FAQ / Desktop Lock

This page is for both Desktop Lock and Desktop Lock Business Edition, including the Virtual Screen tool.

I want to put a document as a shortcut in Virtual Screen?

Virtual Screen supports adding documents to its virtual desktops, you can add any document (e.g. text document, word document) to virtual desktops directly. Virtual Screen also supports adding programs with command line parameters.

How do I unlock the locked desktop? I didn't change any settings.

Please press the h key on your keyboard, then the system will be unlocked. This is because the default unlock mode is HOTKEY and the unlock hotkey by default is "h".

I pressed the unlock hotkey, but the system couldn't be unlocked?

The unlock hotkey is not a normal Windows hotkey, you should press each of the characters in the hotkey string sequentially. For example, if the hotkey is "abc", you should first press button 'a', then release it, then 'b' and release, then 'c'. Do NOT try to hold all keys at the same time.

What is the difference between Desktop Lock and Business Edition?

Desktop Lock Business Edition provides all the features of common edition, and some additional features. The lock mode "Lock keyboard and mouse only, don't freeze screen" only works in Business Edition; the Virtual Screen tool is only a DEMO in common version. If you want to use Virtual Screen, you should purchase Business Edition.

How to upgrade to Business Edition?

Please contact us for the special order link and price for upgrading from the common version to business edition.

Virtual Screen doesn't work on my computer?

Virtual Screen does not support Windows 98/Me.

I don't want the banner on locked desktop, how can I turn it off?

Please set the banner text to be empty (blank) in its configuration.

I want to lock my computer by a command line, don't want to use hotkey or "Lock Now" button?

There is a command parameter "/Lock" can be used to lock the system directly. Use it with program file TLDL.EXE to lock the system like this:

"C:\Program Files\Desktop Lock\TLDL.EXE" /Lock

Does Desktop Lock support multiple monitors?

Yes, Desktop Lock supports multiple monitors. However, banner, video etc. will only be displayed on the default monitor.

How can I use Open Office 3.x in Virtual Screen?

Open Office 3.x forces itself to always be shown on the real desktop, even when you launch it in virtual desktop. This is because the \program\soffice.exe is actually a helper program to create instances of real main program \program\soffice.bin, and it forces all instances to be on real desktop.

To use Open Office in Virtual Screen, you have to make some modification to Open Office, and add a new path to the system PATH variable. Steps:

1. Open the program folder of Open Office. Normally it's "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program".
2. Rename soffice.exe to soffice.bak.exe as we don't want to use this helper program.
3. Rename soffice.bin to soffice.exe. This is the actual main program.
4. Click Start - Run, input sysdm.cpl and click OK to run it.
5. In "System Properties" dialog box, switch to tab Advanced, then click button Environment Variables.
6. Locate the variable name Path in "System variables" list box, then double-click to edit it.
7. Move mouse cursor to the end of the input box, append the following string:
   ;C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\URE\bin
   Click OK 3 times to return.
   Note that there is a ";" in front of the string. Paths in system PATH variable are separated by the letter ";".
   

   This step is important. It actually adds the BIN folder of Open Office to PATH variable, so that the main program can know where to find those DLL files it needs. This was originally the task of helper program (the original soffice.exe). Now we don't use helper program, so we must add the BIN path manually.

8. Try to launch Open Office on real desktop. If it worked then all is done, and you can use it in Virtual Screen now.

Virtual Screen: How to start a profile (virtual desktop) directly in command line?

You can use the profile name in command line along with command line parameter switch '/s'. For example:

"C:\Program Files\Desktop Lock\DLVS.exe" /s Default

How to use Virtual Screen on portable media like DVD, USB disks?

It's possible to use Virtual Screen along with its configuration on DVD or USB disks. There is a command line switch /DataFile can be used to specify a configuration file. This switch forces Virtual Screen to use the configuration file it specifies instead of the default one. Examples:

DLVS.exe /DataFile:abc.dat

DLVS.exe /DataFile:"G:\My Folder\My Configuration.data"

Virtual Screen: Firefox cannot play flash media in virtual desktop?

[This topic is obsolete as Firefox now uses multiple processes, and none are still using flash media.]

Firefox uses plugin-container.exe to launch its plug-ins. Flash player plugin in Firefox also creates additional processes (the file name is related to current version of Flash Player). So you must also add those programs to the profile to allow them to be launched. You can make them to be hidden so they won't be shown on the virtual desktop.

Virtual Screen: Use Chrome in virtual desktop?

To use Chrome in Virtual Screen, you have to disable its sandbox mode. To do that, please modify the command line of related program item in Virtual Screen control program, add an additional string "--no-sandbox". The final command line will be like:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --no-sandbox

Note: Disabling sandbox mode will cause Chrome to display a warning message each time you open it. But this is the only way to make it work in V-Screen. This modification doesn't affect Chrome on the real desktop.