...because Real Men do not waste their time reinventing the weel.

...because Real Men know that the power of Windows programming is not in the C or C++ languages per se, but instead lies in the innumerable APIs and interfaces that Microsoft makes available every time it extends the functionality and potential of Windows.

...because Real Men know that when it comes to raw power, Visual Basic can easily utilize this code, in fact easier than C/C++ can (well, OK, with a few -very few-exceptions.)

...because Real Men know that now, in addition to the p-code generator of the previous versions, Visual Basic comes with a true compiler, very - very much speed-enhanced windowing system, and the invaluable AddressOf operator. The result? Execution speed comparable with applications written in C/C++ or Delphi, and the ability to call that half of the Windows API that uses callbacks, thing which previously was not feasible in pure VB.

...and last but not least, Real Men do it in Visual Basic, because Microsoft promotes this language (i.e. VBA) as its RAD tool, and as the lingua franca of its productivity applications. Even VBScript, has pervased in the Windows environment (through Internet Explorer or the Windows Scripting Host) and has become an indispensable tool for modern programming.

Having said all that, and assuming that you are a Real Man (or Woman), since you read till here, I hope that you find some useful stuff for your work in this site. It includes tips, tricks and workarounds that I have encountered as a Visual Basic programmer. Of course, they make extensive use of the Win32 API.

STUDY THE API'S.
STUDY EVERY NEW INTERFACE THAT MICROSOFT RELEASES. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO STAY AN UP-TO-DATE POWER WINDOWS PROGRAMMER.

Two important issues

1. It is obvious, of course, that all of this stuff did not come directly out of my head. As is often the case, this information came by studying the various books and magazines of the market. If these sources feel that they have copyright over this knowledge (most of wich is anyway public, directly from Microsoft's Knowledge Base) let them send me an e-mail and I will act accordingly. Of course, acknowledge is given wherever it is due, and when the tip or the workaround is something more involved than a simple API call, the source is mentioned.
2. Playing with the Windows API is always dangerous. Do it at your own risk. Though every code example has been tested, I don't guarantee (i) that it will work as stated, (due to your potentially preventing configuration or misuse), and (ii) that it will not harm the integrity of your hardware or data. I assume NO RESPONSIBILITY on the above issues, or others that may be implicitly caused by the use of this code.

Are you convinced?