Displaying Test status on a locked PC

[Davie_K]

Hi

I want to display the status of my test sequence while running. Unfortunately the test takes over 2 hours and for security the PC gets locked after 10mins and only display the login screen.

Is there a way of displaying the status of the test on a locked PC?

[ikaiser]

What operating system are you using on that PC?

Generally, the options are limited, no matter what OS you are using. If your OS allows displaying data on the lock screen, it's not a simple process to set it up.

[Davie_K]

Hi

I am running a windows 7 OS but a solution for windows 10 would be useful as well.

[ikaiser]

As the Windows Lock Screen is designed to be "safe", there are not many possibilities to display data there at all. I know of two ways:

• Showing images from a pre-set folder, writing new images with the data you want to have displayed in the background.
• You can use an App to display some data. Selecting the app itself is done via System Control » Personalization » Lock Screen. Creating such an app from scratch, enabling 3rd-party apps to be allowed and then using this way to display data in the Lock Screen. This is called "Spotlight" in Windows 10, and can (as far as I know) only display text. See Configure Windows Spotlight on the lock screen for some information.

Apart from that you could ask IT to let this computer unlocked (maybe locking it physically instead?). Or, use this PC to publish the FrontPanel you want to see into your local network, and use another PC/IoT device to just display this panel (in Kiosk mode, not locking).