Also try Application.CutCopyMode = False

I don't see why this is specifically a problem with VB - exactly equivalent code can be and often is written in C# and other languages.

Anyway, to be really sure the control is visible you should obviously write

If (myControl.Visible = True) = True Then...

so it doesn't effect performance
You mean "affect" (I hope)

What gets me is any error message with an exclamation mark at the end. "Date format is invalid!", "An unknown error has occurred!". Whenever I get one I automatically imagine the words "you idiot" added to the end. An equally annoying variant is a success message with an exclamation mark: e.g. testing an ODBC data sources gives "TESTS COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY!" - what, so that's such a big surprise that you have to shout at me?

This kind of thing is standard shortcut syntax in COBOL (or was when I last used COBOL many years ago): IF X = 1 OR 2 THEN... is the same as IF X = 1 OR X = 2 THEN... The big gotcha comes when you add a NOT into the mix. All new COBOL programmers would at some point write a statement like: IF X NOT = 1 OR 2 THEN.. which unfortunately expands to IF X NOT = 1 OR X NOT = 2 THEN.. so the condition is always satisfied. Some of those beginners learn from the experience and don't make the mistake again. Others, however....