Locked Computer (WIN XP Pro)

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I have a screen saver activate after 5 minutes of non-use which requires a password to access the desktop (you must also press Ctrl+Alt+Del to get to the password window). I am working with a scheduling program (Robo Task) to open a program, and then send numerous key strokes via Robo Task to run the program. Robo Task runs flawlessly so long as the windows desktop as active; but when the screen saver is active, all of the keystrokes sent by Robo Task are ignored. Even if I configure Robo Task to send keys to the Computer Locked dialog box, these keys are also ignored.

It seems there is no way to deactivate the screen saver and return to the desktop via Robo Task. Is the some other program that can run off a scheduler to deactivate the screen saver and enter a password to “unlock” the PC? Again, once the desktop is active Robo Task flawlessly sends all the key strokes to run my process. I would rather not leave my PC without a screen saver and password feature during off business hours for security reasons.

The best of all alternatives would de-activate the screen saver via an automatic password entry and immediately re-active the screen saver when my tasks are completed via Robo Task. A goal that is probably not possible. THANKS.

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I’m not sure if you have a screen saver executable running or the screen is simply locking (like the Windows key + L). If it works when you lock the screen without a screen saver, I recommend that. If it doesn’t work when the screen is locked, maybe the program’s publisher has a workaround. I’m sure a lot of people want to have scheduled tasks run when their screen is locked.

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I’m not sure if you have a screen saver executable running or the screen is simply locking (like the Windows key + L). If it works when you lock the screen without a screen saver, I recommend that. If it doesn’t work when the screen is locked, maybe the program’s publisher has a workaround. I’m sure a lot of people want to have scheduled tasks run when their screen is locked.

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My understanding is that Cntrl-Alt-Delete can not be intercepted by any program which is why it can be used to bypass a hung application. (Perhaps it can only be read by the BIOS?) I also recall there being some security reason – i.e. it requires input from the keyboard rather than by a hacker. I suspect you may find that ‘locking’ the computer does just that.

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I am using the standard screen saver as provided under the screen saver tab in the display properties. I have the block checked for “on resume password protect”. Alternatively, I could use a third party screen saver program if it could be de-activated via a scheduler and then re-activated by a scheduler. Do you know of any such software?

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Try this: set Screen Saver to None, but lock the PC using Window+L or Ctrl+Alt+Del then Lock Computer. Does that work any better?

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If I uncheck the box “On resume, password protect” on the screen saver tab of the display properties, then robo task will run the tasks from the scheduler and send the appropriate key strokes to run the requested program. If I set the screen saver to none and lock the PC using the Window +L, then RoboTask will seem like it runs (i.e., sends the key strokes but the key strokes are ignored and the requested program does not run). I wonder if a simple screen saver program with a password would work but am somewhat afraid to download one given all of the spyware. I know when I used Win98, I had a simple screen saver program with a password. The password would keep the janitor out, etc but would allow the Robo Task to run.

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If I uncheck the box “On resume, password protect” on the screen saver tab of the display properties, then robo task will run the tasks from the scheduler and send the appropriate key strokes to run the requested program. If I set the screen saver to none and lock the PC using the Window +L, then RoboTask will seem like it runs (i.e., sends the key strokes but the key strokes are ignored and the requested program does not run). I wonder if a simple screen saver program with a password would work but am somewhat afraid to download one given all of the spyware. I know when I used Win98, I had a simple screen saver program with a password. The password would keep the janitor out, etc but would allow the Robo Task to run.

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Try this: set Screen Saver to None, but lock the PC using Window+L or Ctrl+Alt+Del then Lock Computer. Does that work any better?

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Take a look here and see if any of these apps are the answer to your problem.

I also came across this information…… Open or create a group policy at the proper level (domain or OU) navigate to user config – admin templates – control panel – display. Set the Activate screen saver – Screen saver exe (all computers must have the exe for this to work) – Password protect – and screen saver time out. here. Which seems to indicate that you could make the changes you are interested in using the Group Policy editor. Exactly how to do this, I’m not sure.

a while later
Take a look here for some information on Group Policy Editor settings and what they can change. Be very careful using GPE. It is a powerful tool and can render you machine inoperable if used incorrectly.

