monitoring - Monitor user activity in vb.net -

i make program monitors user activity. not need know user doing, need know is doing something. moving mouse, or typing. program used show company @ desk , gone workstation. if there no activity 2 minutes, means user away computer.

i thinking of using keyboard hook , mouse position monitor changes every lets 5 seconds. on every change reset counter.

is there better way? (for example reading screensaver countdown or that)

you can p/invoke winapi's getlastinputinfo() function able millisecond count @ point last input received since computer started.

subtracting environment.tickcount above give how many milliseconds have lapsed since last input received:

<dllimport("user32.dll")> _ public shared function getlastinputinfo(byref plii lastinputinfo) boolean end function  <structlayout(layoutkind.sequential)> _ public structure lastinputinfo     <marshalas(unmanagedtype.u4)> _     public cbsize integer     <marshalas(unmanagedtype.u4)> _     public dwtime integer end structure  private sub timer1_tick(sender system.object, e system.eventargs) handles timer1.tick     dim lastinput new lastinputinfo {.cbsize = marshal.sizeof(gettype(lastinputinfo))} 'the "cbsize" field must set every time call function.     if getlastinputinfo(lastinput) = true andalso _         (environment.tickcount - lastinput.dwtime) >= 120000 '120000 ms = 120 s = 2 min.          timer1.stop()         'computer has been idle 2 minutes. stuff here.     end if end sub 

this check both mouse , keyboard input.

the timer's interval property set 5000 make check every 5 seconds, , enabled property set true.

keep in mind must restart timer after 2 minutes of idle time have lapsed if want check again.