We have a DOS application that is set to run in full-screen mode via the Screen Tab in the Properties of the program's Desktop Icon. Thus, the program never runs in a window. Is there any way with the program running that the Windows Desktop can become exposed with the running program's icon and name placed in the Task Bar?
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DOS Full-Screen Program to Task Bar
- Thread starter Sware
- Start date
If you were to press the Windows key on the keyboard, or Alt-Tab out it will effectively minimize the DOS app to the taskbar.
Is something you want to have happen or something you want to prevent???
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
Is something you want to have happen or something you want to prevent???
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks. I discovered on another website the Alt+Tab effect plus some others. For example, Alt+Enter reduces full-screen to a window and places the program on the Task Bar and Ctrl+Esc displays the Start Menu and places the program on the Task Bar. I'm confident there are more.
This is something I want to PREVENT. Is this possible to do within code (e.g. Clipper)? Can I capture the control keys before the system gets them?
This is something I want to PREVENT. Is this possible to do within code (e.g. Clipper)? Can I capture the control keys before the system gets them?
Most if not all, are Windows keyboard shortcuts. I'm not sure you can disable them.
If what you want is to prevent a user from using anything else but the DOS program. you can disable the explorer.exe shell from the win.ini file. This will remove the start menu the taskbar and all icons from the desktop.
If they do cntrl+tab out of the program, there will be nothing there but a green screen with the program titlebar at the bottom.
If this is a real DOS program you can run it in pure DOS mode without windows behind.
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
If what you want is to prevent a user from using anything else but the DOS program. you can disable the explorer.exe shell from the win.ini file. This will remove the start menu the taskbar and all icons from the desktop.
If they do cntrl+tab out of the program, there will be nothing there but a green screen with the program titlebar at the bottom.
If this is a real DOS program you can run it in pure DOS mode without windows behind.
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
- Thread starter
- #5
I need the best of both worlds. The application is such that it is started up by a staff member each day via a Desktop Icon and then left up for endusers in full-screen mode during most of the day. Plus, the staff often runs other Windows applications early and late in the day. Thus, there's a need for both Windows and "uninterruptable" DOS full-screen operation.
Any other ideas?
(We do offer an optional keypad for the application that doesn't have any of the control keys, and to whch a standard keyboard can be attached in parallel for use with other applications. Unfortunately, not all customers choose to pay for the keypad.)
Any other ideas?
(We do offer an optional keypad for the application that doesn't have any of the control keys, and to whch a standard keyboard can be attached in parallel for use with other applications. Unfortunately, not all customers choose to pay for the keypad.)
- Thread starter
- #6
I have learned that some of the Windows keyboard shortcut keys can be disabled via the "Misc" properties of the DOS program. However, not all of the possibilities are covered.
Also, we have confirmed that we cannot control things in our application code. We have also discovered a shareware program called Tradekeys that provides disabling of the Windows shortcut keys. However, because of keyboard handling variations among different Windows systems, it does not handle all of the key combinations on 95, 98 and Me systems. It provides complete coverage under XP.
Also, we have confirmed that we cannot control things in our application code. We have also discovered a shareware program called Tradekeys that provides disabling of the Windows shortcut keys. However, because of keyboard handling variations among different Windows systems, it does not handle all of the key combinations on 95, 98 and Me systems. It provides complete coverage under XP.
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