External device to act as finger on touchpad

[BarkingGhostar]

Need an independent solution that doesn't require plugging something into a laptop or installing software. I relatively benign device that simply makes physcal contact with the laptop's touchpad is the only thing needed (no equivalent mouse clicking needed).

Cannot get around company mandated Windows policy which turns on screen saver and locks screen in 10 minutes or less, but this interrupts a tool we use that runs for 30-60 minutes per run.

I really don't care to sit here a wiggle the mouse every 7/8/9 minutes just to prevent this corporate blindness in which the two hands of the company can't seem to work together.

I'm thinking of that toy filled with water looking like some sort of abstract bird that bends over and touches the table it sits on and then back up. Oh dear lord someone needs to make a human finger that can mimic touchpad swiping moves and we can call it Mr. Finger to 'give the finger to your bosses'.

 

[XavierMace]

Caffeine should do the trick.

http://download.cnet.com/Caffeine/3000-2094_4-10914397.html

For the record, that policy isn't corporate blindness, it's standard IT security policy. We enforce that in every one of our 100+ clients environments.

 

[inachu]

If your need to do this is a business need and is truly legit and you are not the lone voice then your IT dept is an idiot for not listening to you and working something out with you.

 

[inachu]

You could buy a bobble head which is battery operated.
Then buy the bamboo stylus(needs no batteries)
Buy a logitech touch pad and put a few books under the pad to raise it up to the head level of the bobble head and now tape the BAMBOO stylus to the head.

There you go! random touching of the pad from the stylus and now that should work.

 

[heymrdj]

We had this issue. You said no plugging in but would a mouse be ok? We just put a mouse on a vibration bad (used from a science lab) set to low. It jiggled just enough that the laptop couldn't go to sleep

 

[Mushkins]

Touchpads are not registering physical pressure, it requires a capacitive touch (aka the slight electrical current running through your body). That's why if you try to use an object to move a touchpad nothing happens, but the second your finger touches it, magic!

That being said, your best bet is going to be a program that specifically emulates key presses or mouse movement to override the auto lock. That or just open notepad and let one of those bobbing duck things go to town on the keyboard, *any* input signal will reset the inactivity timer.

 

[ArisVer]

Or create a simple repetitive script that runs every 9 minutes simulating writing on a notepad?


Edit. Found these two which might work for you.

https://movemouse.codeplex.com/

http://www.murgee.com/auto-mouse-mover/

 

[corkyg]

Would Mouse jiggler be approved by your IT section?

 

[Fardringle]

Attach a capacitive stylus (designed for tablets) to this little beauty and let him/her tap the touch pad for you..

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/981...acbRoCxhLw_wcB

 

[LurchFrinky]

Attach a capacitive stylus (designed for tablets) to this little beauty and let him/her tap the touch pad for you..

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/981...acbRoCxhLw_wcB

I think those need a glass of water to maintain the temperature differential. It sounds nice, but i think actual implementation would not be so easy.
That being said, I would love to see a short video of somebody getting it to work.

 

[KillerBee]

This just flashes your scroll lock every couple seconds
which should be enough to prevent screensaver from kicking in.

Create a file called flash.vbs
and run it in a command prompt using "wscript flash.vbs"

=====================================

Set WshShell = CreateObject( "WScript.Shell" )

flash_msecs = 200 'how long to flash scroll light
sleep_msecs = 4000 'how long to pause between flashes
 
Do While 1=1
   WshShell.SendKeys "{SCROLLLOCK}"
   WScript.Sleep flash_msecs
   WshShell.SendKeys "{SCROLLLOCK}"
   WScript.Sleep sleep_msecs 
Loop

=====================================

 

[Jembo]

I like Mouse Jiggler.