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Thanks for the links. I’d rather not fool with the group policies since this topic is clearly beyond my limited skill set. It is definitely the “lock” feature on the XP screen saver (i.e., placing a check in the box on rentry, password protect, in the display settings) that causes the problem. The Robo Task program developer e-mailed me back and said he knows of no way to “unlock” the PC once it has been “locked” via the XP screen saver ( i.e., or manually by the user using hot keys) without actual keyboard entry. I did find that the WIndow power toys would enable me to “delay” the locking of the PC once the screen saver is activated. This will only work provided that I am in the office each day. I would then set the lock feature for a two hour delay after the screen saver is activated, RoboTask would run and then the screen saver would activate again and two hours later the lock feature is enabled. But if I don’t come to work the next day to unlock my PC, then the task will not run that evening. Given vacation days and all day off-site meetings, this alternative will not work.

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Thanks for the links. I’d rather not fool with the group policies since this topic is clearly beyond my limited skill set. It is definitely the “lock” feature on the XP screen saver (i.e., placing a check in the box on rentry, password protect, in the display settings) that causes the problem. The Robo Task program developer e-mailed me back and said he knows of no way to “unlock” the PC once it has been “locked” via the XP screen saver ( i.e., or manually by the user using hot keys) without actual keyboard entry. I did find that the WIndow power toys would enable me to “delay” the locking of the PC once the screen saver is activated. This will only work provided that I am in the office each day. I would then set the lock feature for a two hour delay after the screen saver is activated, RoboTask would run and then the screen saver would activate again and two hours later the lock feature is enabled. But if I don’t come to work the next day to unlock my PC, then the task will not run that evening. Given vacation days and all day off-site meetings, this alternative will not work.

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Take a look here and see if any of these apps are the answer to your problem.

I also came across this information…… Open or create a group policy at the proper level (domain or OU) navigate to user config – admin templates – control panel – display. Set the Activate screen saver – Screen saver exe (all computers must have the exe for this to work) – Password protect – and screen saver time out. here. Which seems to indicate that you could make the changes you are interested in using the Group Policy editor. Exactly how to do this, I’m not sure.

a while later
Take a look here for some information on Group Policy Editor settings and what they can change. Be very careful using GPE. It is a powerful tool and can render you machine inoperable if used incorrectly.

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I am using the standard screen saver as provided under the screen saver tab in the display properties. I have the block checked for “on resume password protect”. Alternatively, I could use a third party screen saver program if it could be de-activated via a scheduler and then re-activated by a scheduler. Do you know of any such software?

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Must not be entirely true as VNC can send CTL+ALT+DEL to a remote system.

Joe

--Joe

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Obviously thought up before VNC then!
(Apparently the key sequence was chosen as the most unlikley combination a user could unintentionally enter…)

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Obviously thought up before VNC then!
(Apparently the key sequence was chosen as the most unlikley combination a user could unintentionally enter…)

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Must not be entirely true as VNC can send CTL+ALT+DEL to a remote system.

Joe

--Joe

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My understanding is that Cntrl-Alt-Delete can not be intercepted by any program which is why it can be used to bypass a hung application. (Perhaps it can only be read by the BIOS?) I also recall there being some security reason – i.e. it requires input from the keyboard rather than by a hacker. I suspect you may find that ‘locking’ the computer does just that.

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Jim

By sheer chance, I wrote a BATch file some time back to kill a screen saver, which you could schedule. As it stands, once started it checks every 20 minutes to see if the screensaver has cut in, and causes it to exit if it’s found active. If you don’t have any of the Resource Kits, it is trivial to use PSLIST and PSKILL from SysInternals instead of what’s in there…

With a more precise statement of what you actually want, I could modify it to suit!

(See the Attachment, which is in TXT file format).

John

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Ideally, I need to de-activate the screen saver (with enable password on re-entry selected) via a scheduler, then run the tasks via a scheduler (Robo Task) and then re-activate the screen saver with enable password on re-entry. Would need this screen saver killer / reactivation on a Monday-Friday scheduler. Therefore, the kill the screen saver, run the tasks, re-activate the screen saver processes would run nightly regardless of whether I was in the office during the normal business hours. Do you know if once you “kill” the screen saver it can be re-activated, on a night-after-night process, via a scheduler, during the normal work week? THANKS.

