[Limited to Windows 2000, Windows XP and 2003 Server. NOT available for Windows Vista]
In the past, PTFB was often unable to press targets when the computer was in a locked state. This is because Windows has tunnel vision when the computer is locked: it will let you log back in, but any mouse or keyboard activity not related to the logon is ignored.
In version 3, you can instruct PTFB Pro to briefly unlock your computer when it sees a target. The computer is automatically re-locked as soon as the target has been handled - in most cases this means that the unlock/press/re-lock process is completed in a little over a second.
Please note that the automatic unlock function by its very nature reduces the security of the computer on which it runs. The time between the unlock and re-lock is dependent on the speed of execution of the actions you have set PTFB Pro to carry out. A skilled attacker could conceivably abuse the unlock function and use it to take control of the computer. Equally, a system failure at the wrong moment could leave the computer unlocked. For this reason, we recommend using it only in cases where the locked state is non-critical.
1. Install PTFB Pro with the optional workstation unlocking service
This option is turned off by default - if you didn't tick it when you installed PTFB Pro, you won't have the service. To install the service, just run the installer again and tick the "Install Workstation Unlocking Service" box when you see it. There's no need to uninstall first, but you should quit PTFB Pro to avoid a file-in-use error.
Please note that you can only install and use the service under an account
with administrative privileges.
2. Tick "Unlock computer to press targets"
This is on the General page of the PTFB Pro Configuration
screen, off the
Options dropdown menu.
3. Enter the logon password, and confirm it
Type your logon password into the two boxes provided, then press Close to
save your changes. The password you supply will be stored in
an encrypted form to preserve security.
4. Disable Fast User Switching (applies to Windows XP only)
Windows XP introduced "fast user switching", and with it, a new style of logon known as the "Welcome" screen . These are enabled by default on a stand-alone computer, but typically disabled in a domain environment. For best results, we recommend disabling fast user switching, thus causing Windows to revert to the classic logon screen.
To disable fast user switching, choose "User Accounts" from the control panel, then select "Change the way users log on or off". Now untick "Use Fast User Switching" and hit Apply Options to save changes.
If you don't want to give up fast user switching, you can easily test whether it will cause a problem for the unlock service. Just lock your computer using the <Windows key> + L key sequence (or by typing "Rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation" into the Run box), and observe whether the password box for your account is displayed by default. If it is, then the service should be able to unlock the computer as and when required. If not, you will need to disable fast user switching.
The service appears in the service manager as "PTFB Pro Workstation Unlock Svc". It is set to run under the local system account, and is allowed to interact with the desktop.
The service's startup type is "manual". This is because PTFB Pro only starts the service when it is required to unlock the computer. As soon as the unlock has completed, the service stops automatically. This is why PTFB Pro has to run under an administrator account for the unlock to succeed - a lesser user account is unable to start the service on demand.
After unlocking the computer, PTFB Pro waits for a short amount of time before carrying out the actions you've defined. This pause allows the system to clear away the logon screen and present the user desktop. On slow or heavily loaded computers, Windows might not have fully restored the desktop by the time PTFB starts pressing buttons. This could affect the success of the button presses for some targets. You can tweak the post-unlock pause with the regsitry edit below - but please do not attempt this unless you are used to manipulating the registry. Careless registry editing can damage your Windows installation and may even cause data loss.
To change the post-unlock wait period, add a new DWORD value called LogonWait below the key HKLM\SOFTWARE\TLHouse\PTFBPro. Set the value in millisecs up to a maximum of 1500 (one and a half seconds). For reference, the default pause is 500 (half a second).
Finally, service activities (startup, shutdown and errors) are recorded in the application event log.