For some applications it’s possible to run GUI automation on a locked machine, but it requires using special methods. First it’s worth listing methods that don’t work on a locked machine: clickinput and all other mouse click and press methods ending with input. Setfocus as it uses SetCursorPos and SetForegroundWindow. Macintosh will look slightly different, but the instructions are the same for keyboard or mouse. When you see the 'Restart the device' window, follow the on-screen instructions to turn your device off and then back on. When your device is detected, you'll see a 'We have detected your' confirmation screen. Add download button to any site mac.

Desktop GUI tests usually require active desktop to move mouse cursorand type some keys into a focused window. That completely blocks localmachine from normal usage.

But running tests on a remote machine is a challenge. This guide collectedknown issues and solutions to control a remote machine with GUI tests.

Windows Remote Desktop features¶

Remote Desktop (RDP) provides virtual active desktop to remote machine with Windows OS.There are 2 potential issues:

• If RDP window is minimized, there is no active desktop on remote PC by default.
• If RDP is disconnected, the desktop is locked out.

In both cases any GUI automation jobs will fail (if you don’t use some tricks described below).The workarounds are well described in TestComplete documetation:

VNC Server software¶

There is more simple way to avoid above issues: using VNC server software(for example, Tight VNC). It works as a pair of client and server. VNC serveralso provides active desktop on a remote machine.

• This is a non-virtual desktop so working with native screen resolutionon a remote PC may require updating video drivers.
• Minimizing or disconnecting VNC client doesn’t destroy active desktop (by default!).
• This is a cross-platform solution (VNC server is a native part of macOSand available on Linux).

The only problem you may face with:

• Using Remote Desktop (RDP) may break VNC server benefits and you haveto restart remote PC or apply RDP workarounds described above.

Other remote access software¶

Run Remote Mouse Qr Code

If anyone tried to run GUI tests/automation remotely using Team Viewer,PowerBI desktop or any other virtual desktop software, feel free to addmore details into this guide.

Tricks to run automation on a locked machine¶

For some applications it’s possible to run GUI automation on a lockedmachine, but it requires using special methods. First it’s worth listingmethods that don’t work on a locked machine:

• click_input and all other mouse click and press methods ending with _input.
• set_focus as it uses SetCursorPos and SetForegroundWindow.
• type_keys for native keyboard input.
• Direct usage of modules mouse and keyboard.

Some other methods may not work also, but it depends on application.There are few methods for silent text input in backend='win32':

• send_chars (symbols only; special key combinations do not work)
• send_keystrokes (some special key combinations may work)

Remote Mouse Programs

There is another useful method to enter string at once (available for both backends, usually for edit box only):

• “uia”: set_edit_text (enter text as is, no modifiers supported)

Start remote script using agent based CI¶

When your script is ready and you can run it on a remote machine manually,it’s time to automate the last step: trigger running the script from localmachine or from CI server.

If you have internal hosted CI (for example, Jenkins), probably targetmachine is already connected to Jenkins master using an agent. There arethree ways to connect agent:

• Run agent as a service: GUI tests won’t work in this case becauseGUI can’t be even created when running as a service.
• Run agent through SSH: GUI tests won’t work.
• Run agent as a normal application. This is the only working case!

Start remote script directly¶

This chapter is inspired by issue #401 (special thanks to yangliang003).

First option is PsExec. Thanks to this post on StackExchange.

1. Download PsTools.
2. Get process ID of RDP session using tasklist command. PowerShell script:

3. Start process: PsExec.exe-s-i123pythonmy_script.py.

Ansible has PsExec plugin that simplifies it. Playbook example:

Run Remote Mouse Windows 10

Windows Scheduler is also capable to start jobs with GUI interaction support.There is easy way to schedule the task from cmd.exe once:

Use your Android or iOS to control your PC

Run Remote Mouse App

Older versions of Remote Mouse

Run Remote Mouse App

Remote Mouse For Computer