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Jim

I can just kill the screen-saver without requiring/supplying a password.

A bit of quick Googling seems to indicate that a neat way of restarting the screensaver is to Lock the Workstation (is this familiar to anyone?!) with:
%windir%system32rundll32 user32.dll,LockWorkStation
Obvious, isn’t it!

How are you running RoboTask? If via a BATch file, you could precede RoboTask with the kill and follow it with the re-enable. So much better tying the three operations together.

I am very limited for time tomorrow, so can you supply me with the RoboTask stuff which I can CALL from a BATch file (to save messing it about)?

:: disable screen saver

:: Robotask
CALL JIMSTUFF

:: restart screensaver
as above

A bit like that...

John

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John,
RoboTask stays minimized on the windows tray and runs on its own scheduler. You can find out more info at www. robotask.com. Within RoboTask I could call the kill and re-activate batch files. I did go look at the sysinternals stuff, ie the PSkill, but how do I know what the name of the active screen saver is? THANKS.

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Jim

If you look at the earlier attachment, you will see that TLIST is listing all the processes, including the one we’re interested in, which will be called .scr. We find the Process ID (PID) and use that as a parameter to the KILL command, to kill the screensaver — whatever it is.

Similarly, locking the workstation invokes the screensaver — whatever it is! (You set it up yourself, probably ages ago).

So I assume you want two BATch files which will be scheduled by RoboTask:
SS-OFF.BAT which will kill the current screensaver (if running), and give back the desktop
SS-ON.BAT which will lock the workstation and thus start the screensaver again.

Having a quick look at the results of PSLIST indicates that I don’t seem to get the .scr extension, so we will need to use TLIST. Do you have any of the NT4 or Windows 2000 Resource Kit utilities?

I will try writing something at work before I go out at 09:00 tomorrow.

John

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No, I don’t, at least knowlingly, have the Resource Kit utilities. All I ever did, as the company mandates it, was to go the display panel and select the screensaver tab. I left the drop down box at the default Windows XP screensaver and clicked on the button upon resume password protect. Thats it…would guess from your commentary that XP then creates an *.scr file to reflect my activation of the screen saver. Where can I find tlist.exe?

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No, I don’t, at least knowlingly, have the Resource Kit utilities. All I ever did, as the company mandates it, was to go the display panel and select the screensaver tab. I left the drop down box at the default Windows XP screensaver and clicked on the button upon resume password protect. Thats it…would guess from your commentary that XP then creates an *.scr file to reflect my activation of the screen saver. Where can I find tlist.exe?

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John,
Been doing some research..you would need to use a tasklist.exe program for XP Pro. This program replaced the tlist.exe program used in NT and Win2000. Assume the batch file identifies the *.scr file and then passes it to the kill function. I am wondering though when the computer is locked via the command line you stated in an earlier post, if the screen saver is actually re-activated? Lets assume that I am away from the office for a day. The next night when the batch file cycles after being launched by the scheduler or Robotask, will the batch file find a *.scr file since the computer was locked on the previous night by the command line function and the screen saver didn’t re-activate? Or do I merely kill the screen saver, run the Robotasks and then let the system return to the screen saver after 5 minutes of inactivity per the setting on screen saver tab in the display properties? This way there is the same *.scr file on the second night in my example scenario. Of course, I assume that the Win XP screen saver will fire up in five minutes after being killed off without the password by the batch file. I wonder if this is a sound assumption. THANKS.

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Jim

Yes, you’re right that it would be easier to use XP’s TASKLIST.EXE, because you get that free of effort in WINDOWSSYSTEM32! All you would need to obtain would be PSKILL.EXE from SysInternals, and put it somewhere in the path (say the same directory?).

However, I’ve hit a major snag in that the testing of this mechanism was done on NT4, not on XP. In XP you can kill the screensaver BUT you are left with the workstation still locked! I will have to see if I can get it to be unlocked (effectively relogging on) via a utility. (Perhaps Autologon, also from SysInternals, can do this? I have no time today to investigate).

