Determining whether game mode is active

trym flogard 1 Reputation point
2021-09-18T11:02:48.807+00:00

Is there an API for determining whether the user is currently playing a game, or running another graphics accelerated application in fullscreen?

Windows API - Win32
Windows API - Win32
A core set of Windows application programming interfaces (APIs) for desktop and server applications. Previously known as Win32 API.
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  1. Castorix31 65,791 Reputation points
    2021-09-18T12:09:19.52+00:00

    A way is with IDirectDraw7
    (tested on Windows 10 1909 (in a Timer for the test) with various games in Full Screen) =>

    BOOL bRet = FALSE;
IDirectDraw7 *pDD7;
if (SUCCEEDED(CoCreateInstance(CLSID_DirectDraw7, NULL, CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER, IID_PPV_ARG(IDirectDraw7, &pDD7))))
{
    if (S_OK == pDD7->Initialize(NULL))
    {
        bRet = pDD7->TestCooperativeLevel() == DDERR_EXCLUSIVEMODEALREADYSET;
        pDD7->Release();
    }
}
if (bRet)
{
        // Full Screen game is running
}