What can or cannot you do in ::OnInitDialog() Visual Studio 2008 C++ I would like to write out some text on the dialog at the dialog startup. If I put the same code in a PUSH-BUTTON OnBnClicked it works. If I put it in the OnInit, it does not give me the text on the screen. I'm assuming at the OnInit, my dialog box is not completely up, so I cannot write on it? CRect drawRect; drawRect.left = 00; // Shifts text to right drawRect.right = 300; drawRect.top = 00; // How Far Down drawRect.bottom = 300; // Clear out any previous name CString strBlank = "Book Name"; SSTextOut(this->GetDC(), strBlank, &drawRect, DT_LEFT); The function I am writing to is described in http://www.codeproject.com/KB/GDI/SSTextOut.aspx