Windows form hidden web browser control does not bring the IE window to foreground

Question

I have created add in for Outlook 2013. It has got a hidden web browser control within it. On button click Web browser loads the speciified data in Internet Explorer window. Content is loading but the IE window does not come to foreground and my outlook will continue be in focus. IE keeps blinking at the task bar.

I want the IE window be in foreground.

Answer 1

If you want to show a Windows Form on top of Outlook window you need to specify the parent window handle. In your case it will be the explorer window handle. To get the handle you need to cast an instance of the Explorer class to the IOleWindow interface which provides the GetWindow method.

The Show or ShowDialog methods of the System.Windows.Form class accepts an instance of the IWin32Window inteface which represents the handle of the parent window. Thus, your window will be shown on top of the parent one.

Answer 2

"Want to launch IE outside the outlook window. – "

In that case use - https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(v=vs.110).aspx

Process.Start(" http://URL ");

This will launch the default browser and navigate to the URL specified.