How can I maximize, restore, or minimize a window with a vbscript?

Question

I need to be able to make separte .vbs files that will (when triggered with a keyboard short-cut) will make the active window maximized, minimized, or restored.

How

Answer 1

VBScript and Windows Script Host don't provide intrinsic functions for maximizing/minimizing/restoring a window. Without any third-party tools, your only option is to use SendKeys to simulate keyboard the shortcuts of the corresponding commands in a window's system menu.

• To maximixe the active window, you can simulate the Alt+SpaceBar, x shortcut:

  Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
  oShell.SendKeys "% x"
  

• To minimize the active window, use Alt+SpaceBar, n:

  Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
  oShell.SendKeys "% n"
  

• To restore the active window, use Alt+SpaceBar, r:

  Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
  oShell.SendKeys "% r"
  

(Note that this code won't work in non-English Windows versions, where the names of the Maximize/Minimize/Restore commands are localized and therefore have other shortcuts.)

Answer 2

Topic is old. But I managed to find language independent solution. SendKeys can basically send any keys to application, including arrow keys and enter key. So we can emulate those actions without particular letters (x,r,n). Here is working example:

Dim oShell : Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.SendKeys("% {DOWN}{DOWN}{DOWN}{DOWN}{ENTER}")   'Maximize
'...
oShell.SendKeys("% {ENTER}")   'Restore
'...
oShell.SendKeys("% {DOWN}{DOWN}{DOWN}{ENTER}")   'Minimize

Answer 3

SendKeys was not working in my computer. Spanish native with Spanish and English keyboard. I did this and worked in my code as instruction and worked to maximize my excel window. I put the .Sleep to visually check it.

objExcel.SendKeys"% x"
objExcel.Visible = True
objExcel.SendKeys"% x"

WScript.Sleep 2000

Answer 4

To maximize any window, the following code will work:

Application.SendKeys "%{ }"
Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("00:00:02"))
Application.SendKeys "x"