Frequently Asked Questions
This information is displayed in PTFB Pro's About screen. There's a command to view the About screen in the
Options menu.
Options menu.
If the leading version number of the product you bought matches that of the latest release, you can update for free. For example, if you purchased a license for PTFB Pro 4, you can upgrade to all subsequent 4.x releases for free.
If you bought a license for an earlier series (e.g. 3.x) then you may still be able to upgrade for free subject to your date of purchase, and failing that you will be able to buy an upgrade license at a much lower price than a regular purchase. To find out what your upgrade options are in this case, please submit a ticket providing some information that will let us track down your original purchase (e.g. name used for purchase and/or company name, or order reference number, or current name and license key, date of purchase etc)
If you bought a license for an earlier series (e.g. 3.x) then you may still be able to upgrade for free subject to your date of purchase, and failing that you will be able to buy an upgrade license at a much lower price than a regular purchase. To find out what your upgrade options are in this case, please submit a ticket providing some information that will let us track down your original purchase (e.g. name used for purchase and/or company name, or order reference number, or current name and license key, date of purchase etc)
Just quit your existing copy of PTFB Pro, then download and install the latest trial from our site. This is an "over the top" install - you do NOT need to uninstall your existing copy first. If all is well, PTFB Pro will pick up your existing name and license key and convert to the full version when it runs.
The current installer for v4 responds to the following command line directives:
/SP-
Disables the "This will install... Do you wish to continue?" prompt at the beginning of setup
/SILENT
Suppresses the wizard but allows the progress dialog to appear
/VERYSILENT
Suppress both the wizard and the progress dialog
/SUPPRESSMSGBOXES
Only critical message boxes (e.g. regarding failure/error) may appear
/LOG="pathtofile"
Detail the installation process to a text log file.
/NOCANCEL
Prevents user cancellation of the install
/MINTOTRAY
Instruct PTFB Pro to default to the "minimize to system tray / notification area" behavior
/INSTALLSERVICE
Include the optional workstation unlock service in the installation
/SP-
Disables the "This will install... Do you wish to continue?" prompt at the beginning of setup
/SILENT
Suppresses the wizard but allows the progress dialog to appear
/VERYSILENT
Suppress both the wizard and the progress dialog
/SUPPRESSMSGBOXES
Only critical message boxes (e.g. regarding failure/error) may appear
/LOG="pathtofile"
Detail the installation process to a text log file.
/NOCANCEL
Prevents user cancellation of the install
/MINTOTRAY
Instruct PTFB Pro to default to the "minimize to system tray / notification area" behavior
/INSTALLSERVICE
Include the optional workstation unlock service in the installation
The procedure is basically the same as that detailed in PTFB Pro's Help under "Backing up and restoring", but here are the basics:
On the old PC:
1) On PTFB Pro's main screen, press the Options button and choose "Explore Data Folder..." from the resulting menu.
2) A window will open at the folder where all of PTFB Pro's data files kept. Make a manual backup of everything in this folder.
On the new PC:
1) Install PTFB Pro, run it, and again use "Explore Data Folder..."
2) Quit PTFB Pro while keeping the file window open
3) Copy the contents of your backup folder to the data folder on the new PC, overwriting as required.
This covers all the items you've created; you may also need to copy over your preferences, email setup and so on. This can either be done manually or via the registry. The registry method is covered in detail in the Help.
As for the license, simply use your existing license to register PTFB Pro on the new PC, then once everything is up and running, uninstall PTFB Pro from your old PC.
On the old PC:
1) On PTFB Pro's main screen, press the Options button and choose "Explore Data Folder..." from the resulting menu.
2) A window will open at the folder where all of PTFB Pro's data files kept. Make a manual backup of everything in this folder.
On the new PC:
1) Install PTFB Pro, run it, and again use "Explore Data Folder..."
2) Quit PTFB Pro while keeping the file window open
3) Copy the contents of your backup folder to the data folder on the new PC, overwriting as required.
This covers all the items you've created; you may also need to copy over your preferences, email setup and so on. This can either be done manually or via the registry. The registry method is covered in detail in the Help.
As for the license, simply use your existing license to register PTFB Pro on the new PC, then once everything is up and running, uninstall PTFB Pro from your old PC.
There's a special command in the Options menu do just this. First open PTFB Pro's main window by clicking on the tray icon, then click on the Options button. Select 'Import Targets From File...' from the menu.
In short: yes.
On the "License Options" page in the order process you get a chance to provide the name that will be paired with the license key. It'll default to the same name used for billing/invoicing, but you can supply a different one. That way you can have a license tailored to your customer, yet still have the billing/purchase information associated with your company. What's more, even if you fail to use the license customization field or make a mistake, you can just contact us and we'll issue a replacement license key for whatever name you need.
