Unlock Settings

When the system is locked by Desktop Lock, users must enter the correct unlock hotkey and, optionally, the unlock password to unlock the system.

Desktop Lock must have an unlock hotkey, but the unlock password is optional.

If there is no unlock password, the system will be unlocked directly upon entering the correct unlock hotkey. Otherwise, if the unlock password is set, it will be requested after the correct unlock hotkey is entered.

Typically, the unlock password is not necessary, as the unlock hotkey alone is sufficiently secure to prevent unauthorized access, given that it is not a standard hotkey but rather a combination of keyboard keys and mouse actions.

• Unlock Hotkey
• Unlock Password

Unlock Hotkey

The unlock hotkey is distinct from common Windows hotkeys. It differs significantly from system hotkeys like "Ctrl + A". Instead, it consists of a sequence of keys in any combination, such as your name, birth date, or any other difficult-to-guess information.

In a sense, the unlock hotkey is more like a password, only there is no input box to enter it on the locked system, instead, you press the keys one by one to enter them directly.

To unlock the system, the unlock hotkey must be entered without interruption. But you don't hold all of the keys at the same time. For instance, if the unlock hotkey is set to:

A B C

To unlock the system, you should:

1. Press A on the keyboard and release it, then,
2. Press B on the keyboard and release it, then,
3. Press C on the keyboard and release it.

If, for example, after pressing A, you press any key other than B, the input sequence for the hotkey will be reset, and you will need to start over from the first key, A.

Beginning with version 8.0, Desktop Lock introduces the universal unlock hotkey that allows for the combination of both keyboard keys and mouse actions. For instance, below is a valid unlock hotkey:

A B C

To correctly enter the above unlock hotkey, you should:

1. Press A on the keyboard and release it, then,
2. Press B on the keyboard and release it, then,
3. Click the left mouse button, then,
4. Press C on the keyboard and release it, then,
5. Move the mouse.

The "unlock mode" setting of old versions has been eliminated due to the implementation of the universal unlock hotkey. Now you don't need to choose if you want to unlock the system using the keyboard or the mouse, and you can even have an unlock hotkey mixed with keyboard keys and mouse actions.

The unlock hotkey box in the settings window functions similarly to a standard edit box. You can click in it to set focus, then press a key on your keyboard to insert the key at current caret position. You can move caret using arrow keys. It supports to select a range of keys by dragging the mouse, or by using shift + ← and shift + →, shift + Home, etc. It supports to delete the selected keys by pressing Delete, or to replace them by pressing a new key.

In summary, we have designed the unlock hotkey box to operate like an edit box to minimize the learning curve associated with its use.

However, it's not really an edit box.

To accommodate the universal unlock hotkey and ensure that the keys used are always valid, this unlock hotkey box has been meticulously designed, and it has its own distinct features.

Only a subset of keys on the keyboard can be used in unlock hotkey

Control keys are not permitted in the unlock hotkey, as they do not represent characters in a "string" and are primarily used for navigation within dialog boxes.

The keys on the number pad are excluded, as they may lead to user confusion. For example, Num 9 is actually a different key from 9 on the main keyboard, although they can both input the character '9'.

The unlock hotkey box automatically identifies and rejects invalid keys so you don't need to worry about knowing which keys are valid. If a key can't be entered, then it's invalid.

Insert mouse actions to unlock hotkey box

To insert a mouse action (such as left click, right click, middle click, and movement), there are 2 ways:

• Click the shortcut icon, or right-click in the unlock hotkey box to show the shortcut menu, then select the appropriate menu item to add the mouse action.
• Press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard, then click the left, right or middle mouse button. This method can't insert mouse movements. Mouse movements must be inserted using the shortcut menu.

Unlock hotkey box consistently displays the current caret or selection

Unlike edit boxes, the unlock hotkey box will always show the caret or selection, even when the input focus shifts to another control. This design choice facilitates user awareness of where mouse actions will be inserted when using the shortcut menu to insert them.

Unlock hotkey cannot be empty

Desktop Lock is designed to require an unlock hotkey, as the unlock hotkey is intended to be the primary way to unlock the system, while the unlock password is optional.

If you cleared the unlock hotkey box, Desktop Lock will reset it to the default H when you click OK of the settings window to confirm.

If you prefer to use the unlock password over the unlock hotkey, you may set the unlock hotkey to be a single mouse movement. Then, simply moving the mouse on the locked desktop will trigger the password window. If you don't set an unlock password either, Desktop Lock will function similarly to screensavers.

The unlock mode "unlock when mouse moved" in old versions can be accomplished in the new version by using a single mouse movement as the unlock hotkey.

Continuous mouse movements will merge into a single one

Mouse movements differ significantly from mouse clicks. When you click a mouse button, a single click event is generated. But moving the mouse can result in multiple mouse movement events, depending on the distance traveled. This variability can be challenging for users to manage, as it is influenced by numerous hardware and software factors.

Desktop Lock doesn't allow continuous mouse movements in the unlock hotkey, as users cannot accurately determine the number of mouse movements triggered when they move the mouse.

If there is more than one mouse movement in a row in the unlock hotkey, they will be merged into one when you click OK of the settings window to confirm changes.

Unlock Password

The unlock password will be requested after the unlock hotkey has been correctly entered. If no unlock password is set, the system will unlock immediately following the input of the unlock hotkey.

If an incorrect unlock password is entered, the unlock operation will be aborted, and you must re-enter the unlock hotkey to restart the unlocking process.

If your unlock hotkey is sufficiently complex to be guessed out, you actually don't need to set an unlock password.

The unlock password is only advisable when you intentionally use a simple unlock hotkey, such as a single mouse movement, which will trigger the unlock password window with a simple mouse movement (like screensavers).

Please note that the unlock password is not the admin password. It's only for unlocking the locked system. On the other hand, the admin password protects the main program and the uninstaller, and can also be used to substitute unlock password.

Password window auto-close countdown

This setting allows you to set a countdown to automatically close the password window.

By default, It's set to Never, so the unlock password window will always be shown once it pops up, until you close it.

You can select the predefined 60 seconds, or select Customize to specify a value. The countdown duration must be at least 5 seconds, as a shorter interval may not provide sufficient time for the user to enter the unlock password.

Play a sound when incorrect password is entered

Desktop Lock can be set to play a notification sound when an incorrect unlock password is entered.

This setting is by default set to None. You can set it to play the System default beep, or customize it by selecting 🗁 Browse and choosing a media file.

Typically, the media file should be an audio file, although video files are also accepted, with only the audio component being played.