How to make execution of shell function synchronous

Hello frens,
Plz somebody help me out. Let me first describe what i need to do. I open pdf files in acrobat reader n using shell command and then using setParent api i need to make that window child of my application window. Now here the problem comes. I need to wait till shell command executes completely and then execute SetParent api. As loading Adobe Reader takes too much of time, i dont know how many doEvents to use. That will depend on processor speed. So i need to know some way so as i can make out if an application is completely loaded or not. Or else i need to know when shell command completes execution. Now i dont want to use waitforsingleobject coz that waits for termination of shell command. I DONT NEED THAT.
PLZ nybody help me or gimme some related links.
I hope atleast one of the gurus can help me out.

I give u a way to synchronous the processes:
use "CreateProcess" api and "waitfor singleobject" api and other assistant api to realize it!
'This program needs a common dialog box, named CDBox
' (To add the Common Dialog Box to your tools menu, go to Project->Components (or press CTRL-T)
' and select Microsoft Common Dialog control)
Const INFINITE = &HFFFF
Const STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW = &H1
Private Enum enSW
SW_HIDE = 0
SW_NORMAL = 1
SW_MAXIMIZE = 3
SW_MINIMIZE = 6
End Enum
Private Type PROCESS_INFORMATION
hProcess As Long
hThread As Long
dwProcessId As Long
dwThreadId As Long
End Type
Private Type STARTUPINFO
cb As Long
lpReserved As String
lpDesktop As String
lpTitle As String
dwX As Long
dwY As Long
dwXSize As Long
dwYSize As Long
dwXCountChars As Long
dwYCountChars As Long
dwFillAttribute As Long
dwFlags As Long
wShowWindow As Integer
cbReserved2 As Integer
lpReserved2 As Byte
hStdInput As Long
hStdOutput As Long
hStdError As Long
End Type
Private Type SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
nLength As Long
lpSecurityDescriptor As Long
bInheritHandle As Long
End Type
Private Enum enPriority_Class
NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H20
IDLE_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H40
HIGH_PRIORITY_CLASS = &H80
End Enum
Private Declare Function CreateProcess Lib "kernel32" Alias "CreateProcessA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, ByVal lpCommandLine As String, lpProcessAttributes As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, lpThreadAttributes As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, ByVal bInheritHandles As Long, ByVal dwCreationFlags As Long, lpEnvironment As Any, ByVal lpCurrentDriectory As String, lpStartupInfo As STARTUPINFO, lpProcessInformation As PROCESS_INFORMATION) As Long
Private Declare Function WaitForSingleObject Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hHandle As Long, ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long) As Long
Private Function SuperShell(ByVal App As String, ByVal WorkDir As String, dwMilliseconds As Long, ByVal start_size As enSW, ByVal Priority_Class As enPriority_Class) As Boolean
Dim pclass As Long
Dim sinfo As STARTUPINFO
Dim pinfo As PROCESS_INFORMATION
'Not used, but needed
Dim sec1 As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
Dim sec2 As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
'Set the structure size
sec1.nLength = Len(sec1)
sec2.nLength = Len(sec2)
sinfo.cb = Len(sinfo)
'Set the flags
sinfo.dwFlags = STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
'Set the window's startup position
sinfo.wShowWindow = start_size
'Set the priority class
pclass = Priority_Class
'Start the program
If CreateProcess(vbNullString, App, sec1, sec2, False, pclass, _
0&, WorkDir, sinfo, pinfo) Then
'Wait
WaitForSingleObject pinfo.hProcess, dwMilliseconds
SuperShell = True
Else
SuperShell = False
End If
End Function
Private Sub Form_Load()
'KPD-Team 1998
'URL: http://www.allapi.net/
'E-Mail: KPDTeam@Allapi.net
'Set the dialog's title
CDBox.DialogTitle = "Choose an EXEC-File ..."
'Error when canceled
CDBox.CancelError = True
'Set the dialog's filter
CDBox.Filter = "EXEC-Files (*.exe)|*.exe|All files (*.*)|*.*"
'Show the 'Open File'-dialog
CDBox.ShowOpen
'Execute the program
SuperShell CDBox.filename, Left$(CDBox.filename, Len(CDBox.filename) - Len(CDBox.FileTitle)), 0, SW_NORMAL, HIGH_PRIORITY_CLASS
End
End Sub

hi cleverpig,
u know i have already mentioned in my question that i cant work out with using waitforsingleobject api. Coz it happens that my code doesnt execute till i terminate application opened using shell. THnks for ur reply nyways. I have worked out with a solution though, will try posting the solution later some time.

Wait for your solution..!!