Know when laptop lid is closed

Hi,

I have a laptop with windows 7 and I am trying to make a program for it. I want it to do is after a certain time of day when I close the lid of my laptop it will make it go to sleep. But at every other time of the day I want it to stay awake when I close the lid.

I have been looking all over the internet and i don't understand what people are saying.

If anyone can tell me a way of knowing when my laptops lid is closed in vb.net that would be fantastic.

Any help, code, instructions would be great.

Thanks in advanced.

JamesStewy

There is no Windows API for this that I know of. You would probably have to monitor the power status through WMI if anything.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

I am just not quite sure what you are saying, i am quite new to vb.

Thanks again for your reply


JamesStewy

I saw your post in other forums too, and it does seem to be a decent question, with no direct solution.

As others have pointed out you can detect the power status change in a few ways. The power settings in your control panel, are important to how you handle the change.

A professional would also check to see if the monitor power changes too. This event usually happens when you close your lid, even if you've specified it to do nothing.

For example, I just checked my laptop, and it is set to do nothing.
However, the monitor power does go out just before the lid is fully closed.

Great, Thanks TT(n).

But as i said I am not the greatest vb programer on earth and if you could give me some code to play with that would help a lot thanks.

JamesStewy

This is something for an advanced programmer, and we can tell you need help. If it were easy or straight forward, you'd have your full answer by now.

Here is some code to detect session changes:

Code:

---

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        AddHandler Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents.PowerModeChanged, AddressOf SysSuspend
        AddHandler Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents.SessionEnding, AddressOf SysLogOff
        AddHandler Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents.SessionSwitch, AddressOf SysSwitch
        AddHandler Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents.SessionEnded, AddressOf SysLoggedOff
        AddHandler Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents.PowerModeChanged, AddressOf StatusChange
    End Sub

    Public Sub SysLogOff(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Microsoft.Win32.SessionEndingEventArgs)
        If e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionEndReasons.Logoff Then
            MessageBox.Show("user logging off")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionEndReasons.SystemShutdown Then
            MessageBox.Show("system is shutting down")
        End If
    End Sub
    Public Sub SysLoggedOff(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Microsoft.Win32.SessionEndedEventArgs)
        If e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionEndReasons.Logoff Then
            MessageBox.Show("user logged off")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionEndReasons.SystemShutdown Then
            MessageBox.Show("system has shut down")
        End If
    End Sub
    Public Sub SysSwitch(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchEventArgs)
        If e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchReason.ConsoleConnect Then
            MessageBox.Show("Console connect")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchReason.ConsoleDisconnect Then
            MessageBox.Show("Console disconnect")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchReason.RemoteConnect Then
            MessageBox.Show("Remote Connect")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchReason.RemoteDisconnect Then
            MessageBox.Show("Remote Disconnect")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchReason.SessionLock Then
            MessageBox.Show("Session Lock")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchReason.SessionLogoff Then
            MessageBox.Show("Session Logoff")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchReason.SessionLogon Then
            MessageBox.Show("Session Logon")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchReason.SessionRemoteControl Then
            MessageBox.Show("Session Remote Control")
        ElseIf e.Reason = Microsoft.Win32.SessionSwitchReason.SessionUnlock Then
            MessageBox.Show("Session Unlock", "", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information, MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1, MessageBoxOptions.ServiceNotification)
        End If
    End Sub
    Public Sub SysSuspend(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Microsoft.Win32.PowerModeChangedEventArgs)
        If e.Mode = Microsoft.Win32.PowerModes.Resume Then
            MessageBox.Show("system is resuming")
        ElseIf e.Mode = Microsoft.Win32.PowerModes.Suspend Then
            MessageBox.Show("system being suspended")
        ElseIf e.Mode = Microsoft.Win32.PowerModes.StatusChange Then
            MessageBox.Show("system has a status change")
        End If
    End Sub

    Public Sub StatusChange(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Microsoft.Win32.PowerModeChangedEventArgs)
        If e.Mode = Microsoft.Win32.PowerModes.StatusChange Then
            MessageBox.Show("Battery status has changed")
        End If
    End Sub

---

You'll probably be interested in System Suspend, or Session Lock, if you have your power option set to "Standby".
If you have a windows password then it will also lock the session out, which may complicate things even more.
I will have to look into it some more over the weekend.

Hi,

That code is great and it works but can you make like a function to tell the monitor power state.

I saw this code on the internet

Public Function IsMonitorOff() As Boolean

On Error GoTo Hell

Dim wmiObjSet As SWbemObjectSet
Dim colSettings As SWbemObject
wmiObjSet = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}").InstancesOf("Win32_DesktopMonitor")

For Each colSettings In wmiObjSet
MsgBox(colSettings.Availability)
Select Case colSettings.Availability
Case 7
IsMonitorOff = True
Case 3
IsMonitorOff = False
End Select
Next
Exit_For:
wmiObjSet = Nothing
On Error GoTo 0
Exit Function

Hell:
GoTo Exit_For
End Function

But the SWbemObjectSet and SWbemObject aren't decared and i can't find any on the internet.

