Disable Windows Automatic Logout – with Auto Hotkey

I know, I know. Windows has some settings to prevent this. Though just about everywhere I’ve worked this setting can’t be changed for, I’m guessing, security reasons. I guess people do be walking away from their computers and leaving them unlocked which results in, at best, embarrassing wallpaper changes from coworkers, and at worst your computer being stolen, compromising information being leaked or ransomware being installed bringing the whole corporate infrastructure to its buckled knees.

And, in spite of this, I still find a way to circumvent this. Because it’s annoying to log into your computer over and over and over again. I usually do my work on a combination of computers and it’s frustrating when I have to log into one of them ten times a day because I went and got coffee or because I’m engaged on my desktop where I have more monitor real estate.

I guess it’s fortunate that I don’t work in a warehouse or in construction, because apparently I’d be the OSHA violation guy. You know, the guy who ties the fire extinguisher to the security gate to keep it open because I’m tired of opening the security gate. I’m that guy, that’s me.

In my defense, my work laptops, like me, never leave my desk or home

Before I ramble on like a recipe blog, here’s how I do it: I use a widely-known program, AutoHotkey. AutoHotkey is scripting language that allows you to manipulate Windows to do almost anything automatically, and I’ve often used it to do repetitive or monotonous tasks. It’s one of the first things I install on almost any fresh Windows install, right up there with Bonzi Buddy.

You’ll often see videos where someone Rube Goldbergs some contraption, where a fan jiggles a ballpoint pen that shakes their mouse, attached by a rubber band, while they go and Irish up their coffee. Well my script does something like that. It moves the mouse an imperceptible pixel distance at the slowest speed imaginable every minute. I literally leave this script on most of the day and it never even interferes with my life, yet it keeps Windows from locking me out. Also you can pause this via AutoHotkey whenever you don’t want it to run.

This is probably the most useful piece of software I have yet written. Enjoy

while true {
    MouseMove, 1, 1, 1, R
    Sleep 59000
}