 | Detecting User Inactivity
Some software, such as backup utilities, can use a large proportion of processor time and other resources. Often the user is given the option to only run such processes when the computer is not in use. This requires the detection of user inactivity. |
| Getting the System Up Time
Sometimes it is necessary to know how much time has passed since Windows was started. This article demonstrates two ways to obtain this information using the .NET framework and describes the limitations of one of the commonly used methods. |
| Getting the Current Application's Memory Usage
When you are creating an application that can be memory-intensive, it may be useful to monitor the current memory usage. This allows you to modify the behaviour of the program as its RAM requirements increase and to predict out-of-memory exceptions. |
| Get the Registered User and Organisation
When Windows is installed, the user must register a name and, optionally, the name of an organisation. This information is retained by the operating system. When asking for similar details, it is useful to present this information as default values. |
| Getting the Current Machine Name
When an application's user performs certain actions you may want to log details for auditing purposes. For networked software it can be useful to retain the name of the user's local computer. This name can be obtained using the .NET framework. |
| Detecting Windows Safe Mode
Microsoft Windows can start in a special mode known as "Safe Mode". In this mode, certain drivers are disabled and networking may not be available. If your software requires this missing functionality, problems may occur. |
| Creating a Battery Power Status Monitor
Sometimes programs need to know the power status of a computer. An example is Windows Update, which often requires a computer to be running on mains power before updates are installed. This article explains how to read the power status and battery life. |
| Reading Environment Variable Values
All Microsoft Windows operating systems include configuration options that are held in environment variables. These contain settings such as default folder paths, user information and computer and operating system details. They can be accessed using C#. |
| Identifying System Folders
The Microsoft Windows environment includes many special folders, such as the folders for the desktop, music and pictures as well as the program files and system directories. These folders do not have fixed paths so they must be accessed correctly. |
| Getting the Current Operating System Version
Each new version of Microsoft Windows includes an updated set of application programming interfaces (APIs). To ensure that a program only accesses API functions that are available, it is important to be able to detect the operating system version in use. |
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