This all includes my old AOL & AIM related projects (yep, including a famous "cracker" which I made for fun back then) because I believe they all hold educational value even today. I'm currently preparing a lot of the projects for you to easily download and whatnot so give me a bit of time. I will be releasing the main source code for hitMan later on today/tonight though. Stay tuned!

Completely Destroy File and Its Information

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Sub DestroyFile(sFileName As String)
Dim Block1 As String, Block2 As String, Blocks As Long
Dim hFileHandle As Integer, iLoop As Long, offset As Long
'Create two buffers with a specified 'wipe-out' characters
Const BLOCKSIZE = 4096
Block1 = String(BLOCKSIZE, "X")
Block2 = String(BLOCKSIZE, " ")
'Overwrite the file contents with the wipe-out characters
hFileHandle = FreeFile
Open sFileName For Binary As hFileHandle
Blocks = (LOF(hFileHandle) \ BLOCKSIZE) + 1
For iLoop = 1 To Blocks
offset = Seek(hFileHandle)
Put hFileHandle, , Block1
Put hFileHandle, offset, Block2
Next iLoop
Close hFileHandle
'Now you can delete the file, which contains no sensitive data
Kill sFileName
End Sub

Add the following code to wherever you want the code to execute...

Call DestroyFile("C:\filetodestroy.jpg") 'modify file path of course

Cut, Copy, Paste and Undo

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Public Const WM_UNDO = &H304

Cut:
Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

Clipboard.SetText Text1.SelText
Text1.SelText = ""

Copy:
Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

Clipboard.SetText Text1.SelText

Paste:
Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

Text1.SelText = Clipboard.GetText(1)

Undo:
Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

Call SendMessage(Text1.hwnd, WM_UNDO, 0&, 0&)

Minimize All Active Windows

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Sub keybd_event Lib "user32" (ByVal bVk As Byte, ByVal bScan As Byte, ByVal dwFlags As Long, ByVal dwExtraInfo As Long)
Public Const VK_LWIN = &H5B
Public Const KEYEVENTF_KEYUP = &H2

Add the following code into a command button or wherever you want the code to execute...

Call keybd_event(VK_LWIN, 0, 0, 0)
Call keybd_event(&H4D, 0, 0, 0)
Call keybd_event(VK_LWIN, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0)

Load a Text Box with Items from a Text File

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Sub LoadText(Lst As TextBox, file As String)
'Call LoadText (Text1,"C:\Windows\System\Saved.txt")
On Error GoTo error
Dim mystr As String
Open file For Input As #1
Do While Not EOF(1)
Line Input #1, a$
texto$ = texto$ + a$ + Chr$(13) + Chr$(10)
Loop
Lst = texto$
Close #1
Exit Sub
error:
X = MsgBox("File Not Found", vbOKOnly, "Error")
End Sub

Add a TextBox named Text1 and make sure there is a text file named test.txt with "test" inside it inside the directory where you are working on your project and add the following code wherever you want the code to execute...

Call LoadText(Text1, "test.txt")

Save Data to a Text File

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Sub SaveText(Lst As TextBox, file As String)
'Call SaveText (Text1,"C:\Windows\System\Saved.txt")
On Error GoTo error
Dim mystr As String
Open file For Output As #1
Print #1, Lst
Close 1
Exit Sub
error:
X = MsgBox("There has been an error!", vbOKOnly, "Error")
End Sub

Add a TextBox named Text1 and add the following code wherever you want the code to execute...

Call SaveText(Text1, "C:\Program Files\Program Name\test.txt")

Visual Basic Code Snippets #11

Toggle NumLock Key On/Off

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Option Explicit

Public Sub ToggleNumLock(TurnOn As Boolean)
'To turn numlock on, set turnon to true
'To turn numlock off, set turnon to false
Dim bytKeys(255) As Byte
Dim bnumLockOn As Boolean
'Get status of the 256 virtual keys
GetKeyboardState bytKeys(0)
bnumLockOn = bytKeys(VK_NUMLOCK)
Dim typOS As OSVERSIONINFO
If bnumLockOn <> TurnOn Then
If typOS.dwPlatformId = VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_WINDOWS Then
bytKeys(VK_NUMLOCK) = 1
SetKeyboardState bytKeys(0)
Else
'Simulate Key Press
keybd_event VK_NUMLOCK, &H45, KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY Or 0, 0
'Simulate Key Release
keybd_event VK_NUMLOCK, &H45, KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY Or KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0
End If
End If
End Sub

Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

'To turn numlock on...
Call ToggleNumLock(True)

'To turn numlock off...
Call ToggleNumLock(False)

BEEP!

