Recognize whether the user is logged in

Question

In Windows 10 and Windows 11, apps that are started automatically at startup are already started before the user has logged in. In Windows 8.1, such automatically launched apps were only started after the user had logged in. At least this is the case on my private notebook.

How can I determine whether the user has already logged in? My app plays audio and I don't want audio to be played before the user has logged in.

When starting the app, I check whether there is a 'consent' process, in which case I would only play audio later. Unfortunately, I cannot find such a process and audio is played immediately.

What can I do? My app is a WPF desktop bridge app.

Answer 1

@Heiko, When the system automatically signs-on the user and starts your application there may be a small delay before the session is locked. You can receive notifications when the system locks/unlocks a session. So if your application is notified that the session has been locked it should defer taking action (playing audio) until it receives a notification that the session has been unlocked.

Notifications can be received by using the SystemEvents.SessionSwitch Event. In the past some have indicated that events have not been fired. Alternative solutions are included in this thread - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1293407/unable-to-capture-sessionswitch-events-in-windows

Update:

There is also a Windows API function that you can call using p/invoke that will return whether a session is locked/unlocked. The function is WTSQuerySessionInformationA and the information class to be requested is WTSSessionInfoEx. The returned WTSINFOEXA structure contains a WTSINFOEX_LEVEL1_A structure whose SessionFlags member indicates locked or unlocked. As with most Windows API functions there is also a "W" variant of the function and related structures for wide character strings (UNICODE).

Answer 2

Heiko,

As an experiment can you have the test PC check for the following:

Go to Settings -> Accounts -> Sign-in Options

And check for the setting regarding "Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up after an update"

If enabled, disable and restart the device and see if the application still initiates startup during the login screen.