Kill Process before installing and Uninstalling a application

You can also use PV.EXE to check for the process and kill the process. We always use vbscript wrappers to do the preinstall checks [near silent/silent].

For more information check the following link:

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/downloads/installation-wrapper-scripts-wise-visual-basic-scripts

I hope this helps.

Thanks                                                                                                    Eshwar

If processes such as old executables are still running, chances are high that the user is logged in an running the application. Force closing such an application can cause loss of work as users are notoriously bad at regular saving of work in progress, and a punch in the nose from an irate financier is best avoided.

Better strategies, if your software distribution system allows it, is to install while the user is logged out. Alternatively, if the application is running, at least warn the user with a displayed message that the application needs to be closed and work in progress saved, before proceeding.

We always warn the user about the running application and the installation so that the user can go ahead and close the application. Some times we need to forceclose the application if there is no action taken after informing about the application install.

We did some application installs like Internet Explorer7, Office 2007 and VPN/RAS etc.., in which the installation wrapper script [typically we use vbscript] to check for the process and display message box to the user about the running applications.

For more information see my post http://www.symantec.com/connect/downloads/handling-message-boxes-beforeafter-installation-using-vbscript