an on-screen keyboard on logon

[bug]

I am curious if the on-screen keyboard that appears while on windows logon screen is a stand-alone executable file. If yes, does anybody know what it is? The reason I am asking is I want to be able to start a program with a visible GUI before a user logs in. I am able to do this using a startup script, but there is a quite long delay before the GUI appears. Thanks for any help.

[iFly]

i remember someone mentioned this before at microsoft tabletpc forum. try it out.

[WNewquay]

bug,

C:\WINDOWS\system32\osk.exe

quote:Originally posted by bug

I am curious if the on-screen keyboard that appears while on windows logon screen is a stand-alone executable file. If yes, does anybody know what it is? The reason I am asking is I want to be able to start a program with a visible GUI before a user logs in. I am able to do this using a startup script, but there is a quite long delay before the GUI appears. Thanks for any help.

[bug]

iFly,
Thanks, I'll try to find it.

WNewquay,
It doesn't look like the keyboard on logon. I think that keyboard is something else.

[Samon]

Alright I know this topic is old now, and you've probably either found the answer or given up...but I'll post anyway.

The on-screen-keyboard at logon is handled by "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ink\keyboardsurrogate.exe"...but it's not quite as simple as that. If for example you modified/deleted/renames that file, it is automatically replaced by the original file. to overcome this you must first replace the backup file, which is "C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\kbdsur.exe" (of course back this one up first!).

Windows will complain that the original files are corrupt or somethingh, just click CANCEL and it will ignore it from then on.

Then if you delete the "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ink\keyboardsurrogate.exe" file, it will be re-created as the newly replaced "C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\kbdsur.exe".

Using this method i simply deleted both files, and now i have no on-screen-keyboard at all on my login screen (i have two accounts, but since neither have a password, I never need the stupid keyboard).