tray. I've tried the code above and it doesn't seem to work.
Any help would be appreciated.

- Posted 25 June 2012 - 06:34 PM

nukchebi0

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6 posts

Last active: Jun 23 2012 12:12 AM
Joined: 23 Jun 2012

Try consulting this thread: <a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.autohotkey.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=8999">viewtopic.php?t=8999</a>

- Posted 25 June 2012 - 06:59 PM

Ron7

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3 posts

Last active: Jun 25 2012 07:21 PM
Joined: 25 Jun 2012

Thanks. That seemed at first to be what I needed, but it's not working for me. I'm using this code

#s::
DetectHiddenWindows, Off
Process, Exist, Spark.exe
IfWinNotExist Spark ahk_pid %ErrorLevel%
{
WinShow, Spark ahk_pid %ErrorLevel%
WinActivate, Spark ahk_pid %ErrorLevel%
}
Else
IfWinExist Spark ahk_pid %ErrorLevel%
{
WinMinimize, Spark ahk_pid %ErrorLevel%
WinHide, Spark ahk_pid %ErrorLevel%
}
Return

which of course doesn't fire up the program but I thought I'd try to get the other part working first.

So I have the program running and verified spark.exe is definitely a process. But using this just makes an entry for Spark on the taskbar below but doesn't actually open a window, or open if I click on it. The system tray icon is still responsive and will respond to its right-clicked commands, but the one on the taskbar doesn't and when right-clicked and maximized it locked up the system until I killed the Spark process.

- Posted 25 June 2012 - 08:19 PM

engunneer

Moderators
9162 posts

Last active: Sep 12 2014 10:36 PM
Joined: 30 Aug 2005

store errorlevel in another variable right after the process command, since some of the other commands you are using may write over errorlevel. Use your new variable in all the commands after.

- Posted 26 June 2012 - 12:48 AM

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Ron7

Members
3 posts

Last active: Jun 25 2012 07:21 PM
Joined: 25 Jun 2012

Thanks for the tip. But I got the exact same behavior using this code:

#s::
DetectHiddenWindows, Off
Process, Exist, Spark.exe
SparkVar = %ErrorLevel%
IfWinNotExist Spark ahk_pid %SparkVar%
{
WinShow, Spark ahk_pid %SparkVar%
WinActivate, Spark ahk_pid %SparkVar%
}
Else
IfWinExist Spark ahk_pid %SparkVar%
{
WinMinimize, Spark ahk_pid %SparkVar%
WinHide, Spark ahk_pid %SparkVar%
}
Return

- Posted 26 June 2012 - 11:19 PM

epconfig

Members
30 posts

Last active: Feb 12 2015 12:17 AM
Joined: 10 Oct 2007

You can detect hidden windows (system tray) only if DetectHiddenWindows has been turned on. WinShow is the only exception.

- Posted 27 June 2012 - 01:02 AM

epconfig
Enterpad Keyboard for AutoHotkey

Ron7

Members
3 posts

Last active: Jun 25 2012 07:21 PM
Joined: 25 Jun 2012

Thanks. I actually got this code right from the thread nukchebi0 listed above, which seems like it is exactly what I want to do. But I went ahead and changed the first line to:
DetectHiddenWindows, On
and now what I see is the Spark program flashing on the taskbar below and then immediately disappearing. With this setting it is also a little strange in that after running the script and watching it flash and disappear, then if I go to the system tray icon and right click its Open option, it re-appears minimized on the taskbar. I can then click on the taskbar icon and it will open. But if I don't run the script it will act normally by opening up a window directly from the system tray as it should.

- Posted 28 June 2012 - 01:06 AM

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