On the "License Options" page in the order process you get a chance to provide the name that will be paired with the license key. It'll default to the same name used for billing/invoicing, but you can supply a different one. That way you can have a license tailored to your customer, yet still have the billing/purchase information associated with your company. What's more, even if you fail to use the license customization field or make a mistake, you can just contact us and we'll issue a replacement license key for whatever name you need.
This error usually occurs for the following reasons:
1) The cryptographic services are damaged or disabled (services turned off?),
OR
2) Unusually strict permissions have been set on the Windows registry key( or keys above it) that is used to store the license. The license is held in the product-specific arm of the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TLHouse
The name and key are encrypted, stored in that location then read back and checked. If either the encryption/decryption fails, or if the write/read operation fails, then you will see the error.
Also note that the location is account specific, so the use of "Run as different user" also has the potential to cause problems or confusion here...
If #2 is the problem, it is strongly recommended that permissions be altered to allow changes to be made to the product's key in HKCU/Software, as the permissions not only prevent license storage, but ALSO prevent changing of important program preferences. Remember that it is still Microsoft's recommended practice to store small preference values in the HKCU portion of the registry!
1) The cryptographic services are damaged or disabled (services turned off?),
OR
2) Unusually strict permissions have been set on the Windows registry key( or keys above it) that is used to store the license. The license is held in the product-specific arm of the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TLHouse
The name and key are encrypted, stored in that location then read back and checked. If either the encryption/decryption fails, or if the write/read operation fails, then you will see the error.
Also note that the location is account specific, so the use of "Run as different user" also has the potential to cause problems or confusion here...
If #2 is the problem, it is strongly recommended that permissions be altered to allow changes to be made to the product's key in HKCU/Software, as the permissions not only prevent license storage, but ALSO prevent changing of important program preferences. Remember that it is still Microsoft's recommended practice to store small preference values in the HKCU portion of the registry!
- Macros involving mouse actions depend on everything within a window holding the same position. Try redefining the macro and using primarily keyboard shortcuts rather than mouse actions, as keys are position independent.
- Maybe the macro is playing back faster than the target application can handle. Try reducing the playback speed and/or disabling the "skip redundant mouse movement" option
- Is the macro starting playback before the window is ready? Try a small initial delay.
- Also, don't forget that commands such as Paste depend on the current contents of the clipboard. Has the context for successful playback of the macro changed?
If you define a new macro or single press item and find that it doesn't seem to work all the time, please try the following.
1) Determine if the failure is because PTFB Pro isn't always recognizing the target window.
Open up the item's properties and give it an initial delay of at least five seconds, then hit Start Watching and make sure you can see PTFB Pro's tray icon. You should see part of the icon light up in red as the time of action approaches. If it doesn't then PTFB Pro is not recognizing the item for some reason. Open up the item's properties again, switch to the page "Identifying the Target" and hit the Help button for information on how to help PTFB Pro recognize the target window, even when it changes subtly.
2) Slow things down a little
Sometimes PTFB Pro acts before the target window is ready. This can be because the computer is running slowly, but on Windows 7 onwards it can also be caused by the more elaborate window animations that these new operating systems employ.
- Try introducing an initial delay of several seconds. If that works, reduce the delay until you find a good compromise between response speed and reliability. Remember you can whittle a delay down to 1/10 sec!
- For macros, try reducing the playback speed. Macros set to play at full speed go far faster than a human could possibly act; maybe faster than the target program can cope with.
3) Change things around
- If the item in question is a macro, try redefining it but this time try to use mostly keyboard shortcuts rather than mouse actions. Keyboard shortcuts tend to produce more reliable macros.
- For single press items acting on a button that has a keyboard shortcut, try getting PTFB Pro to use the keyboard shortcut rather than the mouse.
- If you're using a macro to accomplish something that a single press item could do just as well, try using a single press instead.
4) Is something getting in the way?
Sometimes other software - especially antivirus and firewall suites - can prevent PTFB Pro from doing its work. Try adding PTFB Pro to the suite's whitelist, or try temporarily disabling the suite to see if that helps.
Also, verify that no "always on top" windows or screen savers are physically blocking PTFB Pro's activities.
1) Determine if the failure is because PTFB Pro isn't always recognizing the target window.
Open up the item's properties and give it an initial delay of at least five seconds, then hit Start Watching and make sure you can see PTFB Pro's tray icon. You should see part of the icon light up in red as the time of action approaches. If it doesn't then PTFB Pro is not recognizing the item for some reason. Open up the item's properties again, switch to the page "Identifying the Target" and hit the Help button for information on how to help PTFB Pro recognize the target window, even when it changes subtly.
2) Slow things down a little
Sometimes PTFB Pro acts before the target window is ready. This can be because the computer is running slowly, but on Windows 7 onwards it can also be caused by the more elaborate window animations that these new operating systems employ.
- Try introducing an initial delay of several seconds. If that works, reduce the delay until you find a good compromise between response speed and reliability. Remember you can whittle a delay down to 1/10 sec!
