Minimize a program on start up

Question

I have a program which I'm struggling to get opened and minimized through a script (Platform: Windows 7 Pro). I have tried startup /minimize, I've tried sendkeys. I think the problem is that when the program is open and you press Alt+Spacabar+n, the Minimize option is greyed out. Some background: the application needs to stay open at all times for us to send data down from our servers. The users tend to close the application if it just opens on their screens (without minimizing). It can't be run as a service because the users also need to use application in the foreground at certain times. I can't have 2 instances of it running in Task Manager because it causes issues in the software. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer 1

That sounds like it is by developer design, as if they removed the minimize ability on purpose. If it is an in-house app a simple edit/recompile of the source could alleviate the issue. If it is third party, discuss with vendor, ideally they could add a notification icon in the clock area keeping the app open while minimized.