Open a exe application using Shell and wait until it close in vb6

The ShellAndWait subroutine uses the Shell function to start the other program. It calls the OpenProcess API function to connect to the new process and then uses WaitForSingleObject to wait until the other process terminates. Note that neither the program nor the development environment can take action during this wait.

After WaitForSingleObject returns, the ShellAndWait subroutine calls CloseHandle to close the process handle opened by OpenProcess and then exits at which point the program resumes normal execution.

' Start the indicated program and wait for it
' to finish, hiding while we wait.
Private Sub ShellAndWait(ByVal program_name As String, _
    ByVal window_style As VbAppWinStyle)
Dim process_id As Long
Dim process_handle As Long

    ' Start the program.
    On Error GoTo ShellError
    process_id = Shell(program_name, window_style)
    On Error GoTo 0

    ' Hide.
    Me.Visible = False
    DoEvents

    ' Wait for the program to finish.
    ' Get the process handle.
    process_handle = OpenProcess(SYNCHRONIZE, 0, process_id)
    If process_handle <> 0 Then
        WaitForSingleObject process_handle, INFINITE
        CloseHandle process_handle
    End If

    ' Reappear.
    Me.Visible = True
    Exit Sub

ShellError:
    MsgBox "Error starting task " & _
        txtProgram.Text & vbCrLf & _
        Err.Description, vbOKOnly Or vbExclamation, _
        "Error"
End Sub