- For macros, try reducing the playback speed. Macros set to play at full speed go far faster than a human could possibly act; maybe faster than the target program can cope with.
3) Change things around
- If the item in question is a macro, try redefining it but this time try to use mostly keyboard shortcuts rather than mouse actions. Keyboard shortcuts tend to produce more reliable macros.
- For single press items acting on a button that has a keyboard shortcut, try getting PTFB Pro to use the keyboard shortcut rather than the mouse.
- If you're using a macro to accomplish something that a single press item could do just as well, try using a single press instead.
4) Is something getting in the way?
Sometimes other software - especially antivirus and firewall suites - can prevent PTFB Pro from doing its work. Try adding PTFB Pro to the suite's whitelist, or try temporarily disabling the suite to see if that helps.
Also, verify that no "always on top" windows or screen savers are physically blocking PTFB Pro's activities.
The most likely explanation for this is that the tray icon has been hidden by Windows.
No, that isn't a joke!
Starting with Windows XP, Microsoft has included a feature that hides tray icons to reduce clutter. This feature is particularly aggressive in Windows 7 and later, where a new tray icon is displayed for less than a minute before it is hidden, never to be seen again unless you explicitly tell Windows not to hide it. It's easy to check whether Windows has hidden PTFB Pro's icon - just click on the little arrow near the right edge of your taskbar. If you see PTFB Pro's mouse-like icon in the resulting popup window then yep, Windows has hidden it.
There are different ways to tell Windows not to hide PTFB Pro's icon depending on the version of operating system you're running.
Windows 7, 8, 10
There are actually several ways to make sure PTFB Pro's icon is shown under Windows 7, but the easiest is:
Vista
No, that isn't a joke!
Starting with Windows XP, Microsoft has included a feature that hides tray icons to reduce clutter. This feature is particularly aggressive in Windows 7 and later, where a new tray icon is displayed for less than a minute before it is hidden, never to be seen again unless you explicitly tell Windows not to hide it. It's easy to check whether Windows has hidden PTFB Pro's icon - just click on the little arrow near the right edge of your taskbar. If you see PTFB Pro's mouse-like icon in the resulting popup window then yep, Windows has hidden it.
There are different ways to tell Windows not to hide PTFB Pro's icon depending on the version of operating system you're running.
Windows 7, 8, 10
There are actually several ways to make sure PTFB Pro's icon is shown under Windows 7, but the easiest is:
- Click on the "Show Hidden Icons" arrow on the taskbar
- Click and drag PTFB Pro's icon out of the resulting popup window and into the notification area of your taskbar.
Vista
- Right click in the task bar and choose Properties.
- Switch to the Notification Area tab
- Click "Customize..."
- Find PTFB Pro's icon in the list, set its behavior to "Show" and hit the OK button.
If you're running the macro from PTFB Pro's open main window - maybe by pressing the "Run Now" button or by using a hotkey - the repeat actions you've configured will be ignored.
This is by design, as the open window state has always been a "safe state" for PTFB in which nothing can run autonomously, including repeat firings. If a macro is running out of control, all you need to do is open up the main window and playback will stop!
The solution is simply to press the "Start Watching" button to put PTFB Pro back in its enabled, minimized state. Your repeated actions will now run normally.
This is by design, as the open window state has always been a "safe state" for PTFB in which nothing can run autonomously, including repeat firings. If a macro is running out of control, all you need to do is open up the main window and playback will stop!
The solution is simply to press the "Start Watching" button to put PTFB Pro back in its enabled, minimized state. Your repeated actions will now run normally.
This is most likely because the target window changes subtly each time it appears. The changes may involve
the window title, certain hidden attributes, or the window's contents. You can fix this by tweaking
settings on the Advanced page of the properties for your target. Options to consider changing include:
switching to "Require This Text" for the main window section, and choosing "Simple" or "By Prompt" for the
window contents section.
the window title, certain hidden attributes, or the window's contents. You can fix this by tweaking
settings on the Advanced page of the properties for your target. Options to consider changing include:
switching to "Require This Text" for the main window section, and choosing "Simple" or "By Prompt" for the
window contents section.
Just open up the PTFB Pro Configuration property sheet (Options->Configure...), and switch to the "Don't
Show This Again" page. Each entry in the list represents a confirmation screen that you have chosen to
suppress. If you select an entry and delete it from the list, PTFB Pro will be free to show that
confirmations screen (or one very similar to it) the next time it is appropriate
Show This Again" page. Each entry in the list represents a confirmation screen that you have chosen to
suppress. If you select an entry and delete it from the list, PTFB Pro will be free to show that
confirmations screen (or one very similar to it) the next time it is appropriate
The answer lies in Microsoft's MSDN documentation:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms646309.aspx
The F12 key is permanently reserved for the system/kernel debugger, regardless of whether it's not installed/active.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms646309.aspx
The F12 key is permanently reserved for the system/kernel debugger, regardless of whether it's not installed/active.
