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List currently running processes (Windows)Tag(s): Environment


Using TASKLIST.EXE
The Microsoft TASKLIST.EXE is used to dump the list of the currently running processes. It is similar to tasklist window but for the console.

From a Java program, we are launching TASKLIST.EXE and capture its output.

Note : TASKLIST.EXE is not included the HOME edition of XP. But you can download it from Web, for example : http://www.computerhope.com/download/winxp.htm. 

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

public class WindowsUtils {
  public static List<String> listRunningProcesses() {
    List<String> processes = new ArrayList<String>();
    try {
      String line;
      Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("tasklist.exe /fo csv /nh");
      BufferedReader input = new BufferedReader
          (new InputStreamReader(p.getInputStream()));
      while ((line = input.readLine()) != null) {
          if (!line.trim().equals("")) {
              // keep only the process name
              line = line.substring(1);
              processes.add(line.substring(0, line.indexOf(""")));
          }

      }
      input.close();
    }
    catch (Exception err) {
      err.printStackTrace();
    }
    return processes;
  }

  public static void main(String[] args){
      List<String> processes = listRunningProcesses();
      String result = "";

      // display the result
      Iterator<String> it = processes.iterator();
      int i = 0;
      while (it.hasNext()) {
         result += it.next() +",";
         i++;
         if (i==10) {
             result += "\n";
             i = 0;
         }
      }
      msgBox("Running processes : " + result);
  }

  public static void msgBox(String msg) {
    javax.swing.JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog((java.awt.Component)
       null, msg, "WindowsUtils", javax.swing.JOptionPane.DEFAULT_OPTION);
  }
}
Thanks to M. Korbel
Using a VBS
Another technique to build the required VBScript on-the-fly, execute it and capture its output. 
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.util.*;

public class VBSUtils {
  private VBSUtils() {  }

  public static List<String> listRunningProcesses() {
    List<String> processList = new ArrayList<String>();
    try {

        File file = File.createTempFile("realhowto",".vbs");
        file.deleteOnExit();
        FileWriter fw = new java.io.FileWriter(file);

        String vbs = "Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(\"WScript.Shell\")\n"
                   + "Set locator = CreateObject(\"WbemScripting.SWbemLocator\")\n"
                   + "Set service = locator.ConnectServer()\n"
                   + "Set processes = service.ExecQuery _\n"
                   + " (\"select name from Win32_Process\")\n"
                   + "For Each process in processes\n"
                   + "wscript.echo process.Name \n"
                   + "Next\n"
                   + "Set WSHShell = Nothing\n";

        fw.write(vbs);
        fw.close();
        Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("cscript //NoLogo " + file.getPath());
        BufferedReader input =
            new BufferedReader
              (new InputStreamReader(p.getInputStream()));
        String line;
        while ((line = input.readLine()) != null) {
            processList.add(line);
        }
        input.close();
    }
    catch(Exception e){
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
    return processList;
  }

  public static void main(String[] args){
    List<String> processes = VBSUtils.listRunningProcesses();
    String result = "";

    Iterator<String> it = processes.iterator();
    int i = 0;
    while (it.hasNext()) {
       result += it.next() +",";
       i++;
       if (i==10) {
           result += "\n";
           i = 0;
       }
    }
    msgBox("Running processes : " + result);
  }

  public static void msgBox(String msg) {
    javax.swing.JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog((java.awt.Component)
       null, msg, "VBSUtils", javax.swing.JOptionPane.DEFAULT_OPTION);
  }
}

See this HowTo to check for a specific application is running or not.