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function Beep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwFreq As Long, ByVal dwDuration As Long) As Long

Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

Dim X%
X% = Beep(1500, 300)

Disable/Enable Task Manager

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function SystemParametersInfo Lib "User32" Alias "SystemParametersInfoA" (ByVal uAction As Long, ByVal uParam As Long, ByVal lpvParam As String, ByVal fuWinIni As Long) As Long

Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

'this will disable ctrl+alt+del
Call SystemParametersInfo(97, True, 0&, 0)

'this will enable ctrl+alt+del
Call SystemParametersInfo(97, False, 0&, 0)

Get the Windows User Name

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function GetComputerName Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetComputerNameA" (ByVal lpBuffer As String, nSize As Long) As Long

Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

Dim X As String
X = String(50, Chr(0))
Call GetComputerName(X$, 50)
MsgBox "Your computer is named: " & X, 32, "Name"

Visual Basic Code Snippets #10

Ensure Application Can't Load Multiple Times

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

This isn't a system function but is definitely essential to any application.

Add the following code to the Form_Load() event...

If App.PrevInstance Then
MsgBox ("The application is already open."), vbExclamation, "The requested " & "application is already open"
Unload Me
End If

Display Internet Properties Dialog

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Function ShowInetProperties() As Boolean
Dim lRet As Long
lRet = Shell("rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL inetcpl.cpl,,0", vbNormalFocus)
ShowInetProperties = lRet > 0
End Function

Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

Call ShowInetProperties()

Toggle CapsLock Key On/Off

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function GetVersionEx Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetVersionExA" (lpVersionInformation As OSVERSIONINFO) As Long
Public Declare Sub keybd_event Lib "user32" (ByVal bVk As Byte, ByVal bScan As Byte, ByVal dwFlags As Long, ByVal dwExtraInfo As Long)
Public Declare Function GetKeyboardState Lib "user32" (pbKeyState As Byte) As Long
Public Declare Function SetKeyboardState Lib "user32" (lppbKeyState As Byte) As Long

Public Sub ToggleCapsLock(TurnOn As Boolean)
'To turn capslock on, set turnon to true
'To turn capslock off, set turnon to false
Dim bytKeys(255) As Byte
Dim bCapsLockOn As Boolean
'Get status of the 256 virtual keys
GetKeyboardState bytKeys(0)
bCapsLockOn = bytKeys(VK_CAPITAL)
Dim typOS As OSVERSIONINFO
If bCapsLockOn <> TurnOn Then
If typOS.dwPlatformId = VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_WINDOWS Then
bytKeys(VK_CAPITAL) = 1
SetKeyboardState bytKeys(0)
Else
'Simulate Key Press
keybd_event VK_CAPITAL, &H45, KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY Or 0, 0
'Simulate Key Release
keybd_event VK_CAPITAL, &H45, KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY Or KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0
End If
End If
End Sub

Add the following code where you want the code to execute...

'To turn capslock on...
Call ToggleCapsLock(True)

'To turn capslock off...
Call ToggleCapsLock(False)

Visual Basic Code Snippets #9

Get Free Disk Space on Hard Drives

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function GetDiskFreeSpace Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetDiskFreeSpaceA" (ByVal lpRootPathName As String, lpSectorsPerCluster As Long, lpBytesPerSector As Long, lpNumberOfFreeClusters As Long, lpTtoalNumberOfClusters As Long) As Long

Public Type DiskInformation
lpSectorsPerCluster As Long lpBytesPerSector As Long
lpNumberOfFreeClusters As Long
lpTotalNumberOfClusters As Long
End Type

Add the following code wherever you want the code to execute...