If your computer is running XP or earlier, hold down CTRL and tap the ESC key.
For later operating systems, particularly Vista and Windows 7, there are two ways to abort playback:
For later operating systems, particularly Vista and Windows 7, there are two ways to abort playback:
- CTRL + ESC, or
- Pause/Break key
- CTRL+ALT+DEL, then hit Cancel to return to the desktop. This clears the block on physical input that PTFB Pro uses during macro playback.
- If the macro is still playing, the above two methods should now work immediately.
When you're using remote desktop and you close or minimize the remote desktop session window, PTFB's attempts to act on targets will be ignored by the OS. The good news is that there are workarounds.
On XP or a more recent OS with UAC Disabled
If (against all security advice) you're still using Windows XP, OR you're running a more recent OS with User Account Control (UAC) disabled, there's a setting in PTFB that should help:
1) Click the Options button and choose "Configure..." from the popup menu
2) On the Settings tab (first tab of the Configure screen) look for the section labelled "Locked Workstation / Remote Desktop"
3) Within that section, tick the option marked "Disconnect Remote Desktop Session to press targets" and close the config screen
When this option is set and PTFB Pro is about to take action via a single press or macro, PTFB checks to see if a remote desktop session is open but inactive (i.e. RDP is blocking simulated actions because the window is closed or minimized). If the session is inactive, it uses the tscon command to formally disconnect the session, removing the blockage. The beauty of this setting is that no action will be taken unless it's really necessary, i.e. the session will not be disconnected unless it has entered the inactive state and a target must be handled.
More recent Windows OS with UAC enabled, when minimizing a remote session
If you typically minimize your remote desktop session windows rather than closing them, there's little registry edit that will eliminate the problem. Warning: take great care when editing the registry, otherwise you could leave your operating system in an unusable state.
Other cases
So let's say you're running a recent OS like Windows 7/8/10 or Svr 2008 or later, you have UAC enabled, and you typically close your remote session windows when you're done with them. In this case, you need to use the TSCON command kick the remote machine back to an interactive state so that PTFB can operate. PTFB cannot do this for you, because the TSCON command requires admin privileges and by default PTFB does not run in an elevated / privileged state.
As a workaround, you can create a small .bat file on the remote machine that includes the following command line:
tscon 1 /dest:console
Create a shortcut to the .bat file and in the Compatibility page of the shortcut’s properties set the option labelled "Run this program as an administrator". Use the shortcut to exit the remote session from within the remote desktop window whenever you want PTFB Pro to be able to continue handling targets. Note however that Windows will ask you for permission for this each time it runs.
On XP or a more recent OS with UAC Disabled
If (against all security advice) you're still using Windows XP, OR you're running a more recent OS with User Account Control (UAC) disabled, there's a setting in PTFB that should help:
1) Click the Options button and choose "Configure..." from the popup menu
2) On the Settings tab (first tab of the Configure screen) look for the section labelled "Locked Workstation / Remote Desktop"
3) Within that section, tick the option marked "Disconnect Remote Desktop Session to press targets" and close the config screen
When this option is set and PTFB Pro is about to take action via a single press or macro, PTFB checks to see if a remote desktop session is open but inactive (i.e. RDP is blocking simulated actions because the window is closed or minimized). If the session is inactive, it uses the tscon command to formally disconnect the session, removing the blockage. The beauty of this setting is that no action will be taken unless it's really necessary, i.e. the session will not be disconnected unless it has entered the inactive state and a target must be handled.
More recent Windows OS with UAC enabled, when minimizing a remote session
If you typically minimize your remote desktop session windows rather than closing them, there's little registry edit that will eliminate the problem. Warning: take great care when editing the registry, otherwise you could leave your operating system in an unusable state.
- On your local computer, close all open Remote Desktop sessions.
- Launch the Registry editor (regedit.exe).
- Navigate to the following Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client - Create a DWORD value named RemoteDesktop_SuppressWhenMinimized and set it to 2.
- Close the Registry Editor.
Other cases
So let's say you're running a recent OS like Windows 7/8/10 or Svr 2008 or later, you have UAC enabled, and you typically close your remote session windows when you're done with them. In this case, you need to use the TSCON command kick the remote machine back to an interactive state so that PTFB can operate. PTFB cannot do this for you, because the TSCON command requires admin privileges and by default PTFB does not run in an elevated / privileged state.
As a workaround, you can create a small .bat file on the remote machine that includes the following command line:
tscon 1 /dest:console
Create a shortcut to the .bat file and in the Compatibility page of the shortcut’s properties set the option labelled "Run this program as an administrator". Use the shortcut to exit the remote session from within the remote desktop window whenever you want PTFB Pro to be able to continue handling targets. Note however that Windows will ask you for permission for this each time it runs.
Zone Alarm and certain other protection software may see PTFB Pro's activities as suspicious and block them. In some case the software might not even let you know that it is taking this blocking action.
