Author Topic: IDEA: Keyboard & Mouse cleaner (Read 54978 times)

wr975 · « **on:** September 26, 2005, 05:27 AM »

A little utility to assist the user in cleaning the keyboard / mouse without turning off the PC.

So for keyboard cleaning the application would disable the keyboard (and I guess this is the tricky part: all special keys (multimedia keys, windows))... click with the mouse and keyboard is enabled again.

For mouse cleaning the application would disable the mouse (and all extra mouse buttons, like thumb or wheel button). Press a key and it's enabled again.

An application like this exists... http://www.crystalso....com.au/cleango.html. But I'm too cheap to dish out $10 for such tool

, and don't need a fancy GUI or cleaning instructions.

I found a freeware version years ago called Clean'm Up (no homepage), but it fails on the special keys... The Windows key would still work, even if the keyboard is disabled.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #1 on:** September 26, 2005, 06:30 AM »

You could always simply use the device manager and choose disable for which ever device you want to clean??

Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager

although I suspect it depends on the device your using (and drivers) if it allows the 'disable option'

I am using a MS keyboard and mouse and the option is greyed out.

I also have a Wacom graphics pad that has a wireless mouse and that can easily be disabled.

skrommel · « **Reply #2 on:** September 26, 2005, 02:10 PM »

Try this one! I don't own a multimedia keyboard, so please let me know if it catches all the keys.

ToddlerTrap - Disables mouse and keyboard input to stop toddlers messing up your PC, or to allow for cleaning.

Edit: Changed the name to ToddlerTrap, and added a few more keys.

You'll find the downloads and more info at Skrommel Software.

Skrommel

lanux128 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 26, 2005, 09:09 PM »

hi there skrommel,

this is just what i was looking for! although i have another use for it, i.e. to prevent my toddler from pressing the keys when he's watching any videos on the pc. previously i was running a plethora of tools, one to block the desktop (Child Proof), another to lock the mouse (Squeaky Clean) & yet another app just to block the Win keys (WinKeyKill)...

but now, u made it simple... thank you very much. ;-)

best regards,
lanux

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** September 26, 2005, 09:17 PM »

results on my machine:
blocks start button and windows keys and normal keys.

global hotkeys are not blocked though (printscr, break, function keys that i use as global hotkeys)

wr975 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 27, 2005, 12:45 AM »

@skrommel
Thanks for the quick coding reply.

Exactly the tool I was asking for.

I can report the same results like mouser. Mouse buttons disabled. Windows, Start and all keys disabled. Multimedia keys + Print/Break still working.

Clean'n'Go also fails on such keys, so I'm not sure if these special keys can be disabled. Guess I just have to be careful with some few keys (especially with standby)...

@CarolHaynes
Thanks for the info. My keyboard can't be disabled (grayed out).

lanux128 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 27, 2005, 12:51 AM »

global hotkeys are not blocked though
-mouser (September 26, 2005, 09:17 PM)

aye, same here... but i doesn't bother me since the programs launched don't get input focus...

best regards,
lanux

mouser · « **Reply #7 on:** September 27, 2005, 01:24 AM »

i believe i have code for the kids keyboard program that i have 25% finished that blocks ALL keys, i'll try to dig it up.

skrommel · « **Reply #8 on:** September 27, 2005, 05:15 PM »

Can't catch really low level keys, so we'll be waiting for your version, mouser. But I've added a few more keys and changed the name to ToddlerTrap.

You'll find the downloads and more info at Skrommel Software.

Skrommel

springro · « **Reply #9 on:** November 28, 2006, 07:09 AM »

Is there a way allow repositioning of window to somewhere other than the center?

It would be nice to be able to run a kids video, and not have them be able to interfere with it by using the keyboard.
The mouse is fairly easy just to put out of reach

.

Thanks,

Rob

skrommel · « **Reply #10 on:** December 21, 2006, 08:19 AM »

Try ToddlerTrap v1.1.

Changes:
- 2006.12.21 - v1.1: Added option to move ToddlerTrap out of the way.

Skrommel

app103 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 21, 2006, 12:20 PM »

Disabling the multimedia keys is pretty simple to do.

It's usually a program running in the background. You just have to find the right one and kill it...then run it again when you want to turn them back on.

