Excel Useform: How to hide application but have icon in the taskbar

Question

What I want to have is Application.Visible = False, so that my users cannot see the excel/worksheets, only the userform.

I have got this to work by using this code:

Answer 1

Try placing this code in the userforms code module:

Option Explicit

'API functions
Private Declare Function GetWindowLong Lib "user32" _
                                       Alias "GetWindowLongA" _
                                      (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
                                        ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" _
                                       Alias "SetWindowLongA" _
                                       (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
                                        ByVal nIndex As Long, _
                                        ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" _
                                      (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
                                       ByVal hWndInsertAfter As Long, _
                                       ByVal X As Long, _
                                       ByVal Y As Long, _
                                       ByVal cx As Long, _
                                       ByVal cy As Long, _
                                       ByVal wFlags As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" _
                                    Alias "FindWindowA" _
                                    (ByVal lpClassName As String, _
                                     ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long
Private Declare Function GetActiveWindow Lib "user32.dll" _
                                         () As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" _
                                     Alias "SendMessageA" _
                                     (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
                                      ByVal wMsg As Long, _
                                      ByVal wParam As Long, _
                                      lParam As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function DrawMenuBar Lib "user32" _
                                     (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long



'Constants
Private Const SWP_NOMOVE = &H2
Private Const SWP_NOSIZE = &H1
Private Const GWL_EXSTYLE = (-20)
Private Const HWND_TOP = 0
Private Const SWP_NOACTIVATE = &H10
Private Const SWP_HIDEWINDOW = &H80
Private Const SWP_SHOWWINDOW = &H40
Private Const WS_EX_APPWINDOW = &H40000
Private Const GWL_STYLE = (-16)
Private Const WS_MINIMIZEBOX = &H20000
Private Const SWP_FRAMECHANGED = &H20
Private Const WM_SETICON = &H80
Private Const ICON_SMALL = 0&
Private Const ICON_BIG = 1&

Private Sub AppTasklist(myForm)

'Add this userform into the Task bar
    Dim WStyle As Long
    Dim Result As Long
    Dim hwnd As Long
    hwnd = FindWindow(vbNullString, myForm.Caption)
    WStyle = GetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE)
    WStyle = WStyle Or WS_EX_APPWINDOW
    Result = SetWindowPos(hwnd, HWND_TOP, 0, 0, 0, 0, _
                          SWP_NOMOVE Or _
                          SWP_NOSIZE Or _
                          SWP_NOACTIVATE Or _
                          SWP_HIDEWINDOW)
    Result = SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, WStyle)
    Result = SetWindowPos(hwnd, HWND_TOP, 0, 0, 0, 0, _
                          SWP_NOMOVE Or _
                          SWP_NOSIZE Or _
                          SWP_NOACTIVATE Or _
                          SWP_SHOWWINDOW)

End Sub

Private Sub UserForm_Activate()

Application.Visible = False
Application.VBE.MainWindow.Visible = False
AppTaskList Me

End Sub

Private Sub UserForm_Terminate()

Application.Visible = True

End Sub 

Disclaimer: This is not my code, and was found on a forum which I don't have the link for any longer.

Answer 2

So, as you may noticed this won't work on the 64 bit version of excel.

I made it compatible by adding conditionals to the code i took from here.

In case you're wondering how you can make API functions compatible with 64 bits versions of Excel here it's an excellent article that will get you through.

Option Explicit

'API functions
#If VBA7 Then

    #If Win64 Then
        Private Declare PtrSafe Function GetWindowLongPtr Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowLongPtrA" _
            (ByVal hWnd As LongPtr, _
             ByVal nIndex As Long _
            ) As LongPtr
    #Else
        Private Declare PtrSafe Function GetWindowLongPtr Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowLongA" _
            (ByVal hWnd As LongPtr, _
             ByVal nIndex As Long _
            ) As LongPtr
    #End If

    #If Win64 Then
        Private Declare PtrSafe Function SetWindowLongPtr Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongPtrA" _
            (ByVal hWnd As LongPtr, _
             ByVal nIndex As Long, _
             ByVal dwNewLong As LongPtr _
            ) As LongPtr
    #Else
        Private Declare PtrSafe Function SetWindowLongPtr Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" _
            (ByVal hWnd As LongPtr, _
             ByVal nIndex As Long, _
             ByVal dwNewLong As LongPtr _
            ) As LongPtr
    #End If

