Locking Desktop

[georgepatotk]

I wanna avoid user from using computer for other purpose except my program.

and when my program is closed, i want the windows to shut down as well.

 

the locking means: lock ALT+CTRL+DEL, ALT+F4, Start Menu, and Taskbar.

 

Please help.. thanks

[forgottensoul]

Have you thought about running your program as a screen saver with the machine being password locked?

[georgepatotk]

not a bad idea. I think this is achievable..

Any other ideas?

[penfold69]

in:

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

 

look for the key: "Shell" and change it to point to your application instead.

 

This will run your application instead of explorer.exe when windows logs on.

 

YMMV, and it may bork you rmachine ;)

 

P.

[mskeel]

I'm just curious here.

 

Why do you want to do this?

[georgepatotk]

I am doing an application, where i want to load only my software and restrict my users to use other programs. Just my application.

 

In the other word, the operating system will just support my application.

[georgepatotk]

Thanks penfold69. this is an easy solution. I will test it out.

[mskeel]

I am doing an application, where i want to load only my software and restrict my users to use other programs. Just my application.

Right. I understand that part. What will your application do? This isn't anything malicious is it? I recall viruses back in the day that after a certain amount of time would lock the computer and you'd get a message about a rock or boulder or something (or being rocked I don't remember). Anyway, this is sounding like the beginning of very bad things.

 

In my opinion, whatever you are doing sounds like a really bad idea. Whatever your application is, nobody wants their computer reduced to an $800 [insert name of your app here] runner. If it were my machine, I'd be extremely upset to say the least.

[georgepatotk]

mskeel,

 

for certain reasons like ATM machine. what you want the users to do other than just doing transactions? you want the users to suft net using your ATM machine?

[snarfblam]

In my opinion, whatever you are doing sounds like a really bad idea. Whatever your application is, nobody wants their computer reduced to an $800 [insert name of your app here] runner. If it were my machine, I'd be extremely upset to say the least.

I'd say George is right on this one. Obviously, I don't want my desktop computer to lock me out and become a single-purpose machine, but when you are dealing with something such as a kiosk (or an ATM), that is exactly what you want. In business applications, there can be many reasons to want to limit functionality and to use a PC as a single purpose machine. A computer dedicated to inventory management in a warehouse, or to be used as a cash register (I know I have seen registers powered by Windows). While locking a user out can be malicious, It can also be very useful.

[mskeel]

Are you writing an ATM?

 

If I were charged with writing ATM or kiosk software, I wouldn't. I would buy it.

 

Kiosks and ATMs are a completely different beast. They use embedded fault tolerant operating systems, have specialized hardware, and different input devices (or methods) for users and for technicians. Heh, I've never seen an ATM with a ctrl, alt, or delete button on it. ;) My point is that your comparison of PC to ATM (or cash register or even kiosk) doesn't make sense because these devices are protected and limited in other ways. Unlike your computer.

 

Since you are hell bent on this approach, figure out how to load the windows kernel and then boot your ATM4PC application instead of all the regular windows junk. penfold69 already told you how to do that. I'd start with that. Since you'll never be able to use your PC for anything else again, set up a dual boot so your machine isn't rendered completely useless.

 

I'd also check out Windows CE. It's embedded and fault tolerant and I know that a lot of these types of single purpose applications use it (such as wawa sandwich ordering kiosks). It might be easier to accomplish this task on Windows CE than Windows XP since it is intended for these types of applications.

[snarfblam]

Since you are hell bent on this approach[/Quote]

A little critical, mskeel. There are ATMs that run on Windows Xp. Specialized hardware is expensive, and a PC isn't. But, obviously, we aren't programming an ATM here. And I would venture a guess that George won't be using special input devices. I'm not looking to split hairs here, but there are situations where PCs and even Windows are used for this type of thing, and there are enough reasons for it and against it.

 

Maybe we want to provide a back door for administrators to get to the Xp desktop? And then, have you ever gone to an electronics store and looked at the computers? There is a good chance that they were running Windows with a kiosk program that locked you out and demanded a password if you tried to get to the desktop. Maybe George is taking the right approach, and maybe he isn't. The fact is that he hasn't shared what he is doing, and neither of us really know enough to say that he is right or wrong. And apologies for the fact that at this point I am not contributing to the sake of the topic.

[PlausiblyDamp]

It might be easiest to use your application as the windows shell clicky has a brief run down of what you need to do (basically change a registry key to point to your application).

[georgepatotk]

First of all, thanks for penfold69 for guiding me thru the right way. I had got it done pretty well.

 

For marble_eater, I am doing POS system, and my POS system able to integrated with many other sub system. Such as Customer Self-Ordering System, Kiosk Ordering System, Pocket PC Ordering system, Kitchen Reminder System, Inventory Tracking system and all these systems are run under windows, probably XP and maybe Vista(not yet tested).

 

Since there will are so many computers involved in my applications, my thinking and also my clients thinking, we want to limit the usage of the comptuers are we want to lower down the percentage of virus infection. Becauase when computers are being exposed to Internet, the chances to get infected are very high. As to solve this problem, me and most of my clients do figure out that limitation of the computers usage could solve this problem very well.

 

I understand that limit the usage of computer is a waste for computers. But, this is actually to reduce the supportive works. Less problems means less works and higher quality of our products.

 

Anyhow, I had designed my application as when my application is being close, it will ask for authetication. If authetication is approved, the computer will proceed with normal desktop operation, means I call up Explorer.exe. So, this still a good for support persons and admin staff.

 

I had been quite a while away from Xtreme, nice to see such response in my thread. Thanks dudes.... Marble Eater, are you the one from Texas?

[mskeel]

Thanks!

 

OOOOooohhh! So you're working on an advanced POS System. Cool.

 

It was never my intention to be harsh or critical. I did get a little annoyed when I asked, "Sounds interesting, what are you working on?" and you replied "Locking people out of their computer." Your project sounds cool. Thanks for (finally) sharing.

 

p.s. I know that some ATM's do run on Windows XP (I'm not even sure why this came up in the first place) but this (among other reasons) is why I would consider other options. :D

[penfold69]

Re: Thanks!

 

Glad I could help.

 

I work for a manufacturing company and we've deployed touch-screen computers onto the shop floor, running monitoring software that has been developed in .NET

 

We use this method for exactly the reasons above - the monkeys on the shop floor can't play around. They're limited to our software and nothing else.

 

The technicians have access to the main explorer.exe from a set of password protected forms within the app.

 

Its a lovely solution, and because it uses commodity hardware and software it's reasonably cheap, compared to embedded touchscreens running CE.

 

P.

[Illusion]

Re: Thanks!

 

its not always XP .. I saw a cash machine which crashed and went into windows ME .... it finally made sense, the machine was always very very slow at giving out money.. and it was powered by ME .. lol

[mandelbrot]

Re: Thanks!

 

Just for input's sake - you could use Microsoft's policy editors to restrict access to most aspects of the OS. A colleague and I wrote a kiosk system using VB6 several years ago, and, with the use of modal forms and policy control, prevented any contact for the user with the OS. The OS could be accessed by the operator via a hidden password facility.

 

There's always less ... destructive ways of skinning the proverbial cat!

 

 

Paul.