Force single app on pc

  • Thread starter Thread starter swas
  • Start date Start date
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swas

Hello,

I wish to run an Access db on a tablet PC, being the only app that runs and
preferably full screen.

Is this easily achievable? I can't find links that discuss this type of
situation.


Thanks in advance.


swas
 
On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:36:01 -0700, swas

Define easy. It is achievable with "Group Policy" which is a
relatively advanced Windows feature that allows you to lock down a
machine, for example for use in a kiosk. You can set things up so your
app is the only one that can run, Alt+Tab, Ctrl+Esc etc are
suppressed, and closing your app closes Windows.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP
 
Tom,

Sounds great and I will investigate.

I am curious to your comment, 'define easy', as to whether there is more to
your seemingly 'easy' solution...


Thanks.


swas
 
There is more than one way to skin this cat.

I have an Access app that completely takes over the machine and runs full
screen (Kiosk Mode) with out allowing the user get to anything else. There
is a lot of stuff that you are gonna' have to be responsible for. The first
most important thing is to insure that your Access application is absolutely
bulletproof. If the user can crash your app the whole house of cards will
come tumbling down. Here is a short list of other stuff that you will need
to think about.

Force the application to full screen.
Remove the caption bar from the Access MDI window.
Set a low level keyboard hook to throw away all of the Key Presses we do not
want to process (Like Alt-Tab and Alt-Esc for instance)
You will also need to bar Ctrl-Alt-Del key combination
Disable the windows Start button / Task bar
Disable any screen saver that might be running

Google is your friend.

Ron W
 
On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:08:10 -0700, swas

As a programmer I don't find Group Policy easy to work with. But the
guys in our IT division feel differently about that.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP
 
Thanks for the comments. You have given me a good starting basis to get into
this.

Fortunately it will not be in a tough environment like public access, but
still needs to run sweetly.

I am curious though, if the system is so well locked down, how is
maintenance access achieved? Or is this done via code in the mdb?


Thanks again.


swas
 
You will also need to give yourself a back door that stops your app and
undoes all of the settings you changed when the app started. At least that
is how we set up our system.

Ron W
 
Yes, you can write Group Policy code yourself. Or leave it to
Microsoft.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP
 
swas said:
I wish to run an Access db on a tablet PC, being the only app that runs and
preferably full screen.
Click to expand...

Why would you want to do so? You may end up upsetting the users of
the app.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
 
As a programmer I don't find Group Policy easy to work with. But
the guys in our IT division feel differently about that.
Click to expand...

I think group policy is a pain in the ass, myself. I've never
understood why there's no IDE for it that makes it really easy. Why
the hell do I have to navigate a tree of GUIDs to mess with it? I
really think MS dropped the ball on this one by not creating really
easy tools for editing policies when they introduced them in Windows
2000. The power that comes from policies is pretty amazing, but it's
very hard to deal with.

At least for me (and Tom, I guess).
 
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