Situation:
A GUI app contains functionality (off a menu option) that produces a frequently updated image to a directory.
A logged-in, running instance of the app is the ONLY source for this image (functionality 'reliant' on display device). I have researched this to death - it is a sad fact.
The GUI application offers COM interfaces, but none that generate the image.
GUI code cannot be change in the least (big surprise).
Requirement:
These current images are needed by other processes at various times.
Obvious solution:
A process that creates an instance of the GUI app and uses SendKeys to manipulate the controls to produce the image.
Roadblocks (do I need to elaborate)
Aside from the flakiness of Sendkeys - assuming that Sendkeys WAS reliable....
Sendkeys can't work when console session is locked (locked is production requirement)
SendMessage API can't send key combinations like 'shift/letter' (required to invoke menu option).
Questions
Is there any other way to programatically interact with the app when the session is locked?
Can a windows service unlock/lock the sesion at predetermined times - long enough to allow an image generation to occur.
I know, I know, its crap. ANY high level ideas and MOST opinions are appreciated ;)
Virtual PC.
Lock the host, not the virtual machine.
But to actually answer your question: i don't think you can send keys to a locked computer. Why? What if there are multiple logged in sessions; which one would it send the keys to?
Related
I am developing a macOS app which takes control of the cursor. I am using a CGEvent Tap and I am adding some arithmetic to the CGEvents in order to offset the final mouse position. Although the app is in principle working as expected, in some cases - more specifically: when running the app with certain popular illustration software and using a stylus pen - the app is producing some flickering 'ghost' positions for the mouse at its original location. The good thing is, this problem can be resolved when running the app while being logged in as root user. I have read quite some SO posts but this particular post addresses the issue best:
https://stackoverflow.com/a/9899901/5066660
As described in this post the issue is probably:
Unfortunately, the CGEventTapCreate() doc says:
Only processes running as the root user may locate an event tap at the point where HID events enter the window server; for other users, this function returns NULL.
Well the function is definitely not returning null because the tap is in effect. Also I tried all possible combinations of arguments for that function, but they all act the same. Further down in that post it is proposed to tackle the problem as follows:
Perhaps you can spin this functionality off into a separate process that has super-user permissions, leaving the rest of your app in normal user mode? I believe there's also a way to request root permissions for just a specific action taken by your program.
Now if this is a possible solution I would love to implement it! So my question is: how? I've stumbled upon running scripts with elevated permissions, but not just CoreGraphics code as for example an CGEventTap. Is this possible? Could anybody give me an example of how this could be accomplished, or any other solution to the problem?
All help is welcome, thank you very very much.
From Apple documentation:
Event taps receive key up and key down events if one of the following conditions is true:
- The current process is running as the root user.
- Access for assistive devices is enabled. In OS X v10.4, you can enable this feature using System Preferences, Universal Access panel, Keyboard view.
So giving the the application Accessibility rights solved it for me (no need to run as admin). This can be achieved System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Accessibility and add you program there.
I need to run a GUI script (AutoHotKey, which makes mouse clicks and press keys) on:
A different windows user (i.e. I run the script, then switch user
while keeping the session active)
A remote Amazon windows server (using remote desktop) where I also
run the script then close the Remote Desktop while keeping the
instance running
Unfortunately, in both cases, the script doesn't run as it seems that Windows enters a "GUI-less" mode where all GUI components are not active anymore.
Is there any solution to this?
Any hint would be greatly appreciated as I've now lost days trying to solve this!
Many thanks, Thomas
I do not believe this is possible due to the way Remote Desktop is implemented. When you close the RD connection, the GUI is no longer drawn. Therefore, AutoHotkey is unable to perform mouse clicks and key presses.
A possible workaround would be to make some registry tweaks (if possible on your server) which allow GUI interaction while minimized.
Locate HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client
Create RemoteDesktop SuppressWhenMinimized as DWORD with a value of 2
Registry Tweak Source
I manage a number of Windows PCs which are used to control equipment. Each computer has a specific program installed which is what people launch to use that equipment. We want to require people to log in before they can access this program.
Currently, I have a wxpython app which just launches that executable when people log in with the correct credentials. However, you can just run the program directly and bypass logging on. I'd like to make a mock logon screen, ie, fullscreen and modal, which only goes away when you log in. Also it should not be able to be bypassed by alt-tab, windows key, etc. How might I accomplish this with wxpython?
There is no full proof way to do this on Windows. You can show a wx.Frame modally using its MakeModal() method. And you can catch EVT_CLOSE and basically veto it it they try to close the frame. However, if they have access to the Task Manager or even Run, they can probably get around the screen. Most users won't be that smart though. You can delete the shortcuts to the apps you want to launch with wx and that will force most normal users to use your login screen. It's only the smart ones who like to troll through the file system who will go around it.
Before Windows 8, the method of adding a mailto: protocol handler was straightforward (as outlined here Register Windows program with the mailto protocol programmatically)
As of Windows 8, the old method no longer works. It would seem that Win8 enforces the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\URLAssociations\MAILTO\UserChoice.
