Excel VBA script - stealing focus - excel

Question

I'm working on a script that pings computers from a list periodically and returns information.
My problem is, whenever the the script is running, it steals focus from other excel windows.
For example if if I'm typing in another workbook when the scrip runs, it jumps (to the cell that was last selected) and continues writing in the cell.
Here is the script:
Sub autoping_cb()
Dim c As Range
Dim thePing As Variant
Dim TryCount As Integer
Dim TryAgainCount As Integer
Dim TryNextRun As Boolean
TryNextRun = False
Set sht = Application.ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(1)
LastRow = sht.Cells(sht.Rows.Count, "B").End(xlUp).Row
Dim chb As Shape
Set chb = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(1).Shapes("autoping")
If chb.ControlFormat.Value = xlOn Then
sht.Range("H3").Value = Replace(sht.Range("H3").Value, ",", ".")
TryCount = 1
If sht.Range("H4") <> "" And IsNumeric(sht.Range("H4")) = True And sht.Range("H4") = Int(sht.Range("H4")) And sht.Range("H3") <> "" And IsNumeric(sht.Range("H3")) = True Then
TryAgainCount = sht.Range("H4").Value
If TryAgainCount = 0 Then
TryNextRun = True
End If
Do Until chb.ControlFormat.Value = xlOff
Wait ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(1).Range("H3").Value * 60 '<-- replace to 60 after testing
For Each c In Application.Worksheets(1).Range("B3:B" & LastRow)
If chb.ControlFormat.Value = xlOff Then
End
ElseIf chb.ControlFormat.Value = xlOn Then
If ispcname(c.Value) = True Or isip(c.Value) = True Then
If c.Offset(0, 2) = "--->" And TryNextRun = False Then
Else
c.Offset(0, 1) = nslookup(c.Value)
thePing = sPing(c.Value)
c.Offset(0, 2) = thePing(0)
c.Offset(0, 3) = GetErrorCode(thePing(1))
If c.Offset(0, 2).Value = "--->" Then
sht.Range("B" & c.Row & ":E" & c.Row).Style = "Bad"
ElseIf c.Offset(0, 2).Value < 50 Then
sht.Range("B" & c.Row & ":E" & c.Row).Style = "Good"
Else
sht.Range("B" & c.Row & ":E" & c.Row).Style = "Neutral"
End If
End If
End If
End If
sht.Range("B2:E" & LastRow + 1).Columns.AutoFit
Next c
If TryNextRun = False And TryCount < TryAgainCount Then
TryCount = TryCount + 1
Debug.Print 1
ElseIf TryNextRun = False And TryCount >= TryAgainCount Then
TryNextRun = True
TryCount = 1
Debug.Print 2
ElseIf TryNextRun = True And TryAgainCount <> 0 Then
TryNextRun = False
Debug.Print 3
End If
Loop
Else
MsgBox "invalid 'Ping every'/'try offline after' integer"
End If
End If
End Sub
It's a bit messy I know :-)

Answer 1

Beacuse all excel sheets are running on one thread (one Excel.exe instance, you can see one presence in task manager).
If you are running more excel instance, your sheet are working independently.
You can do one of these possibilities :
-simple open new Excel.exe from start menu, icon, etc
-windows tray excel icon right click then alt+click on Microsoft Excel
-start command (or shortcut or batch file): Excel.exe "xls path" /x
-vba
Sub OpenNewExcelInstance()
Dim xlApp As Excel.Application
Set xlApp = New Excel.Application
xlApp.Workbooks.Add
xlApp.Visible = True
Set xlApp = Nothing
End Sub
-modify your registry to force open in new instance
-modify your Personal.xlsb

Answer 2

i think the easiest solution is to use the task -scheduler, and start your macro from there. In the extend properties choose "run whether user is logged on or not", then this is started in a separate task.