JamesStewy

Download PowerShell Scriptomatic, and it tells you this result (for my laptop)

Quote:

---

__GENUS : 2
__CLASS : Win32_DesktopMonitor
__SUPERCLASS : CIM_DesktopMonitor
__DYNASTY : CIM_ManagedSystemElement
__RELPATH : Win32_DesktopMonitor.DeviceID="DesktopMonitor1"
__PROPERTY_COUNT : 28
__DERIVATION : {CIM_DesktopMonitor, CIM_Display, CIM_UserDevice,
CIM_LogicalDevice...}
__SERVER : ASUSVISTA
__NAMESPACE : root\CIMV2
__PATH : \\.\root\CIMV2:Win32_DesktopMonitor.Devic
eID="DesktopMonitor1"
Availability : 3
Bandwidth :
Caption : Generic PnP Monitor
ConfigManagerErrorCode : 0
ConfigManagerUserConfig : False
CreationClassName : Win32_DesktopMonitor
Description : Generic PnP Monitor
DeviceID : DesktopMonitor1
DisplayType :
ErrorCleared :
ErrorDescription :
InstallDate :
IsLocked :
LastErrorCode :
MonitorManufacturer : (Standard monitor types)
MonitorType : Generic PnP Monitor
Name : Generic PnP Monitor
PixelsPerXLogicalInch : 96
PixelsPerYLogicalInch : 96
PNPDeviceID : DISPLAY\AUO5044\5&87CAC5E&1&UID16777488
PowerManagementCapabilities :
PowerManagementSupported :
ScreenHeight : 800
ScreenWidth : 1280
Status : OK
StatusInfo :
SystemCreationClassName : Win32_ComputerSystem
SystemName : xxxxx

---

and the actual script:

Code:

---

$computer = "LocalHost"
$namespace = "root\CIMV2"
Get-WmiObject -class Win32_DesktopMonitor -computername $computer -namespace $namespace

---

The old version, Scriptomatic2 will write VBA code, but that won't run on Windows 7 x64.

If you get that to run, it will give you the code.

Hi dglienna,

Thanks for your reply. Which of the property things that come up is the one that tells me if my monitor has powered off. Also how do I implement it into my vb program.

Bye the way I am using windows 7 x32.

JamesStewy

See if Scriptomatic2 runs, or get Powershell. You can install that on any OS. Might have Powershell 1 on Windows 7 by default. I forget.

Powershell Scriptomatic writes scripts that you can execute FROM your program.

Ok, just a few things.

So I have to save the script in ScriptOmatic? If so what is the file extension?
Which of the property that come up is the one that tells me if my monitor has powered off?

JamesStewy

Search for THE SCRIPTING GUYS from Microsoft. They've written both versions AFIK

This works on my desktop, but I have not tested the laptop yet.

Code:

---

    Const WM_SYSCOMMAND As Int32 = 274
    Const SC_MONITORPOWER As Int32 = 61808

    Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As Message)

        If m.Msg = WM_SYSCOMMAND Then 'Intercept System Command
            ' notice the 0xFFF0 mask, it's because the system can use the 4 low order bits of the wParam value as stated in the MSDN library article about WM_SYSCOMMAND.

            If (m.WParam.ToInt32() And &HFFF0) = SC_MONITORPOWER Then 'Intercept Monitor Power Message
                Dim s As String = "Power status has changed for the display monitor "
                If m.LParam.ToInt32 = -1 Then
                    s &= "On"
                ElseIf m.LParam.ToInt32 = 1 Then
                    s &= "Standby"
                ElseIf m.LParam.ToInt32 = 2 Then
                    s &= "Off"
                End If
                MessageBox.Show(s)
            End If

        End If
        MyBase.WndProc(m)
    End Sub

---

We might be able to resolve this thread afterall.
There at least three ways to do this, and the other two do use API's.
One is similar to above but uses the APIs CallWindowProc and SetWindowLong, with the constants WM_SYSCOMMAND and SC_MONITORPOWER, along with the needed delegate.
The other works on Vista/7 only, using WM_POWERBROADCAST basically.

Hi Again,

I am back to school now so i can only really reply on weekends.

I tested the code and it never passes this line

If (m.WParam.ToInt32() And &HFFF0) = SC_MONITORPOWER Then

(m.WParam.ToInt32() And &HFFF0) never equals SC_MONITORPOWER.

JamesStewy

Show us this before the IF

Code:

---

msgbox(m.WParam.ToInt32()))

---

or even

Code:

---

msgbox(m.WParam.ToInt32)

---

or

Code:

---

debug.print m.WParam.ToInt32

---

Might have been AFPC

Maybe your laptop doesn't send that message then.
You may do a registry search for "LidClose", because some laptops have a reg setting for this, that is specific to the machine.

Are you looking to make this for your computer only?
What operating system are you using?
What are your power settings set to do, when the lid closes?

msgbox(m.WParam.ToInt32) says 61458

I am just making it for my computer.
I am using windows 7
The power setting for when the lid closes is "do nothing"

May i ask what time zone you are in?

I am in +10 GMT but we are also in daylight savings.

JamesStewy,

I thought I read that you wanted to allow a certain time of day, that when the lid is closed it does go into standby, and other times it does not.

Is this correct?

Then the simpler solution would be to toggle that setting, on a schedule.
Switching it between "Do Nothing" and "Standby".
The title of the thread could of been "Control what happens when laptop lid is closed?".

"Then the simpler solution would be to toggle that setting, on a schedule."

How do you do that?