Anyway, I’ll give you what I’ve done so far

:: SS-OFF.BAT
@echo off
:: if there’s a screensaver running, kill it
set pid=
for /f “tokens=2” %%x in (‘tasklist ^| find /i “.scr”‘) do set pid=%%x
if defined pid pskill %pid% & set pid=

:: SS-ON.BAT
@echo off
:: if there’s no screensaver running, restart it by locking the workstation
set pid=
for /f “tokens=2” %%x in (‘tasklist ^| find /i “.scr”‘) do set pid=%%x
if not defined pid rundll32 user32.dll,LockWorkStation
set pid=

It occurs to me that your RoboTask work probably has to complete before the screensaver cuts in again automatically…!

John

PS It would be SO much easier if your RoboTask chap could get it to run even if the workstation was locked?!

PPS Forgot to answer your question about the screensaver files. If you do DIR C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32*.SCR you will find a whole lot of files you rcognise. When you choose a screensaver, all you’re doing is selecting one of these (or some other) to run after the expiration of the “no keyboard action” time limit. They are permanent files. All I’m doing is killing the task in memory.

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John,
This is the e-mail commentary that I received from the developer of Robo Task:

If screen saver is protected with password “Windows” locks your session every time when screen saver is launched. At locked session the system ignore all keyboard and mouse events. Therefore you can’t use “send keystroke” action at locked session, because windows ignore keystroke emulation.
Generally speaking there is no way to unlock the session from within the locked session. You can do it from outside only. It’s a “windows” property.

It seems that from everything I can read, that once one locks XP either via hot keys or a screen saver, there is no way to unlock it without a physical movement of the mouse or an actually keyboard entry. That is why I was wondering whether I should just skip the XP screen saver and put a third party password screen saver on…this wouldn’t lock the computer but the password would keep the curious out of the machine (janitor, etc.). I would think that it would accept a simulated key board entry from RoboTask and then accept the simulated entry of the password. I am just not sure if I want to ruin my main work PC to find out and download software with spyware, malware, etc in it…. Screensaver and cursor programs are famous for this type of activity. THANKS again for all of your help.

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Be carefully, some screen savers will use the Windows API’s, and you will be in the same boat.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Be carefully, some screen savers will use the Windows API’s, and you will be in the same boat.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Jim

Could I please ask you do download, run, and enable AUTOLOGON from Sysinternals? Read the fairly sketchy instructions — to me it means that it will set things up so that if the workstation is unlocked by some means, then you are already logged on.

Then try to get Robotask to:
run SS-OFF.BAT
do the RoboTask work you want to do
run SS-ON.BAT

It would be of interest to me to see if this all works!

With regard to what your RoboTask author says: Yes, he’s probably correct that passing keystokes (except Ctrl-Alt-Del) and mouse movements to XP when the workstation is locked will cause no action BUT this isn’t what we’re doing! We’re causing Win 32 APIs to be issued via these utility programs, which is what Windows XP uses anyway. A third-party screen saver will do much the same sort of things as Microsoft’s ones do.

I will see how much testing I can give this tomorrow early, and in the afternoon, if necessary. But YOURS is the machine I need to get it working on!

John

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John,
Downloaded and installed. Followed the instructions, but I really don’t think this works with XP Pro. I run the autolog.exe file, enter my password and click enable. Get a dialog box stating that its enabled…but not sure what to do next. When XP pro goes to the screen saver and I hit enter to disable it, I still have to enter ctrl+alt+del and enter my password to unlock the PC. If I was still logged in, would not think that I’d need to do this. My guess is that it only works for NT and Win 2000.

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John,
Downloaded and installed. Followed the instructions, but I really don’t think this works with XP Pro. I run the autolog.exe file, enter my password and click enable. Get a dialog box stating that its enabled…but not sure what to do next. When XP pro goes to the screen saver and I hit enter to disable it, I still have to enter ctrl+alt+del and enter my password to unlock the PC. If I was still logged in, would not think that I’d need to do this. My guess is that it only works for NT and Win 2000.

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John,
Further info…I decided to re-boot my PC and where the normal log-on screen box would have stopped and waited for me to enter it….the box never appeared and I was logged on to the network automatically. So it works for log-in, but when XP is locked, this auto log-on doesn’t “unlock” the system. It seems that it is not possible to, via a program, unlock Win XP Pro once its locked via screen saver or user activated via hot keys.