The solution is to configure your protection software to make an exception for PTFB Pro (e.g. add PTFBPro.exe to the software's "trusted" list). In Zone Alarm for example, this is done in the Program Control section.
The solution is to configure your protection software to make an exception for PTFB Pro (e.g. add PTFBPro.exe to the software's "trusted" list). In Zone Alarm for example, this is done in the Program Control section.
PTFB allows a default or main email address to be set as the destination for notifications, but you can also set a different recipient or list of recipients on a per item basis as follows:
1) Visit Options -> Configure -> Email
2) In the Recipients section, tick the option marked "Allow Item Override"
Now when you view the Notifications page of an item, the Email section has a button marked "Recipients". Press this to set a separate email address (or list of addresses) vs. the default.
Note: This requires PTFB Pro v4.8 or later.
1) Visit Options -> Configure -> Email
2) In the Recipients section, tick the option marked "Allow Item Override"
Now when you view the Notifications page of an item, the Email section has a button marked "Recipients". Press this to set a separate email address (or list of addresses) vs. the default.
Note: This requires PTFB Pro v4.8 or later.
If you receive an error when testing PTFB's ability to send notification emails through a gmail account (smtp.gmail.com) please ensure that you are using all the correct settings - particularly the port number. Old versions of PTFB could only send secure mails via SSL, which requires port 465; newer releases can now use TLS but this necessitates changing the port to 587.
As things currently stand, the correct settings for gmail are:
Server: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 587
Connection type (Advanced settings): STARTTLS
SSL/TLS Version: OS Default
Also (obviously) check that you have provided a valid account name (your gmail email address) and password.
As things currently stand, the correct settings for gmail are:
Server: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 587
Connection type (Advanced settings): STARTTLS
SSL/TLS Version: OS Default
Also (obviously) check that you have provided a valid account name (your gmail email address) and password.
PTFB Pro's default behavior is to start minimized and ready to work. If however a second attempt is made to launch PTFB Pro once it's running, it's main window opens up. Since PTFB Pro uses the registry method for launching when Windows starts, if you also add a shortcut to the Startup folder in the start menu, or use some other method of launching PTFB Pro, it'll receive multiple launch commands and open its window.
A good way to see how many automatic launches have been set up is to use MSConfig (just enter MSConfig into the Run box and switch to the Startup tab). I wouldn't use MSConfig to disable any of the launch directives though - it's best to remove them manually, since MSConfig is really for troubleshooting and may slow down your boot time.
A good way to see how many automatic launches have been set up is to use MSConfig (just enter MSConfig into the Run box and switch to the Startup tab). I wouldn't use MSConfig to disable any of the launch directives though - it's best to remove them manually, since MSConfig is really for troubleshooting and may slow down your boot time.
PTFB Pro stores preferences in the registry, but all the targets you've defined are held in one file called PTFBProX.dat (where X is the major version number), and their screenshots are held alongside in .jpg files. The exact path to these files depends on what operating system you're running, and what account you installed PTFB Pro under.
To save problems, the following procedure is recommended:
Once everything is set up, you can register PTFB Pro on your new computer, and uninstall PTFB Pro from your old computer.
To save problems, the following procedure is recommended:
- Open PTFB Pro on your old computer and choose "Options" -> "Explore Data Folder", then QUIT PTFB Pro, leaving the file view open.
- Install PTFB Pro on your new computer. Open it, and again choose "Options" -> "Explore Data Folder" to get the file view.
- Quit PTFB Pro on your new computer. Don't miss this step!
- Copy everything from your old data folder to the equivalent folder on your new computer, overwriting as necessary.
- As a final step, you can re-enter your preferences in the configuration screen. If you've set up PTFB Pro to email you when certain actions run, you'll also need to re-enter your SMTP settings in the configuration screen.
Once everything is set up, you can register PTFB Pro on your new computer, and uninstall PTFB Pro from your old computer.
It's very cheap (in terms of cpu usage) to get the "external" properties of a window, such as its title, size, type and even the process that caused its creation. However it's relatively more costly to iterate through the contents of a window, particularly if the accessibility API has to be used.
If you enable the checks on size, type and owning process in the "Identifying the Target" page of a press/macro, then PTFB Pro can use these very fast tests to quickly eliminate a lot potential matches, saving the more rigorous matching for a much smaller number of candidates. Generally the saving from this is very small, as in scarcely measurable during one cycle (PTFB Pro does multiple cycles a second); however over the course of a day on a busy workstation with lots of windows open - it can add up.
If you enable the checks on size, type and owning process in the "Identifying the Target" page of a press/macro, then PTFB Pro can use these very fast tests to quickly eliminate a lot potential matches, saving the more rigorous matching for a much smaller number of candidates. Generally the saving from this is very small, as in scarcely measurable during one cycle (PTFB Pro does multiple cycles a second); however over the course of a day on a busy workstation with lots of windows open - it can add up.
