Windows 10 Slave Service Not Starting Before Login

[streaml1n...@gmail.com]

I've had a problem with InputDirector 1.3 and now 1.4 on my Windows 10 slave host whereby the service does not start on boot until I login at the console. As such I can't use my master keyboard/mouse to login to the slave. I have a small keyboard attached to the slave so I can do the login there but it's a nuisance. Funny part is, I've had this work occasionally, but only after a reboot. Whenever I cold boot the system it will not start before login. The input director service shows as running in services.msc on the slave, however if I look at event viewer, it doesn't appear to start itself until after I login to the slave locally. Anyone else seen this issue?

[Shane]

Hi,

On the slave computer, open Input Director and switch to the "Global Preferences" tab. Unclick and re-click the "Run Input Director on Startup", enable the "For all Users" option, and confirm that the on start: setting is set to "Input Director is enabled as a Slave".

Regs,

Shane.

[streaml1n...@gmail.com]

This did not work. The slave still does not start Input Director until I log in locally with a keyboard when I cold boot. It does seem that if I cold boot the system and then reboot Windows that I.D. will start on boot properly and I can then login with the master keyboard.

[Shane]

Hi,

Contact me here and I'll see if I can dig into this further with you.

Regs,

Shane.

[Luluwebmaster]

Hello,

Me to i have this problem and it's realy embarassing because I must install my another mouse and keyboard for loggin me :-/

Can you help me please ?

Thanks you !

[mewtwo064]

I believe this may be a problem with Windows 8/10's "Fast Boot" feature in the power options. I noticed that if I turn this feature off; then upon next boot Input Director correctly loads before login and allows transitioning to the slave with out having to log in first.

[Shane]

Hi,

Can you contact me and I'll see if I can diagnose this further.

Thanks,

Shane.

[Shane]

Hi,

I use the fast startup option without issue. Something else is causing the problem. I've emailed you some things to try.

Regs,

Shane.

[Alexander Leisentritt]

I have a similar problem, my slave is not responding until I log on with a user but I found the reason why...

I manage my computers with a Samba domain and use a group policy.

THe policy defines that you need to hit Ctrl-Alt-Del to log in, this seems to prevent InputDirector at the login screen. If i deactivate that it works without issues...

I just deactivated the policy and forced an update "gpupdate /force", then a reboot and I was able to change to the machine...

[Alexander Leisentritt]

Ok today I realized it didn't fix it... It seems if I log on with a user ID is started and then I can access and if I then just reboot it works again.

If I shut down the machine and then start it up again it does not...

[Shane]

Hi Alexander,

Can you use Windows Event Viewer to check the Windows Log - the Input Director windows service will add two entries to the event viewer when Windows starts: the first entry indicates that it has started and the second will say something like "Input Director Session Helper has start in session 9"

Regs,

Shane.

[Alexander Leisentritt]

Hello Shane,

yes both entries are there, though I am not able to move to the slave... I have to log on once. The strange thing is that when I just reboot it works... Maybe some strange Windows10 stuff... After a reboot both entries are there too, I see no different other than the helper session ID...

[Jay]

On Wednesday, August 31, 2016 at 6:59:50 AM UTC-5, mewtwo064 wrote:

I believe this may be a problem with Windows 8/10's "Fast Boot" feature in the power options. I noticed that if I turn this feature off; then upon next boot Input Director correctly loads before login and allows transitioning to the slave with out having to log in first.

I also have a system that has the same behavior. If I enable "Fast Boot" then the service does not start on a power-up until after I log in. I looked at the event viewer and looked at the time of the login and the time of the service start messages. If I disable fast boot, the service starts before the login prompt is displayed. After digging into the fast boot process, it seems that the way fast boot is implemented is to hibernate the kernel. It may be the case that the hibernation may end up with different behaviors on different systems and some systems may work properly and others may not.

[EG]

I can confirm this Fast Boot behavior with:

• Windows 10 Version 1703 OS Build 15063.674 on both Master & Slave
  
• Input Director Version 1.4 (Build 110) on both Master & Slave

Network Interface Settings:

• Master: Ethernet set as Preferred (no other connections)
• Slave: Wireless set as Preferred (no other connections)

I am curious if the Wireless connection on the slave is is causing some kind of delay? It does connect on its own after cold/reboot and I can ping it before locally logging in.

[EG]

Ok,.. I did a little extra testing and installed Input Director 1.4 (Build 110) on a few more Windows 10 systems and can confirm that I also see that systems that have Fast Start enabled tend to have this issue most of the time, but not always.

• Turning off Fast Startup fixes the problem after you turn it off, shut down the Slave machine and then power the Slave machine back on allowing the Input Director Slave mode to work before logging into that system.
• I did have one Slave machine that I had to power down a second time in order for the setting remain active, but it worked consistently after that.
• Turning Fast Start back on causes the problem to return.

FYI, a nice article that contains some extra tips on Power Plans and Fast Startup can be found here.

[Seth Fuller]

Thanks for this message and thread! Can confirm this resolved my issue with ID not starting in Windows 10.

[Lemo]

Hi I have the same problem, windows 11
And yes run on start up + on start are enabled
Is there any way to make it work before login and keep Fast Startup?

[Shane]

Hi Lemo,

Are you running the latest version (v2.1.2)? You need to login to your Director's system prior to using Input Director to control other client systems. You should be able to control client's prior to logging into them - is this the issue you're seeing?

Regs,

Shane.

[Lemo]

Hi yes I just installed the latest version a few days ago
The director's system is turned on long before the client system
And I also have ID running on start up on the main computer

When I try my keyboard shortcut to switch before log in on the slave
It's always the same error "Client system failed to respond"
So yeah I doubt the service is running on the client before login

[Shane]

Hi Lemo,

Try re-installing Input Director the client system.

Regs,

Shane.

[Lemo]

Okay I uninstalled, re-installed re-configured
And shutdown, reboot the the client
Same problem still

[Lemo]

Already that seems to work fine now
I figured out the problem was actually from the wifi being slow to connect at startup
So the slave process was running I guess but wasn't yet connected to the network
I works alright if I wait a few more seconds at login before switching the input