It also appears the ProgID of the selected app is hashed and can't be forged, at least not that I can tell.
Does anyone have a working method for this, or can point me at a utility class/code that'll outline how to accomplish this programmatically?
For code, any language will do.
Edit
I've been asked from other discussions to specify a use-case, so I think it'd be helpful in the context of this question. Please consider this screenshot https://github.com/shellscape/Gmail-Notifier-Plus/raw/master/Promotional/prefs-account.png and the checkbox allowing the user to specify mailto handling. In this use-case, no one is forcing the user, the user is in control and makes the decision. While windows 8 store apps (metro/modern) have an available app manifest entry that automates the missing process described above, nothing seems to readily exist for desktop apps.
You can set your application to be activated by a custom protocol (like mailto:). When the user installs your app, if there is no other app supporting that protocol, they are not prompted and you are automatically assigned to that protocol.
If, however, the user already has an app that handles that protocol, then they will be prompted with a list of apps who support that protocol with the option to select the default. You cannot force the user to make a specific selection.
Also, if the user clicks on a protocol (like myprotocol:) and they have no app installed that handles that protocol then they will be sent to the store (app) which automatically searches for all apps that support that protocol. The user then installs whatever they want. You cannot force the user to make a specific selection (if any at all).
I wrote an article on protocol activation. It might be interesting to you: http://blog.jerrynixon.com/2012/10/walkthrough-using-windows-8-custom.html
So, I made Desktop Firefox my default mailto handler today in Windows 8 by adding the string value "mailto" to the HKCU\Software\Clients\StartMenuInternet\FIREFOX.EXE\Capabilities\URLAssociations and setting the value of "mailto" equal to the ProgID or "FirefoxURL". I then deleted the keys at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\URLAssociations\MAILTO\UserChoice to allow me to choose the default client again and this time Firefox was available for me to choose.
The essence of this question seems to be that one cannot take over the default client for any protocol anymore (post Windows 8). The user must choose. However, if you wanted to break the OS convention you could hook the call to create the choose default dialog, which would take research, effort, and be only a temporary kludge and would require "breaking" the OS, or you could send a double click to the dialog to choose for the user, assuming your program has elevated rights so that it can send clicks to Admin windows. That would probably be the easiest way, the user would never know what happened, just a quick flash. Really though, after registering itself as a protocol handler, I don't think any program should go beyond deleting the default protocol handler registry entry, thereby forcing the user to re-choose.
This is how to set mailto protocol manually and simply in Windows 8, 8.1, 2012, 2012R2
Add a new registry branch HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\mailto\UserChoice
Then click any mailto: link in your web browser, say IE
and finally there in a program list for you to choose which was not available before.
Also MAILTO appears in Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs now. There is no other option to add/remove a protocol from there.
You can't have your app directly take over file associations anymore in Windows 8. There are guidelines for how to handle this for both Windows Store and desktop applications here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh700321.aspx
I have a user that is currently running my Winforms app on Win7. My app allows users to select rows from an open Excel spreadsheet and drag-n-drop them onto the app. However, this user cannot do the drag-n-drop. The cursor changes to the "no" cursor (little circle with line through it) and the operation won't complete.
I was researching drag-n-drop and Win7 and everything I found points to UAC and/or UIPI. I was looking for some solutions and am not sure if any of the below would work:
If the user logs in as admin (and as a result runs my app as admin) would that allow drag-n-drop to work?
Does the user need to turn off or change the settings of UAC/UIPI in order to be able to drag-n-drop?
I am not sure what the issue is. My app usually runs from C:/Documents and Settings/... (C:/Users/... on Win7). Does where it is running from matter? Does drag-n-drop not work because the user is not running my app with enough permissions? Are his Excel and my app on different permission levels? If so, what can be done about that? Note that even though my app allows users to just drag the file directly, that doesn't work either.
Also, is there any way I can have the user reproduce this issue with other apps? Are there apps that come with Win7 that he can see the same problem with. For example, can this be reproduced using Notepad?
Thanks.
Explaining this problem away by UIPI is a very long stretch. It doesn't have anything to do with whether or not the user is logged-in as an admin, that doesn't affect UAC and your program will be running with that same account anyway. The only way UIPI could kick in to stop a D+D is when your program is elevated and Excel is not.
To get yourself elevated requires work and doesn't happen by accident. You'd have to include a manifest so that the user gets the UAC prompt, you'd know about that. Or the user would have to change the desktop shortcut and tick the "Run this program as an administrator" option, she's know about that. While UIPI can be bypassed for Windows messages (ChangeWindowMessageFilter), it cannot for Drag and Drop so if any elevation is going on then your stuck. The ultimate test is to simply ask the user to put the UAC slider all the way down.
The much more likely scenario is that your DragEnter event handler simply isn't happy with the data it sees and therefore doesn't assign the e.Effect property. If you can't get a debugger on-site then write a little test program that logs the values of e.Data.GetFormats() plus whatever else you use to check if the drop is acceptable. And don't forget the obvious: the user simply fumbling the drag somehow.