Robert Meek wrote: > That was one of the first things I considered because if I'm not > mistaken the new Windows will be using something like an active > Server Page anyway, and in it this may be a moot problem altogether!
I don't know what the new Windows will do to the desktop, but Microsoft have been playing with the idea of a web page as the desktop for a while: It has been around in Win98, and I think it was kind-of "the norm" in Windows Me (remamber how you got a message about Active Desktop being disabled in place of your normal desktop picture whenever the system failed?). This "web page desktop" probably required a bit of extra work because it was no longer forced on us with win XP, but it's steel there and I think it's actually a good idea. > I couldn't find anyway to restrict access to the desktop anywhere but > even that isn't crucial to my way of thinking because if the Taskbar > remains enabled then one would still have to set up directory and > file per missions for each user anyway! But I guess you know how > illogical clients can be, and they always have a friend that they say > told them about something that can or should be done. In this case > he was evidently told that having the desktop remain beneath whatever > I do for him would simply be eating up a lot of additional resources! > My ONLY concern is the z-order because I don't want anything getting > lost behind it and that can sometimes be a hairy problem in a normal > Windows app as it is! If you're certain your only problem would be the z-order, you might want to try something else: create a border-less delphi form with CreateParented(GetDesktopWindow). This would put your form INTO the desktop window, just as a panel is placed into it's parent form window. Just gave this a try and it works, all you need to do is make sure you get rid of it's taskbar button. Sample code: Create a blank application, add two forms to it (Form1 and Form2), customize form2 a bit (I just made it's Color clGreen) and a a buttton to Form1. In it's OnClick do something like this: procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject); var F2:TForm2; begin F2 := TForm2.CreateParented(GetDesktopWindow); F2.Top := 0; F2.Left := 0; F2.Visible := True; end; > > from: Robert Meek at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > dba "Tangentals Design" home of "PoBoy" > freeware Windows apps and utilities > located at: www.TangentalsDesign.com > Proud to be a moderator for the > "Delphi Programming Lists" at: elists.org > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Cosmin Prund > Sent: Friday, October 28, 2005 4:15 AM > To: Borland's Delphi Discussion List > Subject: Re: D2005 and the desktop for XP > > 1) Take a look at Active Desktop. Can't it fix the problem right > away? Set it up to show a web page that's refreshed perodically. Mabe > you can get away > > with setting it up to show a page from a UNC share, not a real http > server (also you can easily turn any of the XP's into an intranet > http server using > > MS's http server or Apache). You might be able to also disable > desktop icons > > and have those incorporated into this Active Desktop somehow... > > 2) Take a look at all those settings in Local Security Policy, mabe > there's a way to stop the user from changing the desktop (also this > would require all those user to have non-Administrator accounts). I > don't really know what's in there... > > Robert Meek wrote: >> Does anyone know if, or have worked with, a way of not allowing a >> personal desktop to be started up or simply stopped? One of my few >> major clients called me last night to ask how I was coming with an >> app I was working on for him in Delphi, which as it turns out I just >> finished but haven't yet had the chance install and try on his LAN. >> In the process of discussing how this app was going to work he asked >> if I could personalize his desktops on all XP Pro based machines so >> that they have a common look, ability, and accessibilities. After >> giving this some thought I am considering trying to use something >> like an html -based local browser page that would be loaded at >> startup. It would incorporate their business name, insignia, and >> other marketing information, and like a regular web page would >> provide links into various sections of the server-based data. For >> example, they have an image catalog which is updated continuously >> from all over the world...a contract I'd love to get but I don't >> believe I'm ready to tackle yet...and others for each functioning >> role at the company. He really needs an Intranet I think but at this >> time he doesn't want to go even that far! >> So the way I envision a solution is to use a Web or even a windows >> form application that runs as a client on each machine and updates >> it's desktop replacement page automatically each morning when the LAN >> is started. Whomever gets the job of keeping it up to date will have >> it pretty easy because the links it would require haven't changed at >> all in the last year, so all that might be required is a face-lift >> once in-awhile unless or until he wants to add additional services >> thru it. All the Links the page would provide would either be to >> local applications or documentation and database access thru the >> local network, but each computer would display exactly the same page >> and have the same links. >> The problem is that I would rather not just have a browser instance >> fired up and loaded and kept on screen all day over the top of the >> desktops! I want the Taskbar, Start menu entries, and Tray area to >> remain untouched but nothing else would be required. And HE doesn't >> want any of his employees to be able to access the desktop by >> minimizing this out of the way. He wants it to be the ONLY view of >> the system! So is it possible to actually get rid of or disable the >> user's desktop...remembering that there could possibly be multiple >> user logon names and passwords, each one already opening up to their >> own personal desktop. Once shut down or disabled my app or Web page >> would then be created full screen and around the taskbar. I'd set it >> up so that it couldn't be shut down and replaced by the desktop >> again. Once the app was closed it would either nag for a restart, do >> it automatically, or shut the system down. And one of the other >> concerns is that I think I would need some way to make it always stay >> at the bottom of the z-order wouldn't I? Otherwise an app or dialog >> could potentially get lost behind it! Any ideas, considerations or >> solutions appreciated! >> >> from: Robert Meek at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> dba "Tangentals Design" home of "PoBoy" >> freeware Windows apps and utilities >> located at: www.TangentalsDesign.com >> Proud to be a moderator for the >> "Delphi Programming Lists" at: elists.org >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Delphi mailing list -> [email protected] >> http://www.elists.org/mailman/listinfo/delphi > > _______________________________________________ > Delphi mailing list -> [email protected] > http://www.elists.org/mailman/listinfo/delphi > > _______________________________________________ > Delphi mailing list -> [email protected] > http://www.elists.org/mailman/listinfo/delphi _______________________________________________ Delphi mailing list -> [email protected] http://www.elists.org/mailman/listinfo/delphi
