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![]() ![]() Now the cool part: you can minimize that TSC window, or even lock the Main machine (or let the screensaver kick in), and that virtual session will continue working, thinking that it is still active - it's just that nobody is paying it any attention. One solution is to use two PCs: let's call them Main and Test: from Main, open a remote terminal services client onto the Test machine, and then run the automated test on the test machine, but from a terminal services client window on the Main machine. A similar issue happens if the screensaver kicks in: the desktop switches, and the automation fails. Once you lock the PC, the desktop is inactive, and so the automation stops working. One issue that I've run into in the past with desktops and automation is: how to I leave a long-running test that's using some form of user input automation (mouse, keyboard simulation), but still lock my PC so that someone can't just walk by and interfere with it. This won't work at all for keyboard input when a desktop is inactive.įor a reasonable overview of how desktops work and how they relate to winstations, the locked desktop, and so on, check out the Desktop article on MSDN. I'm not super familiar with AutoHotKey, but the name and description of functionality suggests that it's heavily reliant on the underlying Win32 SendInput API. ![]() In short, the UI is still there: you can do certain queries against it, but you can no longer automate it as you could on a regular desktop by sending input, and some other functions that relate to focus or input may fail. (This can be problematic for controls that set up some sort of input context in WM_SETFOCUS and clear it up in WM_KILLFOCUS, for example.) ![]() Note that sending keypress messages to a control that doesn't have focus can sometimes cause unexpected behavior, since the app or control generally never expects to receive keyboard input without getting the focus first. GetForegroundWindow will return NULL (IIRC), and you can't use SendInput any longer, since input now belongs to a different desktop no controls on that inactive desktop can receive focus. However, since the desktop is now inactive, it cannot receive input. You can still send messages to windows on this desktop, so long as the thread sending the message is also on that desktop. The old desktop remains where it was: all the HWNDs on the desktop are still there, and any thread attached to that desktop can still access those HWNDs, get their location, and so on. From the popup menu, you can select On-Screen Keyboard, and then use it to type your Windows password.Basically what happens is that Windows switches to the secure desktop, makes it the current one, so input is now associated with it. Method 6: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Login ScreenĪt Windows 10 login screen, click the Ease of Access icon at the bottom-left corner. From the Start Menu, expand the Windows Ease of Access folder and you can access On-Screen Keyboard. Method 5: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Start MenuĬlick the Start button. Method 4: Open On-Screen Keyboard via Cortana SearchĬlick the Cortana Search box on the taskbar, type osk and then click the “ On-Screen Keyboard” desktop app to launch it. After closing it, the slider will be automatically put back to Off. This will launch On-Screen Keyboard immediately. Under On-Screen Keyboard on the right side, move the slider to the right to turn it on. In the left sidebar, select the Keyboard option. Press the Windows key + I to open the PC Settings app. Method 3: Open On-Screen Keyboard from PC Settings This will open the On-Screen Keyboard immediately. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, or open the Command Prompt. Method 2: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Run or Command Prompt Open the Control Panel and select either Large icons or Small icons in the View by menu. Method 1: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Control Panel In this tutorial we’ll show you 6 ways to turn on / open On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10. You can use your mouse or other pointing device to type the keys. On-Screen Keyboard is a virtual keyboard that can be used in place of a physical keyboard. ![]()
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