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This explains why servers are put in locked rooms. Sometimes there’s no electronic substitute for physical security.

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This explains why servers are put in locked rooms. Sometimes there’s no electronic substitute for physical security.

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Jim

Having tested my suggestion at work, where I have a REAL domain, I’ve reluctantly come to the same conclusion as you about XP.

If I come across anything which might do the trick under XP I’ll let you know. Sorry it didn’t work out…

John

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John,
Thanks for your time…..If I ever figure anything out, I’ll post it back to the lounge. Take care.

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John,
Thanks for your time…..If I ever figure anything out, I’ll post it back to the lounge. Take care.

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John,
Further info…I decided to re-boot my PC and where the normal log-on screen box would have stopped and waited for me to enter it….the box never appeared and I was logged on to the network automatically. So it works for log-in, but when XP is locked, this auto log-on doesn’t “unlock” the system. It seems that it is not possible to, via a program, unlock Win XP Pro once its locked via screen saver or user activated via hot keys.

Reply | Quote

Jim

Could I please ask you do download, run, and enable AUTOLOGON from Sysinternals? Read the fairly sketchy instructions — to me it means that it will set things up so that if the workstation is unlocked by some means, then you are already logged on.

Then try to get Robotask to:
run SS-OFF.BAT
do the RoboTask work you want to do
run SS-ON.BAT

It would be of interest to me to see if this all works!

With regard to what your RoboTask author says: Yes, he’s probably correct that passing keystokes (except Ctrl-Alt-Del) and mouse movements to XP when the workstation is locked will cause no action BUT this isn’t what we’re doing! We’re causing Win 32 APIs to be issued via these utility programs, which is what Windows XP uses anyway. A third-party screen saver will do much the same sort of things as Microsoft’s ones do.

I will see how much testing I can give this tomorrow early, and in the afternoon, if necessary. But YOURS is the machine I need to get it working on!

John

Reply | Quote

John,
This is the e-mail commentary that I received from the developer of Robo Task:

If screen saver is protected with password “Windows” locks your session every time when screen saver is launched. At locked session the system ignore all keyboard and mouse events. Therefore you can’t use “send keystroke” action at locked session, because windows ignore keystroke emulation.
Generally speaking there is no way to unlock the session from within the locked session. You can do it from outside only. It’s a “windows” property.

It seems that from everything I can read, that once one locks XP either via hot keys or a screen saver, there is no way to unlock it without a physical movement of the mouse or an actually keyboard entry. That is why I was wondering whether I should just skip the XP screen saver and put a third party password screen saver on…this wouldn’t lock the computer but the password would keep the curious out of the machine (janitor, etc.). I would think that it would accept a simulated key board entry from RoboTask and then accept the simulated entry of the password. I am just not sure if I want to ruin my main work PC to find out and download software with spyware, malware, etc in it…. Screensaver and cursor programs are famous for this type of activity. THANKS again for all of your help.

Reply | Quote

Jim

Yes, you’re right that it would be easier to use XP’s TASKLIST.EXE, because you get that free of effort in WINDOWSSYSTEM32! All you would need to obtain would be PSKILL.EXE from SysInternals, and put it somewhere in the path (say the same directory?).

However, I’ve hit a major snag in that the testing of this mechanism was done on NT4, not on XP. In XP you can kill the screensaver BUT you are left with the workstation still locked! I will have to see if I can get it to be unlocked (effectively relogging on) via a utility. (Perhaps Autologon, also from SysInternals, can do this? I have no time today to investigate).

Anyway, I’ll give you what I’ve done so far

:: SS-OFF.BAT
@echo off
:: if there’s a screensaver running, kill it
set pid=
for /f “tokens=2” %%x in (‘tasklist ^| find /i “.scr”‘) do set pid=%%x
if defined pid pskill %pid% & set pid=

:: SS-ON.BAT
@echo off
:: if there’s no screensaver running, restart it by locking the workstation
set pid=
for /f “tokens=2” %%x in (‘tasklist ^| find /i “.scr”‘) do set pid=%%x
if not defined pid rundll32 user32.dll,LockWorkStation
set pid=

It occurs to me that your RoboTask work probably has to complete before the screensaver cuts in again automatically…!

