Closing Excel.exe process

Question

The code below works, but the excel.exe process still runs even though I quit Excel. I am using Office 2013 and referencing the correct import for Office.Interop.Excel

Am i missing something

Sub demo()
    Dim xls As New Excel.Application
    Dim book As Excel.Workbook
    Dim oSheet As Excel.Worksheet
    xls.Workbooks.Open("Test.xlsx")
    book = xls.ActiveWorkbook
    oSheet = book.ActiveSheet   

    oSheet.Cells(1, 2).Value = "testing"

    book.Save()
    book.Close()
    xls.Workbooks.Close()
    xls.Quit()

    System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(oSheet)
    System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(book)
    System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(xls)
    oSheet = Nothing
    book = Nothing
    xls = Nothing
    GC.Collect()
End Sub

Did you try the solution in this one http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9435898/vb-net-excel-program-leaves-excel-exe-floating-after-completion?rq=1 ? — Andrew Mortimer, Aug 12 '15 at 10:51
Hey Matt, tried that but getting a error 'Object ref not set to an instance of an object' — georgieboy, Aug 12 '15 at 10:54
This code works for me although it takes a couple of seconds before it dissappears out of task manager — Matt Wilko, Aug 12 '15 at 10:54
Dont no if this is relevant. but when i close down visual studio the exe goes away. did some debugging and everything seems to be fine..... — georgieboy, Aug 12 '15 at 11:44

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 05 '15 at 04:42

0

If you are still having issues with it, have you tried to just kill the process?

 Process[] procs = Process.GetProcessesByName("name");
foreach (Process proc in procs)
    proc.Kill();

Not sure if it will work how you want, but it is an idea.

answered Sep 05 '15 at 04:42

dwb

475
6
31

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 05 '15 at 04:52

call TryKillProcessByMainWindowHwnd(hWnd); after GC.Collect() and implementation of the method:

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
        private static extern uint GetWindowThreadProcessId(IntPtr hWnd, out uint lpdwProcessId);
        public static bool TryKillProcessByMainWindowHwnd(int hWnd)
        {
            uint processID;
            GetWindowThreadProcessId((IntPtr)hWnd, out processID);
            if (processID == 0) return false;
            try
            {
                Process.GetProcessById((int)processID).Kill();
            }
            catch (ArgumentException)
            {
                return false;
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                return false;
            }
            return true;
        }

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 01 '16 at 18:51

You should never call Marshal.ReleaseComObject() - the better approach is to call the .NET Garbage Collector to clean up by calling GC.Collect().

You have to be careful to ensure that the code talking to Excel is not in the same method as your GC.Collect(), else the debugger might keep objects alive longer than you'd expect.

The general pattern would be:

Sub WrapperThatCleansUp()

    ' NOTE: Don't call Excel objects in here... 
    '       Debugger would keep alive until end, preventing GC cleanup

    ' Call a separate function that talks to Excel
    DoTheWork()

    ' Now Let the GC clean up (twice, to clean up cycles too)
    GC.Collect()    
    GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers()
    GC.Collect()    
    GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers()

End Sub

Sub DoTheWork()
    Dim xls As New Excel.Application
    Dim book As Excel.Workbook
    Dim oSheet As Excel.Worksheet
    xls.Workbooks.Open("Test.xlsx")
    book = xls.ActiveWorkbook
    oSheet = book.ActiveSheet   

    oSheet.Cells(1, 2).Value = "testing"

    book.Save()
    book.Close()
    xls.Workbooks.Close()
    xls.Quit()

    ' NOTE: No calls the Marshal.ReleaseComObject() are ever needed
End Sub

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 15 '20 at 14:40

0

I have an app that works on an excel file 2010, the only code I use and closes the excel file is dim workbook As Excel.Workbook => workbook.Close()but i don't close the excel application or all workbooks. try it.

answered Oct 15 '20 at 14:40

Areeg Ghonaim

13
6

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Closing Excel.exe process

4 Answers4

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