1

When AutoHide isn't enough, how can I code to gaurentee the taskbar can't be used/displayed while my application is running?

It's a full (touch)screen application (with no keyboard), that is being used in kiosk mode.

When the application exits it's ok to restore the taskbar.

Thank you!

stukelly
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ScottCate
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5 Answers5

2

Your application can be fullscreen and overlay the taskbar.

MicTech
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2

There are two options:

  1. Make your app a full screen window. Don't, however, search for the Taskbar and kill it in any way. It's bad behavior, punished with having yet another backward-compatibility hack in Windows API that Microsoft will have to support forever. Here's a post by Raymond Chen to teach you some manners. ;)
  2. Make it Windows' shell instead of explorer.exe. That one's actually more appropriate, considering that your application is the only one that's supposed to be run on your 'kiosk'.
macbirdie
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1

I also had the same problem. Now I got a working solution in Delphi: App staying behind taskbar when starting in fullscreen!

Community
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André
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1

You could set your application as shell, that way the taskbar doesn't exist at all.

Esteban Küber
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-1

You can hide the tray window like this:

HWND trayWnd = FindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", NULL);

if(trayWnd != NULL) {
    ShowWindow(trayWnd, SW_HIDE);
}
arul
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    Not a good idea, see linked article in the comment on the other answer. – Joey Jun 07 '09 at 18:51
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    The taskbar should hide caller's window in some kind of a retaliation. ;) – macbirdie Jun 07 '09 at 18:57
  • I know about the article, I even read Raymond's book. None of the described drawbacks apply here. – arul Jun 07 '09 at 19:08
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    Still doesn't make it a good idea if there is a documented approach that works. And the drawback with the taskbar being another window class/title would still apply, by the way. – Joey Jun 07 '09 at 21:20
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    Documented approach that doesn't work, not the same way, the semantics are different. Never seen a bubble in the notification area of a kiosk computer informing you about new updates, drivers, hw? All hell really breaks loose when 'WM_SETTINGCHANGE' gets broadcasted, oh what a Z-fight. OP clearly stated 'How to hide/remove', not how to overlay while preaching MS's bible. – arul Mar 26 '13 at 08:37