WinVDK - Windows Virtual Desktop Kiosk

WinVDK is a system for creating a multi-display kiosk experience using Windows virtual desktops. It automates setting up virtual desktops, launching applications, and cycling through them at regular intervals.

Features:

• Automatic creation and management of multiple virtual desktops
• Customizable program launching on each virtual desktop
• Automated cycling through virtual desktops at configurable intervals
• Ability to pause and resume desktop rotation
• Custom actions for each desktop (e.g., refreshing a webpage periodically)
• Taskbar auto-hide during rotation
• Daily system reboot for maintenance
• Easy configuration and customization

Installation:

1. Create C:\Scripts folder
2. Copy these files into C:\Scripts:
   • Run-VirtualDesktopsDisplayBoard.ps1
   • DesktopSwitchingFunctions.ahk
   • Setup-ProgramsOnVirtualDesktops.ahk
   • DailySystemReboot.ps1
   • VirtualDesktopAccessor.dll
3. Install AutoHotkey v1.1 or later from autohotkey.com

Usage:

Run Run-VirtualDesktopsDisplayBoard.ps1 in PowerShell to start manually.

• F2: Pause/resume desktop rotation
• Taskbar auto-hides during rotation, shows when paused

Adding/Removing Programs:

Edit Run-VirtualDesktopsDisplayBoard.ps1:

OpenOnDesktop -desktop 2 -program "firefox.exe" -arguments "-new-window --kiosk https://example.com"

Adjusting Total Desktops:

1. Edit DesktopSwitchingFunctions.ahk
2. Change totalDisplays variable
3. Update desktopActions array
4. Modify OpenOnDesktop calls in Run-VirtualDesktopsDisplayBoard.ps1

Auto-Start Setup:

1. Open Task Scheduler
2. Create new task
3. Trigger: At log on
4. Action:
   • Program: powershell.exe
   • Arguments: -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Scripts\Run-VirtualDesktopsDisplayBoard.ps1"

Auto Login Setup:

1. Download Autologon from Sysinternals
2. Run Autologon.exe
3. Enter domain/computer name, username, password
4. Click Enable

Note: Use auto-login cautiously on unsecured systems.

Configuration:

Main configuration is in Run-VirtualDesktopsDisplayBoard.ps1. This script sets up virtual desktops and launches programs.

File Descriptions:

1. Run-VirtualDesktopsDisplayBoard.ps1: Main script that initializes the system, creates virtual desktops, and launches programs.
2. DesktopSwitchingFunctions.ahk: Handles desktop rotation, pause/resume functionality, and custom actions per desktop.
3. Setup-ProgramsOnVirtualDesktops.ahk: Helper script to launch programs on specific virtual desktops.
4. DailySystemReboot.ps1: Manages daily system reboot for maintenance.
5. VirtualDesktopAccessor.dll: Required DLL for interacting with Windows virtual desktops.

Customization:

Changing Rotation Interval:

In DesktopSwitchingFunctions.ahk, modify:

global displayTime := 120000  ; Time in milliseconds (120000 = 2 minutes)

Custom Actions Per Desktop:

In DesktopSwitchingFunctions.ahk, the desktopActions array defines actions for each desktop:

global desktopActions := []
desktopActions.Push({count: 0, action: ""})  ; Desktop 1: No action
desktopActions.Push({count: 0, action: ""})  ; Desktop 2: No action
desktopActions.Push({count: 0, action: ""})  ; Desktop 3: No action
desktopActions.Push({count: 8, action: "Send, {F5}"})  ; Desktop 4: Press F5 every 8 switches
desktopActions.Push({count: 0, action: ""})  ; Desktop 5: No action
desktopActions.Push({count: 0, action: ""})  ; Desktop 6: No action

This array initializes actions for each desktop. Each entry represents a desktop and specifies:

• count: How many rotations before the action is triggered (0 means no action)
• action: The AutoHotkey command to execute when triggered

In the example, Desktop 4 is set to press F5 (refresh) every 8 rotations. You can customize these actions for each desktop as needed.

Troubleshooting:

• Ensure all scripts are in C:\Scripts
• Check Windows PowerShell execution policy
• Verify AutoHotkey is installed correctly
• Ensure VirtualDesktopAccessor.dll is present and accessible

Limitations:

• Designed for Windows 10/11 with virtual desktop support
• May interfere with normal desktop usage when active

Contributing:

Contributions are welcome. Please submit pull requests or open issues on the project repository.

License:

GPL 3.0