Launch a windows process on a background desktop so any windows it creates are invisible.

spawndesk.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3

# Launch an application on a new desktop
# The motivation for this is another script that runs depends.exe in profiling mode.
# When depends.exe profiles the application the application's windows pop-up and get
# in the way.  It's really annoying, hence spawndesk.py

import sys
import random
import win32con
import win32event
import pywintypes

import win32process
import win32service

def quoteArg(arg):
    if arg.find(' ')>=0:
        return '"' + arg + '"'
    else:
        return arg

def main(args):
    
    # Boiler plate security attributes required by CreateDesktop()
    sa = pywintypes.SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES()
    sa.bInheritHandle=1

    # Random 8 character desktop name
    randomName = ''.join(random.sample('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz', 8))
    
    # Create the new desktop
    hdesk=win32service.CreateDesktop(randomName, 0, win32con.MAXIMUM_ALLOWED, sa)

    # StartupInfo structure that goes to the new desktop
    si=win32process.STARTUPINFO()
    si.lpDesktop=randomName

    # Convert ['test.exe', 'with space', 'nospace'] to 'test.exe "with space" nospace'
    cmdLine = ' '.join(map(quoteArg, args))
    
    try:
        # Launch the process
        prc_info=win32process.CreateProcess(None, cmdLine,None,None,True,win32con.CREATE_NEW_CONSOLE,None,'.',si)
        
        # Wait for it
        win32event.WaitForSingleObject(prc_info[0], -1)

    except Exception as e:
        print(e)

    # Cleanup
    hdesk.CloseDesktop()


if __name__=='__main__':
    main(sys.argv[1:])