I want to create an app which will be deployed on tablets as a kiosk in a mall. I searched around for creating app with some restriction like it will be always open, only authenticated uses can close with swipe gesture or Alt+F4. I got one solution but it's related to Win 8.1 and I can't wait till that.
So what I want is the app will be always on. Normal users will use the app, they can't close it. App can be close by only authenticated users with password. Anybody have any ideas to do these things ?
PS : For those who don't know what is "Assigned Access", please see Windows 8.1 product guide and search for that term.
This is not possible in Windows 8 by design. You will have to wait until 8.1 for the dedicated "kiosk mode."
It's incomplete, but if you can't wait for 8.1 consider the following 2 setting to fake a kiosk mode.
1. Modify the user GPO for the Kiosk account. Change "User Config->Administrative Templates->System->Custom User interface" Enable the policy and put in the path to your application.
This will prevent the "desktop" from loading and replace explore.exe with your applications .exe
2. REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout" /v 'Scancode Map' /t REG_BINARY /d "Make your binary change here" /f
This disables special keys like Windows key and remaps the Alt and Ctrl. Use Sharpkeys to define the binary http://sharpkeys.codeplex.com/
Good luck.
Related
I have an external kiosk application that I'm trying to run it on tablet computer which has Windows 8 OS.
The thing is, that Windows 8 doesn't allow to use any external applications in kiosk mode. Only applications that based on Win 8 are allowed.
The problem with my kiosk application that while running you can drag it with the finger and the task bar and the desktop background are revealed and I don't want that to happen.
I want it to be locked to the screen without any option to move.
The application starts automatically when the win 8 goes up.
1)I tried to search at the registry to cancel part of the touch options. Without any actual result. There are few options to cancel some of the windows widgets at the left and right corners of the screen or cancel the touch option at all.
2)I've got the option to use a 3rd party applications, but I'm trying to prevent it for now.
Forget about windows internal kiosk mode as nightmare - it not works as expected and you can't change this. Create new user 'kiosk' and use next registry key for your app:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"Shell"="C:\\full\\path\\to\\your\\application.exe>"
And configure autologin for this user:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"AutoAdminLogon"="1"
"ForceAutoLogon"="1"
"DefaultUserName"="kiosk"
"DefaultDomainName"="<place here pc hostname>"
"DefaultPassword"=""
And you will get the result you want.
Since nokia doesn't sign symbian apps any more,is there any alternative to sign app for symbian?
may be some behind the scene hack or bypass?
symbiansigned.com and cer.opda.cn are dead, don't even mind getting developer certificates - just hack your phone, no way to do this otherwise nowadays:
https://shahbazalam781.blogspot.com/2013/04/hack-all-symbian-phones-s60v3-s60v5-s3.html
This works great, just try setting your phone Date & Time to somewhere about 2010-2012 when installing apps until it clicks. After hacking phone you won't need to do this anymore.
In case link dies:
SIMPLEST PROCEDURE: First Download 3 Files
DOWNLOAD-Norton-Symbian-Hack http://gallery.mobile9.com/f/3177996/
DOWNLOAD-Rom-Patcher-Plus-v31 http://gallery.mobile9.com/f/3178010/
DOWNLOAD-Xplore V1.58 http://gallery.mobile9.com/f/3175430/
Install “NortonSymbianHack.sisx”.
Launch it.
Go Options – Anti-Virus – Quarantine list.
Go Options – Restore. Accept prompt.
Exit application. Delete Norton from Application Manager (Symantec Symbian Hack). Also delete “C:\shared\” folder.
Install “RomPatcherPlus_3.1.sisx”.
Launch and apply patches:
Open4all for full access to file system.
Installserver for installing any unsigned applications.
(If “Installserver” has red cross, follow steps 8 to 15.) (If checked,
reboot now your phone.)
Note: Set patches to auto if needed. (Options – Add to auto)
Install X-Plore.
Open it.
Press (Menu – Tools – Configuration).
Check all (Show Hidden Files, etc.).
Open “installservers_pack.zip”.
Choose what Symbian OS you have. (List below)
Copy “installserver.exe” from the folder of your OS to “C:/sys/bin”. (No need to apply patch on RomPatcher.)
Reboot phone. Phone is now hacked.
Officially, you could of course continue using the developer certificates you might have, and if they are expired, the device time might be needed to be adjusted for the installation time.
Then also the self-signing works just as it used to. For any new certificates or signings, unfortunately there are no official help available.
You can use this app to sign Symbian apps.