PTFB Pro can't necessarily "see" the same text you can. If the target window is simply drawing text on the
screen, or uses non-standard Windows controls, then PTFB Pro won't be able to read it. You'll need to pick
text that PTFB Pro can see (check the Info page of your target's properties for a list) or choose a
different checking method.
screen, or uses non-standard Windows controls, then PTFB Pro won't be able to read it. You'll need to pick
text that PTFB Pro can see (check the Info page of your target's properties for a list) or choose a
different checking method.
There’s what appears to be an intermittent timer bug in Windows 10 which causes PTFB Pro to consume huge amounts of cpu - not on every launch, but it seems hit 2-3 launches out of every 5.
We've created a workaround for this bug - just make sure you're running PTFB Pro version 5.1.1.0 or later and the bug will be a non-issue, at least as far as PTFB is concerned.
For more details please read the following blog post: http://www.ptfbpro.com/automate/important-upgrade-to-ptfb-pro-5-1-1-0-for-windows-10-creators-update/
We've created a workaround for this bug - just make sure you're running PTFB Pro version 5.1.1.0 or later and the bug will be a non-issue, at least as far as PTFB is concerned.
For more details please read the following blog post: http://www.ptfbpro.com/automate/important-upgrade-to-ptfb-pro-5-1-1-0-for-windows-10-creators-update/
Here's the step-by-step:
1) Use Options -> Configure to open up the configuration screen
2) Switch to the HotKeys tab
3) In the upper list, tick the checkbox for the entry "Enable/disable all activity"
As soon as you tick the box, PTFB Pro will ask you to define the hotkey. The hotkey is global, so pick a key combination you can type easily and is not used for something else. For example if you're going to use a regular key, combine it with a modifier key (e.g. shift, or ctrl, or both), or alternatively pick a function key that you never normally use.
Key combinations that are better left untouched include:
F1 (brings up Help for the current app)
CTRL + X, C, V, Z (cut, copy, paste, undo)
CTRL + S (save in most programs)
1) Use Options -> Configure to open up the configuration screen
2) Switch to the HotKeys tab
3) In the upper list, tick the checkbox for the entry "Enable/disable all activity"
As soon as you tick the box, PTFB Pro will ask you to define the hotkey. The hotkey is global, so pick a key combination you can type easily and is not used for something else. For example if you're going to use a regular key, combine it with a modifier key (e.g. shift, or ctrl, or both), or alternatively pick a function key that you never normally use.
Key combinations that are better left untouched include:
F1 (brings up Help for the current app)
CTRL + X, C, V, Z (cut, copy, paste, undo)
CTRL + S (save in most programs)
By default, PTFB Pro will attempt to run eligible macros as soon as it is launched. In many cases this is appropriate - e.g. many customers use PTFB Pro for unattended operation of their computer, but if you prefer to have some of your macros run only in response to a hotkey for example (or another trigger of your choosing), you can do so as follows:
1) Double click the macro in PTFB Pro's list (or select it and hit "Edit..."
2) Switch to the Triggers page
3) UNtick the option near the top of the page labeled "Trigger when the target window appears" or "Trigger spontaneously"
4) Hit OK to save changes
Note that you can also change the default for this setting so that it is "off" for any new macros you create, via Options -> Configure -> Defaults page.
1) Double click the macro in PTFB Pro's list (or select it and hit "Edit..."
2) Switch to the Triggers page
3) UNtick the option near the top of the page labeled "Trigger when the target window appears" or "Trigger spontaneously"
4) Hit OK to save changes
Note that you can also change the default for this setting so that it is "off" for any new macros you create, via Options -> Configure -> Defaults page.
If PTFB Pro is taking too long to react to a target:
- First open up the target's Properties and switch to the Triggers page. Check the initial delay; if it's higher than you'd like, reduce it. You can take the delay all the way down to zero, but note that on Windows 7 and Vista, a delay of 1/10 sec is often preferable. This is because these operating systems have a more involved animation for windows that are opening or being restored and it sometimes gets in the way of PTFB Pro's activities. For more details see 'Tweaking the Settings' in the PTFB Pro online help.
- Check the Notification page of the target's Properties to see if a screenshot is being taken, either for logging or for email. If so, PTFB Pro will delay any action in order to take the screenshot. The screenshot facility is really intended for use when you'll be away from your computer.
- Try a faster response speed in the General page of the PTFB Pro Configuration property sheet.
- Disable or delete any target entries you no longer need. The more targets PTFB Pro has to check, the more work it has to do.
- If "Defeat Icon Hiding" is enabled in the General page of the PTFB Pro Configuration property sheet, disable it and use the taskbar properties to tell XP not to hide PTFB Pro's tray icon instead.
- Turn off logging, screenshots, commands and email notifications for your targets if you don't really need them.
- Reduce the response speed in the General page of the PTFB Pro Configuration property sheet
Strictly speaking, Windows doesn't allow this. The whole Windows user interface is built around the concept that you work on one thing at a time; only one window can have what's called "input focus", meaning that it receives all key presses, and of course you only have one mouse cursor, and it can only be in one place at a time.
