- 1 year ago
How to determine an application is already launched or not in windows using C++?
Comment
1 / 1
To determine if an application is already launched or not in Windows using C++, you can use various approaches. Here are a few common methods:
Using a Mutex:
- Create a named mutex using
CreateMutex
with a unique name that represents your application. - Check the return value of
CreateMutex
to determine if the mutex was successfully created or if it already exists. - If the mutex already exists, it means the application is already launched.
Example:
cpp#include <Windows.h>
int main() {
HANDLE hMutex = CreateMutex(NULL, TRUE, "MyUniqueApplicationMutex");
if (hMutex == NULL || GetLastError() == ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS) {
// Application is already launched
return 0;
}
// Continue with the rest of the application
// Release the mutex when the application exits
CloseHandle(hMutex);
return 0;
}
- Create a named mutex using
Using FindWindow or EnumWindows:
- Use
FindWindow
with the window class or title of your application to check if a window with the specified properties exists. - Alternatively, use
EnumWindows
to enumerate through all top-level windows and check if any match your application's properties.
Example using
FindWindow
:cpp#include <Windows.h>
int main() {
HWND hWnd = FindWindow(NULL, "My Application Title");
if (hWnd != NULL) {
// Application is already launched
return 0;
}
// Continue with the rest of the application
return 0;
}
- Use
Using a named pipe or shared memory:
- Create a named pipe or shared memory with a unique name that represents your application.
- Attempt to create or open the named pipe or shared memory, and if successful, it means the application is already launched.
Example using named pipe:
cpp#include <Windows.h>
int main() {
HANDLE hPipe = CreateNamedPipe("\\\\.\\pipe\\MyNamedPipe", PIPE_ACCESS_DUPLEX, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, NULL);
if (hPipe == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
// Application is already launched
return 0;
}
// Continue with the rest of the application
// Close the named pipe when the application exits
CloseHandle(hPipe);
return 0;
}
Choose the approach that best suits your requirements and the nature of your application. Each method has its own advantages and considerations.