The signing process is fail-able but the self-signing works perfectly.
Here's the link
we are doing a product display iPad app and don't want customers to be able to quit the app pressing the home button. We're planning to use only UIGesture to let the admin users to quit. How to programmatically lock an iPad app into one single application without install any third party app or profile?
There is a feature for this added in iOS 6 Beta 2 called Guided Access, see http://www.idownloadblog.com/2012/06/26/ios-6-guided-access/
Install the iPhone Configuration Utility: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1465?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
Make a .mobileconfig with the SBStoreDemoAppLock property set to true
Install the mobile config on the device.
Installation of the mobile config can be done using either the iPCU app or by opening the file with Safari on the device.
Now the device is in kiosk mode and the home button is disabled.
Remove the .mobileconfig file (again using the iPCU app) and reboot the device to re-enable the home button.
I believe that the common solution to this problem is a case that covers the home and power buttons. In practice, you'll want something that is fairly robust to prevent theft of the iPad, and that neatly covers access to the dock connector whilst providing power.
A quick google search of iPad kiosk case turns up plenty of options. Use of iPads as PoS displays in stores and at trade shows is incredibly popular.
I've looked through MSDN on both the Store API and the Launchers collection, and can't seem to find a task or launcher that would open up an application in the Marketplace application ready for a user to rate, as we could really easily do in Windows Phone 7. Is there an alternative way that I can easily point a user towards leaving a review/rating, or are we going to have to wait until MS provides this, or does it already exist?
I believe, or should I say "I hope", that the "rate and review" command appears automatically under the settings charm for all applications downloaded from the store.
Can anyone confirm this?
Yes it looks like you are right, in the Guidelines for app settings (Windows Store apps) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/Hh770544.aspx#user_experience , says that in the charm setting under Rate & Review, the user can rate and review your application.
However: "Only apps that are installed through the Windows Store have the Rate and review entry point."
Is it possible to automatically launch an application from a USB flash drive (bypassing windows prompt asking user what he wants to do)? on windows XP or vista.
I looked into "autorun.inf" and "open" entry seems to work only for CD drives for Windows XP SP2+ and Vista. Is it possible to launch program automatically on all windows versions?
I don't care if autorun is disabled by user in Windows settings.
First of all, some people choose to disable autorun for security reasons; but Windows computers up to Vista have it enabled. Edit: Apparently the functionality was removed from Windows 7 onwards.
Put a file named autorun.inf in the root of your USB flash drive. This is what's in mine:
[Autorun]
Open=PStart.exe
Action=Start portable apps
Icon=diskicon.ico
What it does: when you insert this disk, starts PStart.exe
On older computers, the program specified in Open= will launch automatically.
On most modern computers (Windows XP SP2+, Vista), dialog "what do you want to do" will be displayed (for security reasons), but what you have in autorun.inf will display as the selected default, with Icon= as icon and Action= as description. If you want to launch it, just click the "OK" button in the dialog.
So, although I'm not aware of any way to start the application (e.g. PStart) immediately, it is possible to insert flash disk with this configuration and start application by clicking OK.
Tested on different computers, running Windows XP without a SP, also on Windows XP sp 1, sp2, sp3, and on various Vistas (not sure which types, but should work all the way from Vista Home Basic to Vista Enterprise Super-Mega-Premium-Extended Edition) and "Windows 7". Also works on Windows 2000 (although autorun on Win2000 for removable drives is not enabled in default configuration).
Note that some applications, in addition, may trigger the "unknown/unsigned exacutable" security dialog, as if you opened them manually.
Edit: For more details, see also:
Autoplay in Windows XP: Automatically Detect and React to New Devices on a System
I've had something set up on my USB keys for a while now. Using the autorun.inf file will work, depending on your system's settings for autorun. Some disable it altogether after that little debacle with Sony a couple years back installing rootkit software on peoples' machines. Here're a couple articles to check out.
Label a Flash Drive with Your Name and Number
Have Your Lost USB Drive Ask For Help (1) or 2
you need UseAutoplay to let this work on usb.
and if you take ShellExecute instead of open you can also open scripts/documents/...
[Autorun]
ShellExecute=System\something.exe
UseAutoplay=1
there are also U3 usb sticks arround, they will be reconised as cdrom drives in windows.
if you put an a autorun.inf on one of those, it will get executed without the user being questioned.
regards morla
I found the solution in this blog
How To Auto-Launch Apps With A USB Stick [Windows]
It worked fine for me
(the article explains how to do it with AutoIT, a 3rd party app that must be installed on the host computer)