Form is not updating, after custom class event is fired - vb.net

Question

I'm having an issue where my main form isn't updating even though I see the event fire off. Let me explain the situation and share some of my code which I'm sure will be horrible since I'm an amateur.
I created a class to take in the settings for running a process in the background. I add some custom events in that class so I could use that in my form instead of a timer.
I put a break on the two subs for that handle those events and I see them get kicked off as soon as an install starts.
I look at the data and it's coming across and no exceptions are thrown.
At first I thought it was because the datagridview had some latency issues. I set that to be double buffered through some tricks I found but it didn't matter. There was still a roughly 10 second delay before the data showed up in the datagrid.
I thought about it and decided I really didn't need a datagridview and replaced the control with a multiline textbox, but it didn't make a difference. It's still taking 10 seconds or longer to show updates to the form/textbox.
I've included some of my code below.
Public Shared WithEvents np As NewProcess
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
Try
np = New NewProcess
AddHandler np.InstallFinished, AddressOf np_InstallFinished
AddHandler np.InstallStarted, AddressOf np_InstallStarted
Catch ex As Exception
End Try
End Sub
Protected Sub np_InstallFinished(ByVal Description As String, ByVal ExitCode As Integer)
InstallInProcess = False
If Not Description = Nothing Then
If Not ExitCode = Nothing Then
AddLog(String.Format("Completed install of {0} ({1}).", Description, ExitCode))
Else
AddLog(String.Format("Completed install of {0}.", Description))
End If
End If
RefreshButtons()
UpdateListofApps()
np.Dispose()
End Sub
Protected Sub np_InstallStarted(ByVal Description As String)
InstallInProcess = True
If Not Description = Nothing Then AddLog(String.Format("Started the install of {0}.", Description))
End Sub
Public Class NewProcess
Dim ProcessName As String
Dim ProcessVisibile As Boolean
Dim Arguments As String
Dim WaitforExit As Boolean
Dim Description As String
Dim ShellExecute As Boolean
Dim EC As Integer = Nothing 'Exit Code
Private IsBusy As Boolean = Nothing
Dim th As Threading.Thread
Public Event InstallFinished(ByVal Description As String, ByVal ExitCode As Integer)
Public Event InstallStarted(ByVal Description As String)
Public Function Busy() As Boolean
If IsBusy = Nothing Then Return False
Return IsBusy
End Function
Public Function ExitCode() As Integer
Return EC
End Function
Public Function ProcessDescription() As String
Return Description
End Function
''' <summary>
''' Starts a new multithreaded process.
''' </summary>
''' <param name="path">Path of the File to run</param>
''' <param name="Visible">Should application be visible?</param>
''' <param name="Arg">Arguments</param>
''' <param name="WaitforExit">Wait for application to exit?</param>
''' <param name="Description">Description that will show up in logs</param>
''' <remarks>Starts a new multithreaded process.</remarks>
Public Sub StartProcess(ByVal path As String, ByVal Visible As Boolean, Optional ByVal Arg As String = Nothing, Optional ByVal WaitforExit As Boolean = False, Optional ByVal Description As String = Nothing)
Try
Me.ProcessName = path
Me.ProcessVisibile = Visible
If Arguments = Nothing Then Me.Arguments = Arg
Me.Description = Description
Me.WaitforExit = WaitforExit
If IsBusy And WaitforExit Then
MessageBox.Show("Another install is already in process, please wait for previous install to finish.", "Warning", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning)
Exit Sub
End If
If Not fn_FileExists(ProcessName) Then
MessageBox.Show("Could not find file " & ProcessName & ".", "Could not start process because file is missing.", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error)
Exit Sub
End If
th = New Threading.Thread(AddressOf NewThread)
With th
.IsBackground = True
If Not Description Is Nothing Then .Name = Description
.Start()
End With
Catch ex As Exception
End Try
End Sub
Private Sub NewThread()
Dim p As Process
Try
p = New Process
With p
.EnableRaisingEvents = True
.StartInfo.Arguments = Arguments
.StartInfo.FileName = ProcessName
.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = ProcessVisibile
End With
If ProcessVisibile Then
p.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Normal
Else
p.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
End If
p.Start()
IsBusy = True
RaiseEvent InstallStarted(Description)
If WaitforExit Then
Do While p.HasExited = False
Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
Loop
IsBusy = False
RaiseEvent InstallFinished(Description, p.ExitCode)
End If
EC = p.ExitCode
Catch ex As Exception
End Try
End Sub
Public Sub Dispose()
ProcessName = Nothing
ProcessVisibile = Nothing
Arguments = Nothing
WaitforExit = Nothing
Description = Nothing
EC = Nothing
InstallInProcess = Nothing
th.Join()
MemoryManagement.FlushMemory()
End Sub
End Class
Sub AddLog(ByVal s As String)
Try
s = String.Format("[{0}] {1}", TimeOfDay.ToShortTimeString, s)
Form1.tbLogs.AppendText(s & vbCrLf)
Using st As New StreamWriter(LogFilePath, True)
st.WriteLine(s)
st.Flush()
End Using
Catch ex As Exception
End Try
End Sub
Any idea's? I'm at a complete loss.
I've tried adding application.doevents, me.refresh and quite a few other things :(

