Long Process - Do you know that you should show a progress bar and allow users to cancel?

The last thing a user wants is to be stuck waiting around for a long-running process to finish that they accidentally started in the first place. This heightens frustration with the application because:

• They do not know how long the process will last (adds uncertainty to the user experience)
• They cannot stop the process (creates lack of control in the user experience)

Instead, keep users happy with your application by:

• Showing status description information above the progress bar
• Allowing the user to stop the process at any time by clicking "Cancel" (or as a minimum, prompt for confirmation before the long running process starts)

We have a product called SSW .NET Toolkit which includes these controls. SSW .NET Toolkit - Using Progress bars/Status forms.