However, if a macro is set to run quickly enough (and the app that it works on is able to handle that kind of playback speed) then it can be almost as if you are able to do two things at the same time, because the macro playback becomes a split-second blip, during which the mouse and input focus moves, but then almost instantly returns. PTFB even has settings that help with this (look for "Restore active window" and "Restore Mouse Position" on the general page of Macro properties).
However, if a macro is set to run quickly enough (and the app that it works on is able to handle that kind of playback speed) then it can be almost as if you are able to do two things at the same time, because the macro playback becomes a split-second blip, during which the mouse and input focus moves, but then almost instantly returns. PTFB even has settings that help with this (look for "Restore active window" and "Restore Mouse Position" on the general page of Macro properties).
Windows 10 has an extra lock screen that gets in the way of PTFB's "Unlock computer to press targets" option in Options -> Configure -> Settings. Happily, there's a way to tell Windows not to use this new screen, but it does require a small registry edit. If you're running the Windows 10 Anniversary update, there's a further complication in that the OS keeps undoing the registry tweak.
I'm working on putting a permanent fix for this in PTFB Pro itself but for now there's a an elegant workaround that uses the Windows Task Scheduler.
For full details, please read the following article on PTFB's blog:
http://www.ptfbpro.com/automate/disabling-the-lock-screen-in-windows-10-anniversary-update-for-ptfb-pro/
I'm working on putting a permanent fix for this in PTFB Pro itself but for now there's a an elegant workaround that uses the Windows Task Scheduler.
For full details, please read the following article on PTFB's blog:
http://www.ptfbpro.com/automate/disabling-the-lock-screen-in-windows-10-anniversary-update-for-ptfb-pro/
One approach is to create a blank screen macro (new screen macro then stop recording immediately by hitting Pause/Break key) then edit it manually, inserting a "Run Executable" item with the following command line:
shutdown -L
IMPORTANT: Be sure to turn of the "trigger spontaneously" option on the new macro's trigger page, otherwise PTFB Pro will log you off automatically every time it runs!
You can then set the macro trigger via schedule, or basically any way you like.
shutdown -L
IMPORTANT: Be sure to turn of the "trigger spontaneously" option on the new macro's trigger page, otherwise PTFB Pro will log you off automatically every time it runs!
You can then set the macro trigger via schedule, or basically any way you like.
If you have less than perfect vision, or a high resolution monitor that makes text and icons so small you can hardly read them, the solution (in Windows 8, 7 and Vista) is to put your display into high DPI (dots per inch) mode. This applies a scaling factor to text and other parts of the user interface, making them occupy more space on screen thus rendering them much easier to view.
PTFB Pro is now fully compatible with high DPI, but there are a few points to note if you want to get the best results:
1) Make sure you're running a recent version of PTFB Pro, specifically v4.5 or newer. If in doubt, visit our download page and update to the very latest release.
2) Remember that item positions and sizes are affected by the DPI setting. For example, if you record a macro at standard DPI (100%) then switch to a higher DPI value (say 150%) any mouse movements in the macro may now fall short of their intended target. The best way round this if you know you're going to be switching between different DPI settings is to use keyboard actions rather than mouse operations as much as possible. In general, single press, progmon and window restore items are not affected when the DPI setting changes.
3) Ensure you've turned on an optional setting that comes with high DPI, called "Use Windows XP style DPI scaling". This helps minimize problems with older programs that haven't been built to cope with high DPI. To get to this setting, proceed as follows:
a) Open up the Display control panel. There are various ways to do this, e.g. work through the control panel hierarchy by choosing first "Appearance and Personalization" then "Display", or alternatively right-click on the desktop and choose "Personalize" followed by "Display".
b) Choose "Set custom text size". You'll then see a similar screen to the one shown below. You can use this to set the scaling factor and you can also tick the box marked "Use Windows XP style DPI scaling". Click OK when you're done to save changes.
So to recap, if you want to use high DPI and PTFB Pro together on Windows 8, 7 and Vista, there are two things you need to do:
PTFB Pro is now fully compatible with high DPI, but there are a few points to note if you want to get the best results:
1) Make sure you're running a recent version of PTFB Pro, specifically v4.5 or newer. If in doubt, visit our download page and update to the very latest release.
2) Remember that item positions and sizes are affected by the DPI setting. For example, if you record a macro at standard DPI (100%) then switch to a higher DPI value (say 150%) any mouse movements in the macro may now fall short of their intended target. The best way round this if you know you're going to be switching between different DPI settings is to use keyboard actions rather than mouse operations as much as possible. In general, single press, progmon and window restore items are not affected when the DPI setting changes.
