WinForms - Activity Indicator

Answer 1

Use either a custom developed threading model, or the BackgroundWorker.

Let the background thread periodically post events back to your main GUI thread using a delegate handler, take thread safety into account, or using the ProgressChanged event if you are using the BackgroundWorker.

Answer 2

Instead of writing this

public void DoWork()
{
  try
  {
     this.Cursor = Cursors.WaitCuros;
     DoSomeBigThing();
     . . . .
  }
  catch()
  {
      . . . ..
      . . . . .
  }
  finally
  {
      . . . .
      this.Cursor = Cursors.Default;
  }
}

1. Create your own mouse cursor (.cur file) with some free tools (Google or Bing for that)

2. Use AutoWaitCursor and set your mouse cursor to your own created cursor

   Cursor myCursor = new Cursor("myCoolCursor.cur");