Dim info As DiskInformation
Dim lAnswer As Long
Dim lpRootPathName As String
Dim lpSectorsPerCluster As Long
Dim lpBytesPerSector As Long
Dim lpNumberOfFreeClusters As Long
Dim lpTotalNumberOfClusters As Long
Dim lBytesPerCluster As Long
Dim lNumFreeBytes As Double
Dim sString As String

lpRootPathName = "c:\" 'simply replace this with your hard drive path
lAnswer = GetDiskFreeSpace(lpRootPathName, lpSectorsPerCluster, lpBytesPerSector, lpNumberOfFreeClusters, lpTotalNumberOfClusters)
lBytesPerCluster = lpSectorsPerCluster * lpBytesPerSector
lNumFreeBytes = lBytesPerCluster * lpNumberOfFreeClusters
sString = "Number of Free Bytes : " & lNumFreeBytes & vbCr & vbLf
sString = sString & "Number of Free Kilobytes: " & (lNumFreeBytes / 1024) & "K" & vbCr & vbLf
sString = sString & "Number of Free Megabytes: " & Format(((lNumFreeBytes / 1024) / 1024), "0.00") & "MB"
MsgBox sString

Get Windows Directory using API Call

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function GetWindowsDirectory Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetWindowsDirectoryA" (ByVal lpBuffer As String, ByVal nSize As Long) As Long
Public Const MAX_PATH = 260

Add the following code wherever you want the code to execute...

Dim strBuffer As String
Dim lngReturn As Long
Dim strWindowsDirectory As String
strBuffer = Space$(MAX_PATH)
lngReturn = GetWindowsDirectory(strBuffer, MAX_PATH)
strWindowsDirectory = Left$(strBuffer, Len(strBuffer) - 1)

Clear/Add-to Windows Recent Document List

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Sub SHAddToRecentDocs Lib "shell32.dll" (ByVal uFlags As Long, ByVal pv As String)

Add the following code wherever you want the Clear Recent Document List code to execute...

'clear the entire list
Call SHAddToRecentDocs(2,vbNullString)

Add the following code wherever you want to add the file to the list code to execute...

'add a new file to list
Dim strNewFile as String
strNewFile="c:\myfile.ext"
Call SHAddToRecentDocs(2,strNewFile)

Visual Basic Code Snippets #8

Hide/Show Your Application from Task Manager

Compatibility: Win. 98-ME

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function GetCurrentProcessId Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Public Declare Function GetCurrentProcess Lib "kernel32" () As Long
Public Declare Function RegisterServiceProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwProcessID As Long, ByVal dwType As Long) As Long
Public Const RSP_SIMPLE_SERVICE = 1
Public Const RSP_UNREGISTER_SERVICE = 0

Public Sub showCtrlAltDel()
'only works on win98/ME
Dim pid As Long
Dim lngRet As Long
pid = GetCurrentProcessId()
lngRet = RegisterServiceProcess(pid, RSP_UNREGISTER_SERVICE)
End Sub

Add the following code wherever you want the Hide code to execute...

Call removeCtrlAltDel()

Add the following code wherever you want the Show code to execute...

Call showCtrlAltDel()

Get and Show Windows Runtime

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function GetTickCount& Lib "kernel32" ()

Public Function windowsRuntime(lbl As Label)
Dim lngReturn As Long
lngReturn = GetTickCount()
lbl.Caption = "Windows has been running for " & (lngReturn / 1000) & " seconds."
End Function

Add a label named Label1 to a form and add the following code...

Call windowsRuntime(Label1) 'Label1 being the display label.

Add All Available System Fonts to List

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Function AddFontsList(Lis As ListBox)
For X = 0 To Screen.FontCount - 1
Lis.AddItem Screen.Fonts(X)
Next X
End Function

Add a ListBox named List1 and add the following code wherever you want the code to execute...

Call AddFontsList(List1)

Visual Basic Code Snippets #7

Shutdown/Poweroff Windows

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function ExitWindowsEx Lib "User32" Alias "ExitWindowsEx"(ByVal uFlags As Long, ByVal dwReserved As Long) As Long

Add the following code into a command button or wherever you want the code to execute...

Call ExitWindowsEx(EWX_POWEROFF,0)

Restart Windows

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function ExitWindowsEx Lib "User32" Alias "ExitWindowsEx"(ByVal uFlags As Long, ByVal dwReserved As Long) As Long

Add the following code into a command button or wherever you want the code to execute...