3) Ensure you've turned on an optional setting that comes with high DPI, called "Use Windows XP style DPI scaling". This helps minimize problems with older programs that haven't been built to cope with high DPI. To get to this setting, proceed as follows:
a) Open up the Display control panel. There are various ways to do this, e.g. work through the control panel hierarchy by choosing first "Appearance and Personalization" then "Display", or alternatively right-click on the desktop and choose "Personalize" followed by "Display".
b) Choose "Set custom text size". You'll then see a similar screen to the one shown below. You can use this to set the scaling factor and you can also tick the box marked "Use Windows XP style DPI scaling". Click OK when you're done to save changes.
So to recap, if you want to use high DPI and PTFB Pro together on Windows 8, 7 and Vista, there are two things you need to do:
- Make sure you're running a recent version of PTFB Pro, specifically v4.5 or newer
- Choose the DPI setting that looks best to you, and enable the optional setting "Use Windows XP style DPI scaling"
- Make sure you're running the latest PTFB Pro (http://www.ptfbpro.com/download.shtml)
- Open some app that lets you type in the text you want (e.g. Notepad) and get ready to type
- Open PTFB Pro and create a screen-based macro (NOT a window macro) and type your text. Hit the break key when you're done
- During the recording, take care not to carry out any app-specific actions. For example, if you want to type your name in one field, your address in the next and so on, then use the TAB key to move between fields rather than the mouse.
When you've finished, open up the macro, switch to the Triggers page and:
- turn off spontaneous triggering
- define a hotkey (key combo) that you can use to trigger the macro whenever you need it
- Open some app that lets you type in the text you want (e.g. Notepad) and get ready to type
- Open PTFB Pro and create a screen-based macro (NOT a window macro) and type your text. Hit the break key when you're done
- During the recording, take care not to carry out any app-specific actions. For example, if you want to type your name in one field, your address in the next and so on, then use the TAB key to move between fields rather than the mouse.
When you've finished, open up the macro, switch to the Triggers page and:
- turn off spontaneous triggering
- define a hotkey (key combo) that you can use to trigger the macro whenever you need it
The password is stored in the registry. If you remove the appropriate registry entry, you'll clear the password and regain access to PTFB Pro. The usual caveat applies - do not touch the registry unless you have prior experience of registry editing.
For those who are comfortable with registry editing, proceed to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/TLHouse/PTFBPro/Options
...and delete the value named "Password".
For those who are comfortable with registry editing, proceed to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/TLHouse/PTFBPro/Options
...and delete the value named "Password".
You've verified that PTFB Pro is seeing the target by using a five second delay and watching for red highlights in PTFB Pro's tray icon, but the actual macro/press isn't working...
- First check that your computer protection software (e.g. antivirus, firewall) isn't blocking PTFB Pro's actions. Add PTFB Pro to the whitelist or try temporarily disabling the protection software.
- Also check that there are no "always on top" windows floating above the the target. If there are, they will intercept PTFB Pro's simulated mouse and key presses.
- If the item in question is the "Single Press" type, try recreating it as a macro (and vice-versa).
- If the item in question is a macro, try reducing the playback speed, or disable elimination of redundant mouse movement. Also, try recreating the macro but start it by clicking in the window to make sure it gets focus early on.
- Likewise, if you're getting PTFB Pro to simulate mouse activities, but the same task can be accomplished via the keyboard, try the keyboard approach, and vice-versa.
- Sometimes PTFB Pro acts before the target window is ready. This can be because the computer is running slowly, but on Windows 7 and Vista it can also be caused by the more elaborate window animations that these new operating systems employ. Try introducing an initial delay of several seconds. If that works, reduce the delay until you find a good compromise between response speed and reliability. Remember you can whittle a delay down to 1/10 sec!
We've had one report that from time to time, PTFB Pro's cpu utilization rises to 50% or more and stays there, resetting only when PTFB Pro is quit then restarted. This report was for PTFB Pro 4 running on Windows 2003 Server in a virtual machine (specifically Virtual Box).
The following simple workaround provided a solution:
- Go into the Configure dialog (Options->Configure)
- On the settings page, first option, lower the Response speed to 50
- Close the configure dialog
- If necessary, quit then relaunch PTFB Pro
It may be that the virtual machine had not properly implemented the hardware timers that PTFB Pro uses to schedule its activities, leading to a situation where PTFB Pro's periodic checks for targets were running back to back with no downtime between. Lowering the response speed enabled PTFB Pro to return to its work/rest/work schedule, and the cpu utilization returned to normal.
The following simple workaround provided a solution:
- Go into the Configure dialog (Options->Configure)
- On the settings page, first option, lower the Response speed to 50
- Close the configure dialog
- If necessary, quit then relaunch PTFB Pro
It may be that the virtual machine had not properly implemented the hardware timers that PTFB Pro uses to schedule its activities, leading to a situation where PTFB Pro's periodic checks for targets were running back to back with no downtime between. Lowering the response speed enabled PTFB Pro to return to its work/rest/work schedule, and the cpu utilization returned to normal.