Closing Word app, vb.net - vb.net

Question

i am trying to search within word documents, using vb.net it worked but i cant seem to close the files after searching them, here is the code i use
how to close the word apps after being searched ?
Dim oWord As Word.Application = Nothing
Dim oDocs As Word.Documents = Nothing
Dim oDoc As Word.Document = Nothing
Dim folderDlg As New FolderBrowserDialog
folderDlg.ShowNewFolderButton = True
If (folderDlg.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK) Then
Dim root As Environment.SpecialFolder = folderDlg.RootFolder
End If
Dim l_Dir As IO.DirectoryInfo
Dim fldpath As String = folderDlg.SelectedPath
If IO.Directory.Exists(fldpath) Then
l_Dir = New IO.DirectoryInfo(fldpath)
For Each l_File In Directory.GetFiles(fldpath, "*.docx")
Dim searchFor As String = TextBox1.Text
oWord = New Word.Application()
oWord.Visible = False
oDocs = oWord.Documents
oDoc = oDocs.Open(l_File, False)
oDoc.Content.Find.ClearFormatting()
Dim findText As String = searchFor
Try
If oDoc.Content.Find.Execute(findText) = True Then
MessageBox.Show("OK.")
oWord.NormalTemplate.Saved = True
oWord.ActiveDocument.Close(False)
oDoc.Close()
oWord.Quit()
If Not oDoc Is Nothing Then
Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(oDoc)
oDoc = Nothing
End If
If Not oDocs Is Nothing Then
Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(oDocs)
oDocs = Nothing
End If
If Not oWord Is Nothing Then
Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(oWord)
oWord = Nothing
End If
Else
MessageBox.Show("No.")
End If
Catch ex As Exception
End Try
ComboBox1.Items.Add(l_File)
Next
End If

Answer 1

First thing you should bear in mind is that "releasing the objects" in Word is not as difficult as in Excel and thus you are (unnecessarily) over-complicating things. In any case, you should intend to not over-declare variables (what is the exact point of oDocs?). And, lastly, you should always perform a step-by-step execution when things go wrong to find out what might be happening (you are applying your "objects release" only for "OK" cases, not in any situation: when the result is "No", the objects would have to be released too).
Here you have a corrected code accounting for all the aforementioned issues:
Dim oWord As Word.Application = Nothing
Dim oDoc As Word.Document = Nothing
Dim folderDlg As New FolderBrowserDialog
folderDlg.ShowNewFolderButton = True
If (folderDlg.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK) Then
Dim root As Environment.SpecialFolder = folderDlg.RootFolder
End If
Dim l_Dir As IO.DirectoryInfo
Dim fldpath As String = folderDlg.SelectedPath
If IO.Directory.Exists(fldpath) Then
l_Dir = New IO.DirectoryInfo(fldpath)
For Each l_File In Directory.GetFiles(fldpath, "*.docx")
Dim searchFor As String = TextBox1.Text
oWord = New Word.Application()
oWord.Visible = False
Try
oDoc = oWord.Documents.Open(l_File, False)
oDoc.Content.Find.ClearFormatting()
Dim findText As String = searchFor
Try
If oDoc.Content.Find.Execute(findText) = True Then
MessageBox.Show("OK.")
Else
MessageBox.Show("No.")
End If
Catch ex As Exception
End Try
oWord.NormalTemplate.Saved = True
ComboBox1.Items.Add(l_File)
Catch ex As Exception
End Try
oDoc = Nothing
oWord.Quit()
oWord = Nothing
Next
End If
NOTE: note that, when iterating through all the Word files in a folder (and, in general, ones from any MS Office program), you can find temporary copies (starting with "~$...") which might trigger an error when being opened (and thus not allow the object-releasing part to come into picture); also, in general, when opening files something might go wrong; this is what explains the new try...catch I added and why I put the releasing part after it.

Answer 2

I don't know Vb.net, but in F# I used
System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject xlApp |> ignore
after ".Quit()", to end the process, but you must search, how to give the name of your word application at the place of xlApp
I will place this after the "End If" at the end.
I hope it will be helpfull for you