C# Windows 7 Unlock Computer And How To Log Keystrokes While The Computer Is Locked?

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Hello everyone!
i am wondering how would i go about unlocking(not locking) my computer using windows credentials.
i have read that i would need to run some sort of service to do this.
how would i do so?
i know this is a pretty vague question but i have searched all over CP but haven't really found much.
i had the idea to setup an automated lock/unlocking app, it would lock the computer at the specified time and unlock at another specified time(like an hour after it locked it self).
now i can easily lock my pc through a P/invoke statement of the LockWorkStation(); method.
but i want to unlock the work station(from what i have read on the subject i will have to use the windows credential service)
i would also like to know how to read keystrokes when the computer is locked.
yes i know that is a iffy topic but i am curious(i promise i won't do anything bad with this knowledge)
oh and this is kinda of off topic but how do i find out what version of C# i am using?
thanks for all of your help in advance,
masterCodeon

Posted 31-Dec-14 9:19am

MasterCodeon

Updated 31-Dec-14 9:40am

v2

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 31-Dec-14 15:40pm

First question you should ask, first of all, yourself: why?
And who is supposed to trigger such unlock, and why?
—SA

MasterCodeon 31-Dec-14 15:42pm

i had for automation purposes.
think of this scenario:
its 12:00, lunch time. I want my app i am making to lock my pc and after an hour(or whatever amount of time i specify it will then unlock the computer automatically. that way, come 1:00 i don't have to type my password and log back in, my app will do that for me(i am kind of lazy that way)

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 31-Dec-14 15:44pm

Remotely or just at the local workstation? Do you understand the security issues with that?
—SA

MasterCodeon 31-Dec-14 15:48pm

just the local computer.
and this is just for my personal use, yes i do understand the security issues with that but this is only for my personal use, not for a professional environment.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 31-Dec-14 16:14pm

I don't think you are trying to help yourself. You just want to compromise safety, reduce your control, not really saving your time. Don't you just want to do a tricky exercise? I don't see why it would be interesting.
—SA

MasterCodeon 31-Dec-14 16:18pm

the secondary purpose is to learn how to do this.
the way i have learned all that i have learned is, i come up with an idea and then i learn how to implement my idea.
as regards to how interesting this is, its very interesting to me at least.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 31-Dec-14 16:19pm

That I understand...
—SA

MasterCodeon 31-Dec-14 16:23pm

so how would i do this?
like i said in the post, based on what i have read i will need to use a windows credential service and will have to run this app as a srevice in the background

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 31-Dec-14 18:22pm

I'm not sure it is even possible. I think it would contradict the security principles. I did not find the counterpart of the function LockWorkstation, as I understand, it would be unsafe. No, you cannot just pass username/password somewhere, by one fundamental principle: the password is never stored anywhere (in proper systems). That is, there is no a piece of code which could obtain your original password, it appears only when the user actually type it, and then the password cryptographic cash could be compared with stored cash (never password with password). This is all done on purpose, to ensure proper security. If you work around it by letting the user to "register" password in some storage, you will immediately compromise this security, no matter how strong you secure your system. It's the best not to do such things.
—SA

MasterCodeon 2-Jan-15 9:40am

yeah but keep in mind i am only going to be using this for personal use only so if i want to store my own windows profile password in my app it wouldn't be a problem because no one else would be seeing it

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 2-Jan-15 10:15am

Well, you are just saying: "I don't want to make things extremely bad, I want to make it just a bit worse".
—SA

MasterCodeon 31-Dec-14 15:59pm

i do believe i would have to run a background service to do what i am asking right?

MasterCodeon 31-Dec-14 15:43pm

i would like an app that is running in the background to trigger the unlock

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Dave Kreskowiak · Answer 1 · 2014-12-31T16:09:00

Solution 1

You cannot write an application to unlock the console. There is no API function you can call to do this. This is for security reasons.

Also, you cannot log keystrokes while the desktop is locked. This is because your application is running under one desktop (the users) and the lock screen is a different desktop. Again, this is for security reasons.

Keystrokes are not broadcast to all desktop sessions. They are only ever sent to the desktop that is visible.

Basically, Windows has these features specifically to prevent you from doing what you want to do - for security reasons.

Posted 31-Dec-14 16:09pm

Dave Kreskowiak

Updated 1-Jan-15 5:49am

v2

Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 31-Dec-14 22:53pm

Agree, 5ed.
—SA

Snesh Prajapati 1-Jan-15 12:18pm

Well said. Thanks.

MasterCodeon 2-Jan-15 9:33am

well what if i ran this app i am proposing as a service in the lock desktop session?

Dave Kreskowiak 2-Jan-15 10:21am

Again, the services run under a desktop separate desktop, separate from the lock screen and separate from the one the user sees. Keyboard and mouse input are never seen by the services desktop so no, you can't do it from a service either.

MasterCodeon 2-Jan-15 9:38am

i reason this:
if hackers can physically destroy your machine from anywhere in the world(and keep in mind that machines they are destroying are running windows which has all this claimed security) why can't i do i much more simple task of unlocking my computer from a background app?

Dave Kreskowiak 2-Jan-15 10:22am

Destroy your machine? Really? Where on earth did you see this and do you understand what's really going on when this "destruction" takes place??

No, they can NOT destroy your machine remotely from anywhere in the world. YOU have to give them the permission to do it by letting some piece of crapware get installed on your machine. YOU end up destroying your own machine, not them.

MasterCodeon 2-Jan-15 10:30am

ah ok missed that sorry.