John

PS It would be SO much easier if your RoboTask chap could get it to run even if the workstation was locked?!

PPS Forgot to answer your question about the screensaver files. If you do DIR C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32*.SCR you will find a whole lot of files you rcognise. When you choose a screensaver, all you’re doing is selecting one of these (or some other) to run after the expiration of the “no keyboard action” time limit. They are permanent files. All I’m doing is killing the task in memory.

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John,
Been doing some research..you would need to use a tasklist.exe program for XP Pro. This program replaced the tlist.exe program used in NT and Win2000. Assume the batch file identifies the *.scr file and then passes it to the kill function. I am wondering though when the computer is locked via the command line you stated in an earlier post, if the screen saver is actually re-activated? Lets assume that I am away from the office for a day. The next night when the batch file cycles after being launched by the scheduler or Robotask, will the batch file find a *.scr file since the computer was locked on the previous night by the command line function and the screen saver didn’t re-activate? Or do I merely kill the screen saver, run the Robotasks and then let the system return to the screen saver after 5 minutes of inactivity per the setting on screen saver tab in the display properties? This way there is the same *.scr file on the second night in my example scenario. Of course, I assume that the Win XP screen saver will fire up in five minutes after being killed off without the password by the batch file. I wonder if this is a sound assumption. THANKS.

Reply | Quote

Jim

If you look at the earlier attachment, you will see that TLIST is listing all the processes, including the one we’re interested in, which will be called .scr. We find the Process ID (PID) and use that as a parameter to the KILL command, to kill the screensaver — whatever it is.

Similarly, locking the workstation invokes the screensaver — whatever it is! (You set it up yourself, probably ages ago).

So I assume you want two BATch files which will be scheduled by RoboTask:
SS-OFF.BAT which will kill the current screensaver (if running), and give back the desktop
SS-ON.BAT which will lock the workstation and thus start the screensaver again.

Having a quick look at the results of PSLIST indicates that I don’t seem to get the .scr extension, so we will need to use TLIST. Do you have any of the NT4 or Windows 2000 Resource Kit utilities?

I will try writing something at work before I go out at 09:00 tomorrow.

John

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John,
RoboTask stays minimized on the windows tray and runs on its own scheduler. You can find out more info at www. robotask.com. Within RoboTask I could call the kill and re-activate batch files. I did go look at the sysinternals stuff, ie the PSkill, but how do I know what the name of the active screen saver is? THANKS.

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Jim

I can just kill the screen-saver without requiring/supplying a password.

A bit of quick Googling seems to indicate that a neat way of restarting the screensaver is to Lock the Workstation (is this familiar to anyone?!) with:
%windir%system32rundll32 user32.dll,LockWorkStation
Obvious, isn’t it!

How are you running RoboTask? If via a BATch file, you could precede RoboTask with the kill and follow it with the re-enable. So much better tying the three operations together.

I am very limited for time tomorrow, so can you supply me with the RoboTask stuff which I can CALL from a BATch file (to save messing it about)?

:: disable screen saver

:: Robotask
CALL JIMSTUFF

:: restart screensaver
as above

A bit like that...

John

Reply | Quote

Ideally, I need to de-activate the screen saver (with enable password on re-entry selected) via a scheduler, then run the tasks via a scheduler (Robo Task) and then re-activate the screen saver with enable password on re-entry. Would need this screen saver killer / reactivation on a Monday-Friday scheduler. Therefore, the kill the screen saver, run the tasks, re-activate the screen saver processes would run nightly regardless of whether I was in the office during the normal business hours. Do you know if once you “kill” the screen saver it can be re-activated, on a night-after-night process, via a scheduler, during the normal work week? THANKS.

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Jim

By sheer chance, I wrote a BATch file some time back to kill a screen saver, which you could schedule. As it stands, once started it checks every 20 minutes to see if the screensaver has cut in, and causes it to exit if it’s found active. If you don’t have any of the Resource Kits, it is trivial to use PSLIST and PSKILL from SysInternals instead of what’s in there…

With a more precise statement of what you actually want, I could modify it to suit!

(See the Attachment, which is in TXT file format).

John

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