Pause/Restart a Power Point show with VB.Net

Question

Hi

I need a way for my console application to pause a running PPS power point show so that it can update files then when this is done restart the slide show.

I have created a macro in the presentation that will pause for n' seconds then continue on but it's the actual accessing the running show to run that macro that I'm having trouble with.

 

My code appears to work but the slide show does not restart and it leaves an instance of the power point object as the front most window which needs to disappear

 

Code:

 

Imports Office = Microsoft.Office.Core

Imports PowerPoint = Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint

Imports System.Threading

Module Module1

    Dim oPP As PowerPoint.ApplicationClass

    Dim oPresSet As PowerPoint.Presentations

    Dim oPres As PowerPoint.PresentationClass

    Dim MySlide As PowerPoint.Slide

    Dim myThread As Thread

    Sub Main()

        Dim DelaySecs As Integer = 10

        Console.SetWindowSize(1, 1)

        myThread = New thread(AddressOf TestThread) 'Creates a new thread

        myThread.Start()

        'myThread.IsBackground = True ' Didn't seem to do much

        'MsgBox("Thread started")

    End Sub

    Sub TestThread()

        Dim oPP As Object

        Dim i As Integer

        'Dim OpenPres As String = "C:\PowerpointTest.pps"

        'oPP = CreateObject("PowerPoint.Application") 'no need to create if PP is running

        oPP = GetObject(, "PowerPoint.Application")' Seem to communicate with the running PPS show

        oPresSet = oPP.Presentations

        i = oPP.SlideShowWindows.Count

        If i > 0 Then

            oPP.Run("'PowerpointTest.pps'!CallWait") 'Run the macro to Pause the pps Show - this actually appear to work

            oPresSet.Application.Activate()

            oPresSet = Nothing

            'oPP.Quit() 'This quit all Power point processes running 

            oPP = Nothing

        End If

        myThread.Abort()

end sub

Can anyone point me in the direction as to how I can get rid of the active power point window and have the presentation start running again.  It is causing me no end of trouble as the presentation updates links every time through and if I am saving a file that it links to the VB app fails!

Many thanks