Sometimes it is useful to start notepad to show the readme file for example. This job is pretty easy by following the following code:

Place a CommandButton on a Form (Command1 is created by default).
Place this code in the Declarations Section of a module:
Declare Function CreateProcess Lib "kernel32" Alias "CreateProcessA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpCommandLine As String, lpProcessAttributes As Any, lpThreadAttributes As Any, ByVal bInheritHandles As Long, ByVal dwCreationFlags As Long, lpEnvironment As Any, ByVal lpCurrentDriectory As String, lpStartupInfo As STARTUPINFO, lpProcessInformation As PROCESS_INFORMATION) As Long

Declare Function OpenProcess Lib "kernel32.dll" (ByVal dwAccess As Long, ByVal fInherit As Integer, ByVal hObject As Long) As Long

Declare Function TerminateProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hProcess As Long, ByVal uExitCode As Long) As Long

Declare Function CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long

Public Const SYNCHRONIZE = 1048576

Public Const NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H20&

Type PROCESS_INFORMATION

hProcess As Long

hThread As Long

dwProcessId As Long

dwThreadId As Long

End Type

Type STARTUPINFO

cb As Long
lpReserved As String
lpDesktop As String
lpTitle As String
dwX As Long
dwY As Long
dwXSize As Long
dwYSize As Long
dwXCountChars As Long
dwYCountChars As Long
dwFillAttribute As Long
dwFlags As Long
wShowWindow As Integer
cbReserved2 As Integer
lpReserved2 As Long
hStdInput As Long
hStdOutput As Long
hStdError As Long
End Type

3. Now, Place This in the Command1_Click Event:

Dim pInfo As PROCESS_INFORMATION
Dim sInfo As STARTUPINFO
Dim sNull As String
Dim lReturn As Long

sInfo.cb = Len(sInfo)

lReturn = CreateProcess(sNull, "notepad.exe c:autoexec.bat", ByVal 0&, ByVal 0&, 1&, NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS, ByVal 0&, sNull, sInfo, pInfo)

MsgBox "Notepad has been started. Click OK to end it."

lReturn = TerminateProcess(pInfo.hProcess, 0&)

lReturn = CloseHandle(pInfo.hThread)

lReturn = CloseHandle(pInfo.hProcess)

MsgBox "Notepad has been shut down."