Abstract: A method is disclosed for automatically exercising a target application process having a Graphical User Interface (GUI), as is a system for implementing a method and a computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, that embodies the method. The method includes the computer executed steps of starting the target application process; detecting a presence of a first window opened by the target application process; processing the first window by determining a content of the first window, including a list of user controls; exercising the user controls until all of the user controls have been exercised, with user controls likely to cause termination being identified and exercised after user controls that are less likely to cause termination; and closing the first window. The step of exercising includes steps of estimating a best order of execution of user controls and text to be input to user input fields.