Every keyboard is different, so the name of the process and the location of the program's .exe file will be different too.

Best thing you can do is check your running processes and start googling the ones you don't know what they do till you find the one for the keyboard. Then search your hard drive for the file name so you know where it is when you want to turn it back on.

springro · « **Reply #12 on:** December 22, 2006, 05:58 AM »

Changes:
- 2006.12.21 - v1.1: Added option to move ToddlerTrap out of the way.

Thanks!
Now maybe I can watch what I want on the TV and let Blues Clues stuff run on the computer. Whew!

Maybe this should be moved out of "Unanswered/Rejected Requests" to DONE!

masu · « **Reply #13 on:** December 23, 2006, 10:07 AM »

Hi Skrommel,

thanks for the nice tool!!

It's really useful

Deozaan · « **Reply #14 on:** August 19, 2008, 03:13 AM »

Recently my antivirus has flagged this as a threat and automatically quarantines it whenever I try to run it or just randomly throughout the day. I know it's just a false positive (I was using it a week ago with no problems), but I don't think my AV has an option for exceptions.

It seems as though I can run the AHK script just fine without it being quarantined, and in fact with AHK installed I can compile the script myself and run it without my AV removing the file. However, if I compile the script to an exe then it has the default AHK icon.

Skrommel, Is it possible for you to provide the icon and a quick tutorial on how to compile an AHK script with the icon?

Thanks in advance!

jgpaiva · « **Reply #15 on:** August 19, 2008, 04:24 AM »

It's really easy to compile an ahk script with an icon, included with ahk, in the folder "compiler", there's "ahk2exe". Just open it, select source+destination+icon and you're done

lanux128 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 19, 2008, 07:33 AM »

if the AV can be disabled temporarily, then you can use a resource editor to extract the icon from the existing exe.

anyway, there is a similar thread here and it may come in handy.

wr975 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 19, 2008, 11:19 AM »

AFAIK Skrommel has been asked several times to recompile his scripts using a newer version of Autohotkey. Guess he has no interest.

Here's a recompiled "ToddlerTrap". Icon extracted using IrfanView.

jgpaiva · « **Reply #18 on:** August 19, 2008, 12:24 PM »

AFAIK Skrommel has been asked several times to recompile his scripts using a newer version of Autohotkey. Guess he has no interest.
-wr975 (August 19, 2008, 11:19 AM)

Not exactly, wr975.. Unfortunately, it really isn't skrommel's fault, mouser has already recompiled all of them once.
The problem is that eventually, the AVs just catch up, and find "viruses" in the recently compiled versions.
It's really sad that this happens, but I think it'd be impraticable for software developers to be recompiling all of their programs each time an AV decides one of them is a "virus".
It's sad that things have got to this point

mouser · « **Reply #19 on:** August 19, 2008, 03:01 PM »

actually skrommel has recently started re-updating his page and i have talked to him about automating the recompilation process -- i hope he will finalize the process so he can recompile them all when needed without too much trouble. i do hope the ahk lead developers are trying to get the antivirus people to stop their irresponsible behavior.

Deozaan · « **Reply #20 on:** August 19, 2008, 05:47 PM »

Thanks for the help, everyone.

The only way to make this little utility better would be if it didn't stop the screen saver from coming on. As long as it also didn't prevent it from turning off when the mouse was wiggled.

glove99 · « **Reply #21 on:** November 09, 2008, 11:13 AM »

I just hit Ctrl-Alt-Del and lock computer. Then you can clean to your hearts content.

CleverCat · « **Reply #22 on:** November 10, 2008, 03:12 AM »

Hmmm - sure does, but it doesn't unlock - I had to reboot?

lanux128 · « **Reply #23 on:** November 11, 2008, 07:32 AM »

i use this fantastic tool a lot and i just made a small modification to enable the script to save its last position. feel free to try if anyone's interested.

Changes:
• the script remembers its position on the screen.

erikts · « **Reply #24 on:** March 09, 2014, 10:09 PM »

I downloaded the application, run it, and get the following error message:

[Select]

---------------------------
ToddlerTrap.exe
---------------------------
Error at line 76.

Line Text: ExitApp;ToddlerTrap.ahk
Error: This line does not contain a recognized action.

The program will exit.

My OS: Windows 7 32bit