Answer 1

Form1.tbLogs.AppendText(s & vbCrLf)
Standard VB.NET trap. Form1 is a class name, not a reference to the form. Unfortunately, VB.NET implemented an anachronism from VB6 where that was legal. It however falls apart when you use threads. You'll get another form object automatically created, one that isn't visible because its Show() method was never called. Otherwise dead as a doornail since the thread is not pumping a message loop.
You'll need to pass a reference to the actual form object that the user is looking at to the worker class. The value of Me in the Form1 code. You will also have to use Control.Invoke since it isn't legal to update controls from another thread. I recommend you fire an event instead, one that Form1 can subscribe to, so that your worker class isn't infected with implementation details of the UI.

Answer 2

Some suggestions:
First make it work without threads. (Ironical you call yourself an amateur, It so happened I only learned to do that after I was past the 'amateur' stage)
Don't try to update the GUI Controls from a background thread. That's forbidden in windows. I'm not sure that's what you do (no VB guru), but it sure looks like it.
Use the .net BackgroundWorker class. It has builtin functionality to talk back to the main thread from a background thread. It's not perfect but a good start.

Answer 3

You got me pointed in the right direction. Thanks Hans. This was my solution:
Private Sub SetText(ByVal [text] As String)
If Me.tbLogs.InvokeRequired Then
Dim d As New SetTextCallback(AddressOf SetText)
Me.Invoke(d, New Object() {[text]})
Else
Me.tbLogs.Text = [text]
End If
End Sub
Private Sub np_InstallStarted(ByVal Description As String)
InstallInProcess = True
If Me.tbLogs.Text = "" Then
SetText(String.Format("[{0}] Started the install of {1}.{2}", TimeOfDay.ToShortTimeString, Description, vbCrLf))
Else
SetText(tbLogs.Text & vbCrLf & String.Format("[{0}] Started the install of {1}.{2}", TimeOfDay.ToShortTimeString, Description, vbCrLf))
End If
End Sub
Private Sub np_InstallFinished(ByVal [Description] As String, ByVal [ExitCode] As Integer)
InstallInProcess = False
If Not Description = Nothing Then
If Not ExitCode = Nothing Then
SetText(tbLogs.Text & vbCrLf & String.Format("[{0}] Completed install of {1} ({2}).{3}", TimeOfDay.ToShortTimeString, Description, ExitCode, vbCrLf))
Else
SetText(tbLogs.Text & vbCrLf & String.Format("[{0}] Completed install of {1}.{3}", TimeOfDay.ToShortTimeString, Description, vbCrLf))
End If
End If
RefreshButtons()
UpdateListofApps()
np.Dispose()
End Sub
So when the event kicks off that the install has started or finished, I use the SetText to update the log on the original form.
Problem is I posted that original post as an "unregistered user" so now I'm trying to figure out a way to say the question was answered. Thanks again for your help!