Media Keys on Windows 7 Lock Screen

1

I've got a laptop running Windows 7, and it's usually playing music. It's not in a secure location, so I like to lock the screen when I'm not actively using it. When I lock the screen, the media keys no longer work, so I can't control the music, which I'd still like to be able to do when it's locked. The volume buttons work, but play/pause, next, previous, and stop do not.

Microsoft's recommendation is to simply disable your lock screen. Thanks, but no thanks. There was a similar question on this site a while ago that mentions using psexec. This looks promising, but it's not a complete solution. Is there maybe a program I could run through that that would just pass media keys through to running applications when the screen is locked? I'd prefer an application-agnostic solution that would simply emulate media keys to whatever's running.

Dan

Posted 2014-02-12T13:37:41.867

Reputation: 314

Answers

1

Essentially you will have to write a Program which will run on your Lock-Screen and communicates with Winamp.

I think the easiest way will be to search for some regular Remote-Control Program for Winamp (I think it most likely will have to use a Network-Port, because I don't think you Program can send COM-Commands to another Desktop from the Lockscreen - but I'm not sure...)

You can just run the Remote-Control Program on your lock-screen, which connects to you winamp via localhost and you can even use the provided Interface, which will then appear on your lockscreen to control Winamp or use the Media-keys if the Remote-Control program supports them.

Falco

Posted 2014-02-12T13:37:41.867

Reputation: 468

The question I linked to mentioned Winamp, but that's not what I'm using. At the moment it's Spotify I'd like to control, but ideally I'd like complete media key emulation that would work with anything that listens for media keys. – Dan – 2014-03-10T20:08:00.913

As far as I could read it - sending Keystrokes to the disabled Desktop can be tricky... I think the best approach would be a script with 2 Parts - One running on the Lockscreen, reading Keyboard-Input and sending these inputs via TCP to localhost. The second is a Script running on the real,hidden desktop and listens on localhost for messages from the first script and uses SendInput to spotify – Falco – 2014-03-11T14:45:05.003

Asked: 2014-02-12T13:37:41.867

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Active: 2014-03-10T17:00:06.780