Cursor.Position on lock screen

Question

2.40/5 (2 votes)

See more:

Hi,

I am currently working on a KVM Over IP application. When the mouse moves to the edge of the server's screen, the server begins to send mouse movements to the client using UDP ports (TCP was taking too long to keep the mouse movement smooth).

I am currently using Cursor.Position = new Point(X, Y) to update the clients mouse. I have noticed today that if a Windows 7 client is locked then the cursor position is not being updated. It works fine on a Windows XP machine.

Is there another way that I can move the mouse position that would also work during the lock screen?

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Lee

Posted 16-Dec-13 1:24am

IceUK

Updated 16-Dec-13 1:32am

v2

Add a Solution

Comments

BillWoodruff 16-Dec-13 9:21am

You could try using the WinAPI:

http://stackoverflow.com/a/1392221

I have not tried this myself, and I am not sure it would work in the rather exotic KVM scenario you are working with.

IceUK 16-Dec-13 9:28am

Thanks for your response but the link you have given is using Cursor.Position. What makes you say it is exotic?

3 solutions

Add a Solution

Add your solution here

Treat my content as plain text, not as HTML

Preview 0

…

Existing Members

Sign in to your account

...or Join us

Download, Vote, Comment, Publish.

Your Email
Password
Forgot your password?

Your Email
This email is in use. Do you need your password?
Optional Password

I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Please subscribe me to the CodeProject newsletters

When answering a question please:

Read the question carefully.
Understand that English isn't everyone's first language so be lenient of bad spelling and grammar.
If a question is poorly phrased then either ask for clarification, ignore it, or edit the question and fix the problem. Insults are not welcome.
Don't tell someone to read the manual. Chances are they have and don't get it. Provide an answer or move on to the next question.

Let's work to help developers, not make them feel stupid.

This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

Ron Beyer · Answer 1 · 2013-12-16T05:25:00

Solution 2

I'm pretty sure that you are trying to duplicate almost exactly what Mouse Without Borders does (its a Microsoft download).

Download it, install it somewhere (or just extract the MSI). Its written in .NET and you can see how they performed everything (including drag/drop between computers) if you open the assemblies with ILSpy.

Posted 16-Dec-13 5:25am

Ron Beyer

Comments

IceUK 16-Dec-13 11:31am

Thanks, I will give that a go!

btarb24 10-Jun-22 13:49pm

Ever find a solution to do it with your own code? I'm unable to use Mouse Without Borders due to firewall so I've written a kvm to work over a USB null modem cable. Works great except for the lock screen.

Dave Kreskowiak · Answer 2 · 2013-12-16T08:14:00

The reason it doesn't work is because you don't understand how things work in Windows. You need to understand what a Window Station is and it's relationship to a Desktop and user input (keyboard and mouse).

It doesn't work because the lock screen is in a different station, and hence, a completely different desktop from the user desktop that your application is running in.

Start reading: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms687096(v=vs.85).aspx

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Answer 3 · 2013-12-16T04:42:00

Solution 1

Approach this from this side: if client's screen is locked, you don't need a mouse location. That's the reason of not updating in in Windows 7: it would only waste CPU resources without any use. Just follow this decision and don't update mouse through the network. If it is not updated, it is not needed. It will be updated (perhaps in one jump) when the screen is unlocked.

—SA

Posted 16-Dec-13 4:42am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Comments

IceUK 16-Dec-13 10:45am

Thanks for your response. The purpose of the application is to control multiple PCs with one keyboard and mouse. I still need to be able to move the mouse on the client PC when it is locked so that a user on the host PC can unlock it.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 16-Dec-13 10:58am

I think my advice is still applicable.
—SA

IceUK 16-Dec-13 11:00am

The user needs to be able to move the mouse the the password box and remotely unlock the PC, your advise is not applicable but thanks anyway.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 16-Dec-13 11:02am

Please tell me how that mouse position could be relevant? Use the mouse position on remote computer, where the user actually works.
—SA

IceUK 16-Dec-13 11:08am

I think you have misunderstood the concept. The application is to allow a user to control two or more PCs with one keyboard and mouse connected to the host PC. This is a seamless application as apposed to using remote control sessions.

The user can scroll their mouse off the edge of the screen and onto the next one alongside it.

The host simply transmits the mouse movements to the client.

This is working well but if the client PC is locked then the cursor is no longer moving with Cursor.Position on Win 7.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 16-Dec-13 11:31am

I thin I did understand it. But the source of the cursor location is the controlling client. When you start this application, you can get to cursor position of the computer to be controlled (is that what you do) and then take the control and drive it by the controlling application. If the screen is locked, what prevents you to ignore the cursor on the server side?
—SA

IceUK 16-Dec-13 11:33am

That is not what I am trying to accomplish, thanks anyway.

Dave Kreskowiak 16-Dec-13 12:17pm

The reason it doesn't work is because you don't understand how things work in Windows. You need to understand what a Window Station is and it's relationship to a Desktop and user input (keyboard and mouse).

It doesn't work because the lock screen is in a different station, and hence, a completely different desktop from the user desktop that your application is running in.

Start reading: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms687096(v=vs.85).aspx

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 16-Dec-13 14:10pm

Good point. Would you put it as an answer?
—SA

Dave Kreskowiak 16-Dec-13 14:14pm

Done!

Cursor.Position on lock screen

3 solutions

Solution 2

Solution 3

Solution 1

Add your solution here

Preview 0

Existing Members

...or Join us