Is there a way to count all open windows with VBScript? - vbscript

Question

I'm wondering if it is possible to count the amount of windows open at a given time with vbscript. I already am familiar with the shell.application object and can count Windows Explorer instances, but I would like to count every window, minimized or maximized, no matter what it is.
I have also thought about counting all running tasks, but I would need to somehow distinguish between background and foreground tasks for that to work.
function fnShellWindowsCountVB()
dim objShell
dim objShellWindows
set objShell = CreateObject("shell.application")
set objShellWindows = objshell.Windows
if (not objShellWindows is nothing) then
dim nCount
nCount = objShellWindows.Count
msgBox nCount
end if
set objShellWindows = nothing
set objShell = nothing
end function
fnShellWindowsCountVB()
'only counts explorer.exe windows
Any insight is appreciated.

Answer 1

No you can't with VBScript.
You have to make API calls to do anything with a window.
VB.Net can make API calls and is built into Windows like VBScript.
This is from https://winsourcecode.blogspot.com/2019/05/winlistexe-list-open-windows-and-their.html
It lists all open windows which you will have a few hundred of. Possibly you are only interested in top level windows.
EG Notepad is 5 windows. 1 x top level, 1 x Edit control window, 1 x statusbar window, and two standard windows that all program get automatically to handle entering Chinese text etc.
WinList.exe list the open windows and their child windows' Window Title, Window Class, and the EXE file
Note you must run as admin to access information about elevated windows.
REM WinList.bat
REM This file compiles WinList.vb to WinList.exe
REM WinList.exe list the open windows and their child windows' Window Title, Window Class, and the EXE file that created the window.
REM To use type WinList in a command prompt
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\vbc "%~dp0\WinList.vb" /out:"%~dp0\WinList.exe" /target:exe
Pause
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'WinList.vb
imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Public Module WinList
Public Declare Function GetTopWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr) As IntPtr
Public Declare Function GetWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal wCmd As Integer) As IntPtr
Public Declare UNICODE Function GetWindowModuleFileNameW Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal WinModule As String, StringLength As Integer) As Integer
Public Declare UNICODE Function GetWindowTextW Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal lpString As String, ByVal cch As Integer) As Integer
Public Declare Function GetWindowThreadProcessId Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByRef lpdwProcessId As IntPtr) As IntPtr
Public Declare UNICODE Function GetClassNameW Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal nMaxCount As Integer) As Integer
Public Declare Function IsWindowUnicode Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr) As Boolean
Public Const GW_CHILD = 5
Public Const GW_HWNDNEXT = 2
Public Sub Main ()
Dim WindowChain as Integer
WindowChain = 0
Dim hwnd As IntPtr
hwnd = GetTopWindow(0)
If hwnd <> 0 Then
AddChildWindows(hwnd, 0)
End If
End Sub
Private Sub AddChildWindows(ByVal hwndParent As IntPtr, ByVal Level As Integer)
Dim objWMIService As Object
Dim colItems As Object
Dim TempStr As String
Dim WT As String, CN As String, Length As Integer, hwnd As IntPtr, TID As IntPtr, PID As IntPtr, MN As String, Parenthwnd As IntPtr
Static Order As Integer
Static FirstTime As Integer
Parenthwnd = hwndParent
If Level = 0 Then
hwnd = hwndParent
Else
hwnd = GetWindow(hwndParent, GW_CHILD)
End If
Do While hwnd <> 0
WT = Space(512)
Length = GetWindowTextW(hwnd, WT, 508)
WT = Left$(WT, Length)
If WT = "" Then WT = Chr(171) & "No Window Text" & Chr(187)
CN = Space(512)
Length = GetClassNameW(hwnd, CN, 508)
CN = Left$(CN, Length)
If CN = "" Then CN = "Error=" & Err.LastDllError
MN = ""
TID = GetWindowThreadProcessId(hwnd, PID)
objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\cimv2")
colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * From Win32_Process where ProcessID=" & CStr(PID))
For Each objItem in colItems
MN = objItem.name
Next
Dim Unicode as Boolean
Unicode = IsWindowUnicode(hwnd)
Order = Order + 1
If FirstTime = 0 Then
Console.writeline("Window Text " & "Class Name " & vbTab & "Unicode" & vbtab & "HWnd" & vbTab & "ParentHWnd" & vbTab & "ProcessID" & vbTab & "ThreadID" & vbTab & "Process Name" )
FirstTime = 1
End If
TempStr = vbCrLf & Space(Level * 3) & WT
If 30 - len(TempStr) > -1 then
TempStr = TempStr & space(30 - len(TempStr))
End If
TempStr = TempStr & " " & CN
If 55 - len(TempStr) > -1 then
TempStr = TempStr & space(55 - len(TempStr))
End If
Console.write(TempStr & vbtab & Unicode & vbTab & CStr(hwnd) & vbTab & CStr(Parenthwnd) & vbTab & CStr(PID) & vbTab & CStr(TID) & vbTab & MN )
AddChildWindows(hwnd, Level + 1)
hwnd = GetWindow(hwnd, GW_HWNDNEXT)
Loop
End Sub
End Module