Binaryworld - ShowProgramsInTaskbar - Show or hide all programs in the taskbar ... [ VB -> Windows ]

Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal _
  lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long
Private Declare Function ShowWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
  ByVal nCmdShow As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function FindWindowEx Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowExA" (ByVal _
  hWnd1 As Long, ByVal hWnd2 As Long, ByVal lpsz1 As String, _
  ByVal lpsz2 As String) As Long

' show/hide the programs in the taskbar, according to the bShow parameter
' Example:
' - hide the programs: ShowProgramsInTaskbar False
' - show the programs: ShowProgramsInTaskbar

Public Sub ShowProgramsInTaskbar(Optional ByVal bShow As Boolean = True)
  Dim lShellHandle As Long
  Dim lRebarHandle As Long
  Dim lCtlHandle As Long

  ' get the handle of the taskbar
  lShellHandle = FindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", "")
  ' get the handle of the rebar control
  lRebarHandle = FindWindowEx(lShellHandle, 0, "ReBarWindow32", vbNullString)
  lCtlHandle = FindWindowEx(lRebarHandle, 0, "MSTaskSwWClass", vbNullString)
  ' hide or show the tab control
  ShowWindow FindWindowEx(lCtlHandle, 0, "SysTabControl32", vbNullString), _
    Abs(bShow)
End Sub