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How to list all opening (currently running) applications in Excel?

Author Siluvia Last modified

Actually, you can list all opening applications which only display when pressing the Alt + Tab keys in your computer in Excel with running VBA code. Method in the article can help you.

List all opening (currently running) applications with VBA code

List all opening (currently running) applications with VBA code

Please do as follows to list all opening applications in Excel.

1. In an Excel workbook, please press the Alt + F11 keys simultaneously to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. In the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, press Insert > Module. Then copy and paste VBA code into the Code window. See screenshot:

click Insert > Module

VBA code: List all opening applications in Excel

Private Declare PtrSafe Function apiGetClassName Lib "user32" Alias _
                "GetClassNameA" (ByVal Hwnd As Long, _
                ByVal lpClassname As String, _
                ByVal nMaxCount As Long) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function apiGetDesktopWindow Lib "user32" Alias _
                "GetDesktopWindow" () As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function apiGetWindow Lib "user32" Alias _
                "GetWindow" (ByVal Hwnd As Long, _
                ByVal wCmd As Long) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function apiGetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias _
                "GetWindowLongA" (ByVal Hwnd As Long, ByVal _
                nIndex As Long) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function apiGetWindowText Lib "user32" Alias _
                "GetWindowTextA" (ByVal Hwnd As Long, ByVal _
                lpString As String, ByVal aint As Long) As Long
Private Const mcGWCHILD = 5
Private Const mcGWHWNDNEXT = 2
Private Const mcGWLSTYLE = (-16)
Private Const mcWSVISIBLE = &H10000000
Private Const mconMAXLEN = 255

Sub ListName()
    Dim xRg As Range
    Dim xStr As String
    Dim xStrLen As Long
    Dim xHandle As Long
    Dim xHandleStr As String
    Dim xHandleLen As Long, xHandleStyle As Long
    On Error Resume Next
    Set xRg = Application.InputBox("Please select a range（single cell）：", "KuTools For Excel", ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.Address, , , , , 8)
    If xRg Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
    xRg(1).Activate
    xHandle = apiGetWindow(apiGetDesktopWindow(), mcGWCHILD)
    Do While xHandle <> 0
        xStr = String$(mconMAXLEN - 1, 0)
        xStrLen = apiGetWindowText(xHandle, xStr, mconMAXLEN)
        If xStrLen > 0 Then
            xStr = Left$(xStr, xStrLen)
            xHandleStyle = apiGetWindowLong(xHandle, mcGWLSTYLE)
            If xHandleStyle And mcWSVISIBLE Then
                ActiveCell.Value = xStr
                ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Activate
            End If
        End If
        xHandle = apiGetWindow(xHandle, mcGWHWNDNEXT)
    Loop
End Sub

3. Press the F5 key to run the code. In the popping up Kutools for Excel dialog box, please select a cell which you want to list all running applications in, and then click the OK button. See screenshot:

select a cell to list all running applications in

Now all opening applications are listed in the selected column immediately as below screenshot shown.

all opening applications are listed

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