Call ExitWindowsEx(EWX_REBOOT,0)

Shell Out to Default Web Browser

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long
Public Const conSwNormal = 1

Public Function shellSite(site As String)
ShellExecute hwnd, "open", site, vbNullString, vbNullString, conSwNormal
End Function

Add the following code wherever you want the code to execute...

Call shellSite("http://www.beneskew.com")

Visual Basic Code Snippets #6

Save and Load the Position of the Form

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function WritePrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "WritePrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpString As Any, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long
Public Declare Function GetPrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetPrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpDefault As String, ByVal lpReturnedString As String, ByVal nSize As Long, ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long

Public Function GetFromINI(Section As String, Key As String, Directory As String) As String
Dim strBuffer As String
strBuffer = String(750, Chr(0))
Key$ = LCase$(Key$)
GetFromINI$ = Left(strBuffer, GetPrivateProfileString(Section$, ByVal Key$, "", strBuffer, Len(strBuffer), Directory$))
End Function
Public Sub WriteToINI(Section As String, Key As String, KeyValue As String, Directory As String)
Call WritePrivateProfileString(Section$, UCase$(Key$), KeyValue$, Directory$)
End Sub

Add the following code in the Form_Unload event...

Call WriteToINI("Main", "Xpos", Form1.Left, App.Path & "\data.ini")
Call WriteToINI("Main", "Ypos", Form1.Top, App.Path & "\data.ini")

Add the following code in the Form_Load event...

Xpos = GetFromINI("Main", "Xpos", App.Path & "\data.ini")
Ypos = GetFromINI("Main", "Ypos", App.Path & "\data.ini")
Form1.Top = Ypos
Form1.Left = Xpos

Disable the X Button on a Form

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function GetSystemMenu Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal bRevert As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function GetMenuItemCount Lib "user32" (ByVal hMenu As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RemoveMenu Lib "user32" (ByVal hMenu As Long, ByVal nPosition As Long, ByVal wFlags As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function DrawMenuBar Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long
Public Const MF_BYPOSITION = &H400&
Public Const MF_DISABLED = &H2&

Public Sub DisableX(Frm As Form)
Dim hMenu As Long
Dim nCount As Long
hMenu = GetSystemMenu(Frm.hwnd, 0)
nCount = GetMenuItemCount(hMenu)
Call RemoveMenu(hMenu, nCount - 1, MF_DISABLED Or MF_BYPOSITION)
DrawMenuBar Frm.hwnd
End Sub

Add the following code wherever you want the code to execute...

Call DisableX(Me)

Make Form Stay On-Top

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal hWndInsertAfter As Long, ByVal X As Long, ByVal Y As Long, ByVal cx As Long, ByVal cy As Long, ByVal wFlags As Long) As Long

Public Sub NotOnTop(frm As Form)
'For best results put in the formpaint
Call SetWindowPos(frm.hWnd, HWND_NOTOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0, FLAGS)
End Sub

Add the following code wherever you want the StayOnTop code to execute...

Call StayOnTop(Form1) 'Form1 being the form.

Add the following code wherever you want the NotOnTop code to execute...

Call NotOnTop(Form1) 'Form1 being the form.

Visual Basic Code Snippets #5

Center a Form on the Screen

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Sub Form_Center(Frm As Form)
'Usually used in form_load
Frm.Left = Screen.Width / 2 - Frm.Width / 2
Frm.Top = Screen.Height / 2 - Frm.Height / 2
End Sub

Add a form named Form1 and add the following code wherever you want the code to execute...

Call Form_Center(Form1)

Center Form at a Given Point on the Screen

Compatibility: Win. 98-XP

Add the following code into a module within your project...

Public Sub Form_CenterAt(Frm As Form, X As Integer, Y As Integer)
'X: X coordinate to center form at
'Y: Y coordinate to center form at
'Example...
'Form_CenterAt me, screen.width/2, screen.height/2
Frm.Left = X - Frm.Width / 2
Frm.Top = Y - Frm.Height / 2
End Sub

Add a form named Form1 and add the following code wherever you want the code to execute...

Call Form_CenterAt(Form1, screen.width/2, screen.height/2)

Visual Basic Code Snippets #4