Keep the mouse moving!

[661-Pete]

This may sound like a bit of lunacy, here. Can I have both sensible and silly answers please?

I'm borrowing someone else's PC at work, with Windows 7. I need to use his login, but he's not allowed to tell me his password. Trouble is, the PC keeps on locking-out on its power-saver/screen-saver setting, with all that CTRL/ALT/DEL business. And it turns out, neither of us have the admin rights to allow us turn off the time-out setting.

I need to keep the computer on but can't be with it all the time, I have to go and look at other kit in another room.

So I thought, is there a way to make the PC 'think' the (optical) mouse is moving all the time? I tried swinging the mouse in the air but that doesn't work. I tried running a game on my mobile, and putting the mouse on it, but all the games appear to freeze if you don't play them. I have thoughts of taping the mouse to the monitor itself, over its own pointer (sort of positive feedback?!).

Come on now, you whizzkids!

 

[mark barker]

Could you put the mouse on a clock so it "sees" the second hand going around?

 

[ian turner]

A clock ?!!! They probably use their mobile phone. Would an analogue clock mobile phone app work assuming they leave the phone on charge ?
Try waterboarding.
It won't keep the mouse moving but your co-worker can claim extenuating circumstances for telling you the password
Assuming use of this pc has official sanction either get the tech monkeys to change the settings or provide you with your own user account.

 

[661-Pete]

Could you put the mouse on a clock so it "sees" the second hand going around?

You know, I just thought of that too! Alas: all the clocks around the office are firmly screwed to the wall and out of reach.

Come on, there must be some perpetually moving object around a typical office!

 

[661-Pete]

Assuming use of this pc has official sanction either get the tech monkeys to change the settings or provide you with your own user account.

Sorry Ian, but that idea is simply too sensible!

 

[marzjennings]

Tell him to give you his password. The WHOLE point of not sharing passwords is restrict access to PCs and the network through someone else's account and being that you're already logged in as some one else you're way past sharing a password ( a now lesser crime )

OR

Open a new document in Word and wedge the Z key down with bit of paper or tape.


OR

Stick a bit of tape over a mouse key to hold it down.

 

[ian turner]

Forget the mouse.
Open notepad and stick a book on the keyboard.
Ack beaten to it by a nose

 

[2Loose]

You ingenious people. I like it

 

[HLaB]

Is it not easier to disable the screensaver/ energy saving settings so it doesn't power off?

 

[ian turner]

See that line in the first post about lacking admin rights implying IT have locked everything down

 

[HLaB]

See that line in the first post about lacking admin rights implying IT have locked everything down

Oops sorry, too busy reading in between doing other things

 

[meenaghman]

I use Perl and a script to do this .. but its quite involved in terms of installing all the available modules etc.. and I used it when running some other things on a server that sometimes seemed to hang if windows went into hibernation.

Another utility using a batch file is pointed to here...I've never used it though..

http://social.answers.microsoft.com...e/thread/765bb889-373a-464d-99b1-d78c9b7c584a

seems nircmd can simulate a mouse movement. The next thing would be to write a batch file that sleeps for a few mins or so, then does this movement..
note this means your mouse will disappear off to some point every 4 mins or so.. the other option is to only run it when you leave the workstation..

for /L %%g IN (1,1,1000) DO (
nircmd.exe 10 10
nircmd.exe -10 -10
sleep 300)

You may have to qualify the path to nircmd.exe as in the example
run your batch file.. come back to open PC.. SLEEP is in seconds.. You may want to adjust dependent on timeout.

 

[Thor]

You need one of these, as used by Homer Simpson in a similar situation. Positioned over the Shift key maybe.

 

[Fnaar]

Can I have both sensible and silly answers please?

Get a real mouse and a box. Strap the computer mouse to the real mouse's back, and let it run about inside the box bewhilst you go about your business.

 

[661-Pete]

Get a real mouse and a box. Strap the computer mouse to the real mouse's back, and let it run about inside the box bewhilst you go about your business.

Best answer of the lot, by a light-year!!!

Fnaar, you are going in my sig line, whether you like it or not!