How to understand when a user logs into windows

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Hello all,

I am trying to make an app which does the following.

When a user logs in to Windows I want my app to run. Can someone help me how to figure out when a user logs in to windows by typing their credentials and let my app know.

I am thinking putting my app to startup folder and make a timer check the login process every second or by the given interval. It will be also nice to give me a reference link how to check the login?

Is that a correct path to overcome this problem? I would appreciate if someone lead me the way. Thanks in advance.

Posted 17-Sep-14 4:38am

wonder-FOOL

Updated 17-Sep-14 4:40am

v2

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[no name] 17-Sep-14 11:00am

You are putting the cart before the horse. If you put your app in the startup folder, you will know that the user has logged into Windows because your application will startup.

[no name] 17-Sep-14 11:29am

I thing the correct way to do this would be to use a service. Services are the first thing that run on Windows.

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Richard Deeming · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-17T04:46:00

Solution 1

Use the Windows Task Scheduler, and add a trigger to run your task when a user logs in.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc748841.aspx[^]

Posted 17-Sep-14 4:46am

Richard Deeming

Comments

CPallini 17-Sep-14 11:06am

Wow, nice. My 5.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 17-Sep-14 11:46am

I voted 5, too, but, for completeness, added one alternative solution.
—SA

wonder-FOOL 18-Sep-14 2:16am

Thanks that is the most practical answer IMO.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2014-09-17T05:38:00

Solution 2

Alternative to Solution 1:

You can develop your own Windows Service, by whatever reason. In that service, you can handle system events using the class Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.win32.systemevents%28v=vs.110%29.aspx[^].

The event you would need to handle is SessionSwitch:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.win32.systemevents.sessionswitch(v=vs.110).aspx[^].

If has to be the Windows Service applicaiton, because your application should be already running when a user logs on. Please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_service[^],
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d56de412(v=vs.110).aspx[^],
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/y817hyb6%28v=vs.110%29.aspx[^].

—SA

Posted 17-Sep-14 5:38am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Updated 17-Sep-14 6:20am

v2

Comments

CPallini 17-Sep-14 11:55am

5.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 17-Sep-14 12:20pm

Thank you, Carlo.
—SA

[no name] 17-Sep-14 12:38pm

Rated 5 stars, and they were also some of the resources I was trying to find when I suggested this method in the comments section above. Again my vote, 5 +

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 17-Sep-14 12:57pm

Thank you very much.
—SA

wonder-FOOL 18-Sep-14 2:18am

Thank you Sergey. I find Richard's answer more practical and less time consuming in my current schedule. But your answer also makes sense. I appreciate the help and your time spent on answering my question.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 18-Sep-14 2:39am

You are very welcome.
Good luck, call again.
—SA