Replace IsTask() with GetExitCodeProcess()

 Last reviewed: November 2, 1995
Article ID: Q108228
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) included with: 

        - Microsoft Windows NT versions 3.1, 3.5, and 3.51
    - Microsoft Windows 95 version 4.0

In Windows 3.1, the application programming interface (API) IsTask() can be used to determine whether a process is still running or whether it has terminated. As the help file indicates, this function is obsolete in the Win32 API.

To get this functionality through the Win32 API, use the API GetExitCodeProcess(). This function takes the handle as the first parameter and returns the exit code or STILL_ACTIVE in the second parameter: 

   BOOL GetExitCodeProcess(hProcess, lpdwExitCode)

   HANDLE hProcess;
   LPDWORD lpdwExitCode;
As an alternative, you can also use WaitForSingleObject(). Pass the process handle as the first parameter and a timeout value for the second parameter: 

   DWORD WaitForSingleObject(hObject, dwTimeout)

   HANDLE hObject;
   DWORD dwTimeout;
The process handle is signaled when the process terminates. Pass in 0 (zero) for the timeout if you would like to poll or start another thread to wait with an INFINITE timeout value.

Additional reference words: 3.10 3.50 4.00 95
KBCategory: kbprg
KBSubcategory: BseProcThrd

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Last reviewed: November 2, 1995
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