pv.exe – PrcView command line utility allows automating common task like 
figuring out if particular process is running or killing a running process 
on scheduler.

Checking if  a particular process is running is easy. For example the 
following command will show all instances of explorer that are running:
	pv explorer.exe

Setting a process priority is another common task. To set explorer priority 
to normal just type:
	pv –pn explorer.exe
or if you like a ‘verbose’ style
	pv -p"Normal" explorer.exe

pv supports the common ‘*’ and ‘?’ wildcards so that the following command 
will perfectly work by printing out all the processes starting with ‘e’
	pv  e*

Don’t like a particular process and would like to kill it? The following 
command will do the job:
	pv –k thisprocess.exe 

And if you don’t like additional questions and would like to force killing:
	pv –kf  thisprocess.exe

Don’t like this particular instance of the process and know the window title? 
The following command will do the job (please note that ‘\’ need to be 
represented as a ‘\\’ combination if  you enter it from the command line):
	pv -k thisprocess.exe -w"c:\\"

pv.exe can be easealy executed from a batch file to check if process is running. 
When writing a command file please note that the ERRORLEVEL number specifies 
a true condition if the last program run returned an exit code equal to or 
_greater_ than the number specified. 

The following script illustrates how this could be done:

@echo off
pv.exe %1 >nul
if ERRORLEVEL 1 goto Process_NotFound
:Process_Found
echo Process %1 is running
goto END
:Process_NotFound
echo Process %1 is not running
goto END
:END

Please note that redirecting standard errors by using 2>file_name does not work under 9x 
Windows. Please use "2>file_name" instead. This notation will be processed by pv.exe.

And finally a copy of the -? command:

pv displays information about the running processes.
pv v 3.11.1.1, Copyright (c) Igor Nys, 2000-2005.

Usage: pv -[<MODE>] -[<OPTIONS>] <ARGUMENTS>...-[<OPTIONS>]

Modes:
  -s       --summary   show usage for the specified MODULE
  -h,-?    --help      display this help information

Actions:
  -k       --kill      kill process
  -a       --activate  brings process main window in the foreground
  -c       --close     close (send WM_CLOSE) to the PROCESS
  -p[nihr] --priority  set priority to "Normal", "Idle", "High", "Real Time"
    [ba]               "Below Normal" and "Above Normal" only on W2K or higher

Output Options:
  -e,      --extend    show additional information if available
  -l,      --long      show command line (can also be a filter)
  -q,      --quiet     supress headers and produce a tab-separated list
  -b       --bare      show process ID only ()

Input Options:
  -f,      --force     never prompt
  -i,      --id        use process ID instead of the PROCESS name

Filters:
  -l[mask] --long      include processes with command line matching mask
  -w[mask] --window    show processes with visible windows matching mask,
                       -e includes in search also invisible windows
  -u[mask] --usage     show processes using modules that matches mask
  -t[root] --tree      display process tree starting starting from the root

Extra Information Options:
  -g       --getenv    get startup environment for the  PROCESS
  -m       --module    show modules used by specified PROCESS

Execution Options:
  -d[time] --delay     delay time in milliseconds before executing command
  -r[err]  --repeat    repeat command in a cycle, while (%ERRORLEVEL% > err)
  -n       --number    %ERRORLEVEL% = negated number of matched processes
  -x[a]    --exit      wait for the process completion (exit)
                        'a' flag waits for all processes, -d sets time-out
  -@[file_name]        read arguments from specified file or from
                       standard input after processing the command line

Arguments can contain '*' and '?' wildcards.

Use return code (%ERRORLEVEL%) in batch files:
    0 - process found (negated number of processes if -n is specified)
    1 - empty result set, 2 - programm error

Examples:
  pv myprocess.exe        get process ID for myprocess.exe.
  pv -e                   get extended list of running processes.
  pv -k sleep*            kill all processes starting with "sleep"
  pv -m -e explorer.exe   get extended information about explorer's modules
  pv -u oleaut*.dll       list of all processes that use matching dll
  pv -ph w*.exe           set priority to hight for all matching processes
  pv explorer.exe -l"*/S" looks for explorer process with /S switch
  pv -r0 -d2000 calc.exe "2>nul" checks every 2 seconds if calc.exe is running


Would like to add an example? Found any errors? Please write at support@prcview.com
or contact me directly at igornys@writeme.com

-------------------------------------------------
LIABILITY DISCLAIMER -- READ BEFORE using pv.exe
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS-IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED, 
IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING AND WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF 
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE 
AUTHOR OR HIS COMPANY BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR 
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR 
LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF INFORMATION, OR ANY OTHER LOSS) , 
WHETHER OR NOT ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE, AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, 
ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SOFTWARE.