How To Gracefully Terminate Python Process On Windows

I have a python 2.7 process running in the background on Windows 8.1. Is there a way to gracefully terminate this process and perform cleanup on shutdown or log off?

Solution 1:

Try using win32api.GenerateConsoleCtrlEvent.

I solved this for a multiprocessing python program here: Gracefully Terminate Child Python Process On Windows so Finally clauses run

I tested this solution using subprocess.Popen, and it also works.

Here is a code example:

import time
import win32api
import win32con
from multiprocessing import Process


def foo():
    try:
        while True:
            print("Child process still working...")
            time.sleep(1)
    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        print "Child process: caught ctrl-c"

if __name__ == "__main__":
    p = Process(target=foo)
    p.start()
    time.sleep(2)

    print "sending ctrl c..."
    try:
        win32api.GenerateConsoleCtrlEvent(win32con.CTRL_C_EVENT, 0)
        while p.is_alive():
            print("Child process is still alive.")
            time.sleep(1)
    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        print "Main process: caught ctrl-c"