AutoIt [http://www.hiddensoft.com/AutoIt/] is a simple tool that can simulate key presses, mouse movements and window commands (maximize, minimize, wait for, etc.) in order to automate any windows based task (or even windowed DOS tasks). Download just the DLL at http://www.hiddensoft.com/cgi-bin/countdown.pl?AutoIt/AutoItDLL.zip ---- 'Nother example of why it's handy to have AutoIt around: suppose you've launched a program that puts itself in the background. Rather than use Win32 calls to bring it to the foreground and make it active, you can exec AutoIt focus.aut '+self.filename' -$TheApplication where focus.aut has contents WinShow,%1%, WinActivate,%1%,