Today I was creating a self extracting .exe file that would install Citrix Metaframe Conferencing Manager's Outlook Toolbar Add-In.  I had intentions that I would e-mail the link to the .EXE  to all my users.  The problem is that they never close Outlook BEFORE running the apps I send.  This particular add-in seemed to really screw up Outlook when it was run with the application open.  I needed to find a way to first ensure that Outlook was closed. 

One quick Google search later and I found a great cheap tool called CLOSEAPP.EXE from Traction Software in the UK  The tool is only $9.95 for a single user and get this.  $49.95 for a site license.  What a great deal this is considering all the times I've wanted to kill processes but didn't know the PIDS.  In my case I just put closeapp.exe "outlook.exe" in my script and walaa.

Once my add-in was done installing I thought it would be nice to re-open Outlook for my users.  I used WAIT.EXE to pause the script for fifteen seconds then called outlook.exe from its program folder.  The combination of these tools made for a clean professional looking script that got my add-in deployed.

Gall Consulting  - Hints and Tips