How do I use PostThreadMessage to close internet explore from c++

Hi Im trying to start iexplore.exe let it run for 5 seconds and then close it again.

iexplore opens just fine however it doest close when i call the PostThreadMessage can any one see what im doing wrong here is the code:

CString IEPath = "C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\IEXPLORE.EXE";//GetIEPath();
//IEPath += ' ' + url;
std::string strCommand((LPCTSTR)IEPath);
PROCESS_INFORMATION    procinfo;
STARTUPINFO    startupinfo;    
GetStartupInfo(&startupinfo);

CreateProcess(
        NULL,       
        (char *)strCommand.c_str(),// name of executable module
        NULL,           // lpProcessAttributes
        NULL,           // lpThreadAttributes
        false,          // handle inheritance option
        CREATE_SHARED_WOW_VDM,              // creation flags
        NULL,           // new environment block
        NULL,           // current directory name
        &startupinfo,    // startup information
        &procinfo        // process information
        );


Sleep(5000);
    ::PostThreadMessage(procinfo.dwThreadId, WM_QUIT, 0, 0); //<---Dosent Close internet explorer!

Anyone have an idea of what im doing wrong? Or is there at better what to do the trick?

Thank you

From stackoverflow

• if you can enumerate the windows on the desktop and send a WM_CLOSE to the IE window , it might work .. you can use the spy programme to get the window class of the IE window

  CruelIO : I hoped to avoid the enumration of windows, since i got a handle to the process and the thread.

• What is the return value from the PostThreadMessage call? That might give a clue.

  CruelIO : The return value is 1, so everything should be OK

• For me, this works perfect:

  TerminateProcess(procinfo.hProcess, 0);
  

  CruelIO : It works for me to, however i dont know how nice this method is, does it clean up?

  MSalters : No cleanup, bad idea. This will quite likely leak temporary files. That's worse than a memory leak; a persistent loss of HD capacity.

  John Dibling : This kind of behavior is exactly why many Windows programs suck.

  1800 INFORMATION : Good point John Dibling, fortunately nobody in the Unix environment ever feels the need to do a "kill -9" huh. Oh right, they do all the time.

• I don't have an answer specifically why PostThreadMessage didn't work. But, perhaps if you elaborate on why you want to do this, there is a better solution?

  For example, if you just want to show a web page for 5 seconds, you can create and show your own window with an embedded Internet Explorer ActiveX control. You'll be also able to add a sink to detect when the web page is loaded in the ActiveX control, so that you start your 5-second counter only after the web page is loaded and displayed.

  CruelIO : Here is what i would use it for. When the user push a button in my program ie.exe opens on a specific webpage. When the user logs off my system it should close ie,exe too. Also the second time a user pushes the button, the old ie.ee should close and a new one opens.

• Try sending WM_CLOSE to the main (top-evel) window. That's equivalent to the normal Alt-F4 exit.

  CruelIO : should i then enumerate the windows, or is there an easier way?

• I ended up doing an enumeration of the windows (As serval of you mentioned i should do) I was inspired of http://simplesamples.info/Windows/EnumWindows.php.

  John Dibling : The reason why it works is because it uses SendMessage() rather than XXXThreadMessage().

• Don't use PostThreadMessage(), which sends a message to a specific thread in the target process instead of the process' Windows Message Pump. Use PostMessage() or SendMessage() instead, which place the message in the target process's Windows Message Pump -- which is exactly what you want.

• No, never use SendMessage() (basic win32 rule) Don't use EnmWindows() (horrible)