    Private Declare PtrSafe Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" _
        (ByVal hWnd As LongPtr, _
         ByVal hWndInsertAfter As LongPtr, _
         ByVal X As Long, ByVal Y As Long, _
         ByVal cx As Long, ByVal cy As Long, _
         ByVal wFlags As Long _
        ) As LongPtr
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" _
        (ByVal lpClassName As String, _
         ByVal lpWindowName As String _
        ) As LongPtr
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function GetActiveWindow Lib "user32.dll" () As Long
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" _
        (ByVal hWnd As LongPtr, _
         ByVal wMsg As Long, _
         ByVal wParam As Long, _
         lParam As Any _
        ) As LongPtr
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function DrawMenuBar Lib "user32" _
        (ByVal hWnd As LongPtr) As LongPtr

#Else

    Private Declare Function GetWindowLongPtr Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowLongA" _
        (ByVal hWnd As Long, _
         ByVal nIndex As Long _
        ) As Long
    Private Declare Function SetWindowLongPtr Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" _
        (ByVal hWnd As Long, _
         ByVal nIndex As Long, _
         ByVal dwNewLong As Long _
        ) As Long
    Private Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" _
        (ByVal hWnd As Long, _
         ByVal hWndInsertAfter As Long, _
         ByVal X As Long, ByVal Y As Long, _
         ByVal cx As Long, ByVal cy As Long, _
         ByVal wFlags As Long _
        ) As Long
    Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" _
        (ByVal lpClassName As String, _
         ByVal lpWindowName As String _
        ) As Long
    Private Declare Function GetActiveWindow Lib "user32.dll" () As Long
    Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" _
        (ByVal hWnd As Long, _
         ByVal wMsg As Long, _
         ByVal wParam As Long, _
         lParam As Any _
        ) As Long
    Private Declare Function DrawMenuBar Lib "user32" _
        (ByVal hWnd As Long) As Long

#End If


'Constants
Private Const SWP_NOMOVE = &H2
Private Const SWP_NOSIZE = &H1
Private Const GWL_EXSTYLE = (-20)
Private Const HWND_TOP = 0
Private Const SWP_NOACTIVATE = &H10
Private Const SWP_HIDEWINDOW = &H80
Private Const SWP_SHOWWINDOW = &H40
Private Const WS_EX_APPWINDOW = &H40000
Private Const GWL_STYLE = (-16)
Private Const WS_MINIMIZEBOX = &H20000
Private Const SWP_FRAMECHANGED = &H20
Private Const WM_SETICON = &H80
Private Const ICON_SMALL = 0&
Private Const ICON_BIG = 1&

And then use the following subroutines:

Private Sub UserForm_Activate()
    AddIcon    'Add an icon on the titlebar
    AddMinimizeButton   'Add a Minimize button to Userform
    AppTasklist Me    'Add this userform into the Task bar
End Sub

Private Sub AddIcon()
'Add an icon on the titlebar
    Dim hWnd As Long
    Dim lngRet As Long
    Dim hIcon As Long
    hIcon = Sheet1.Image1.Picture.Handle
    hWnd = FindWindow(vbNullString, Me.Caption)
    lngRet = SendMessage(hWnd, WM_SETICON, ICON_SMALL, ByVal hIcon)
    lngRet = SendMessage(hWnd, WM_SETICON, ICON_BIG, ByVal hIcon)
    lngRet = DrawMenuBar(hWnd)
End Sub

Private Sub AddMinimizeButton()
'Add a Minimize button to Userform
    Dim hWnd As Long
    hWnd = GetActiveWindow
    Call SetWindowLongPtr(hWnd, GWL_STYLE, _
                       GetWindowLongPtr(hWnd, GWL_STYLE) Or _
                       WS_MINIMIZEBOX)
    Call SetWindowPos(hWnd, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, _
                      SWP_FRAMECHANGED Or _
                      SWP_NOMOVE Or _
                      SWP_NOSIZE)
End Sub

Private Sub AppTasklist(myForm)
'Add this userform into the Task bar
    #If VBA7 Then
        Dim WStyle As LongPtr
        Dim Result As LongPtr
        Dim hWnd As LongPtr
    #Else
        Dim WStyle As Long
        Dim Result As Long
        Dim hWnd As Long
    #End If

    hWnd = FindWindow(vbNullString, myForm.Caption)
    WStyle = GetWindowLongPtr(hWnd, GWL_EXSTYLE)
    WStyle = WStyle Or WS_EX_APPWINDOW
    Result = SetWindowPos(hWnd, HWND_TOP, 0, 0, 0, 0, _
                          SWP_NOMOVE Or _
                          SWP_NOSIZE Or _
                          SWP_NOACTIVATE Or _
                          SWP_HIDEWINDOW)
    Result = SetWindowLongPtr(hWnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, WStyle)
    Result = SetWindowPos(hWnd, HWND_TOP, 0, 0, 0, 0, _
                          SWP_NOMOVE Or _
                          SWP_NOSIZE Or _
                          SWP_NOACTIVATE Or _
                          SWP_SHOWWINDOW)
End Sub

I haven't tested this yet on 32 bits versions of excel but it should work without problems.