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The ShellExecute function opens or prints a specified file. The file can be an executable file or a document file. See ShellExecuteEx also.

HINSTANCE ShellExecute(

HWND hwnd, // handle to parent window
LPCTSTR lpOperation, // pointer to string that specifies operation to perform
LPCTSTR lpFile, // pointer to filename or folder name string
LPCTSTR lpParameters, // pointer to string that specifies executable-file parameters
LPCTSTR lpDirectory, // pointer to string that specifies default directory
INT nShowCmd // whether file is shown when opened
);


Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is the instance handle of the application that was run, or the handle of a dynamic data exchange (DDE) server application.
If the function fails, the return value is an error value that is less than or equal to 32. The following table lists these error values:

Value Meaning
0 The operating system is out of memory or resources.
ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND The specified file was not found.
ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND The specified path was not found.
ERROR_BAD_FORMAT The .EXE file is invalid (non-Win32 .EXE or error in .EXE image).
SE_ERR_ACCESSDENIED The operating system denied access to the specified file.
SE_ERR_ASSOCINCOMPLETE The filename association is incomplete or invalid.
SE_ERR_DDEBUSY The DDE transaction could not be completed because other DDE transactions were being processed.
SE_ERR_DDEFAIL The DDE transaction failed.
SE_ERR_DDETIMEOUT The DDE transaction could not be completed because the request timed out.
SE_ERR_DLLNOTFOUND The specified dynamic-link library was not found.
SE_ERR_FNF The specified file was not found.
SE_ERR_NOASSOC There is no application associated with the given filename extension.
SE_ERR_OOM There was not enough memory to complete the operation.
SE_ERR_PNF The specified path was not found.
SE_ERR_SHARE A sharing violation occurred.