How to release excel process?

Question

I'm using the Excel interop and it seems to be creating a process every time I call

new Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application()

And never ending the process even though I call

xlApp.Quit();

How can I get the processes to end?

Answer 1

Excel won't quit if you don't release used COM Objects.

This Answer should provide more information.

Answer 2

Are you releasing all of your references? (Which means you have to save them in the first place).

For example here's what's in my dispose from some excel interop():

    public void Dispose()
    {
        if(!this.disposed)
        {
            if(cell != null)
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(cell);

            if(cells != null)
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(cells);

            if(worksheet != null)
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(worksheet);

            if(worksheets != null)
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(worksheets);

            if (workbook != null)
            {
                workbook.Close(false, Type.Missing, Type.Missing);
                Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(workbook);
            }

            Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(workbooks);
            xlApp.Quit();
            Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(xlApp);

            GC.Collect();
            GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();

            disposed = true;
        }
    }

(Not sure if this is perfect but it worked for me!)

Answer 3

Most of the time this happens because you did modify the document and Excel is waiting for some saving. Try something like:

ObjWorkBook.Close(Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.XlSaveAction.xlDoNotSaveChanges, 
    Type.Missing, Type.Missing);

before quitting