Using Generic List(Of Form), Trouble gathering Object's Name Property - vb.net

Question

I have been very interested as of late in interfaces and the ability to further customize them beyond using them in their default state.
I have been researching IList(of T) specifically. The advantages of using generic lists as opposed to ArrayLists has astounded me. Here is a picture of a test. This is the site that goes into further explanation about the Test.
So, naturally I wanted to experiment. When I first iterate through the list with the ForNext method the code works fine. The second time I can't access the name of the Form in the list because it is disposed. Anyone have any insight how I can access the forms properties in the list.
Public Class frmMain
Dim Cabinet As List(Of Form) = New List(Of Form)
Dim FormA As New Form1
Dim FormB As New Form2
Dim FormC As New Form3
Private Sub frmMain_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles _Me.Load
Cabinet.Add(FormA)
Cabinet.Add(FormB)
Cabinet.Add(FormC)
End Sub
Sub displayForm(ByVal aForm As Form)
Dim myFormName As String = ""
Stopwatch.Start()
If aForm.IsDisposed = False Then
aForm.Show()
Else
myFormName = aForm.(How do I access this objects Name?)
aForm = New Form '<----- I would rather simply use aForm = New(aForm)
aForm.Name = myFormName
aForm.Show()
End If
Stopwatch.Stop()
Dim RealResult As Decimal = (Stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds / 1000)
Debug.WriteLine(RealResult)
Stopwatch.Reset()
End Sub
Private Sub btnForEach_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnForEach.Click
'Dim instance as List
'Dim action as Action(of T)
'instance.ForEach(action)
'action = delegate to a method that performs an action on the object passeed to it
Cabinet.ForEach(AddressOf displayForm)
End Sub
I really don't understand why if VB knows that this is a Generic list, which means it is knowledgable of the list's type, and the objects are all constrained to be forms; why I can't call a constructor on an item in the list. Ex. aForm = New aForm or aForm = New Cabinet.aForm
Tear this one open for me somebody. Thanks.

Answer 1

You can't construct a new instance of "aForm" because its isn't a type, it is an instance of type Form.
If you wanted to prevent the ObjectDisposedException, you could hide the form instead of closing it. Place the following code in each forms code behind:
Public Class Form1
Private Sub Form1_FormClosing(sender As Object, e As FormClosingEventArgs) Handles MyBase.FormClosing
Dim form = CType(sender, Form)
form.Visible = False
e.Cancel = True
End Sub
End Class
This is a bit hacky, however, but then you wouldn't need the code in the Else block.
Edit
You could try this instead:
Private Sub displayForm(ByVal aForm As Form)
Dim indexOfCab As Integer = Cabinet.IndexOf(aForm)
If indexOfCab <> -1 Then
If aForm.IsDisposed Then
aForm = CreateForm(aForm.GetType())
Cabinet(indexOfCab) = aForm
End If
aForm.Show()
End If
End Sub
Private Shared Function CreateForm(formType As Type) As Form
Return CType(Activator.CreateInstance(formType), Form)
End Function
You wouldn't need that big Select statement.

Answer 2

This is the only way I have been able to get it to work. I feel it is extremely inefficient however, and hope someone can set me on a path to a better way to do this. The below is what I'm trying to achieve.
Sub displayForm(ByVal aForm As Form)
Dim myFormName As String = ""
If Cabinet.Contains(aForm) Then
Dim indexOfCab As Integer = Cabinet.IndexOf(aForm)
Dim ObjForm As Form = Cabinet.Item(indexOfCab)
If aForm.IsDisposed Then
Select Case indexOfCab
Case 0
aForm = Nothing
aForm = New Form1
Cabinet.Item(indexOfCab) = aForm
Cabinet.Item(indexOfCab).Show()
Case 1
aForm = Nothing
aForm = New Form2
Cabinet.Item(indexOfCab) = aForm
aForm.Show()
Case 2
aForm = Nothing
aForm = New Form3
Cabinet.Item(indexOfCab) = aForm
Cabinet.Item(indexOfCab).Show()
End Select
Else
Cabinet.Item(indexOfCab).Show()
End If
End If
End Sub