Check If Current Window Is Desktop?

[SucksToBeMe]

I've tried googling for this but it seems this question remains unanswered. Is there anyway to check if the user's current active window is the desktop?

[Thomas1965]

If you have the handle for the current active window then you can compare it with the handle of the desktop.

[E0p9LyTq]

I don't believe the desktop is ever active as app windows are considered active.

#include <iostream>
#include <Windows.h>

int main ()
{
   HWND desktop = GetDesktopWindow();

   for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++)
   {
      HWND window = GetForegroundWindow();
      if (desktop == window)
      {
         std::cout << "Desktop Active!\n";
      }
      else
      {
         std::cout << "Desktop NOT Active!\n";
      }

      Sleep(1000);
   }
}

This always reports the desktop is inactive, even when all windows are minimized to the taskbar and only the desktop is visible. Doing a net search doesn't bring up any methods either.

Using GetActiveWindow() instead of GetForegroundWindow() gives the same output.

Maybe also there is some Win32 "trick" I am missing and it is quite easy to check if the Desktop is the active window.

Well, it would help if I actually checked each loop for what the active window is, code revised. Still won't detect the desktop as being the active window. Ooops! :|

[E0p9LyTq]

Even setting the Desktop to the foreground before checking what the active window is won't show the Desktop as being the active window:

#include <iostream>
#include <Windows.h>

int main ()
{
   HWND desktop = GetDesktopWindow();

   SetForegroundWindow(desktop);

   for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++)
   {
      HWND window = GetForegroundWindow();
      if (desktop == window)
      {
         std::cout << "Desktop Active!\n";
      }
      else
      {
         std::cout << "Desktop NOT Active!\n";
      }

      Sleep(1000);
   }
}

Well, it would help if I actually checked each loop for what the active window is, code revised. Still won't detect the desktop as being the active window. Ooops! :|

[andywestken]

Still won't detect the desktop as being the active window.

That's because it's actually a child of the desktop which gets the focus.

On my Windows 10 PC, it's a child window named "Program Manager"of window class "Progman", but if the system is showing wallpaper then different windows are involved.

This problem was discussed on this site a few years ago:

HWND of desktop
http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/windows/112197/

Andy

[E0p9LyTq]

That's because it's actually a child of the desktop which gets the focus.

Something I mentioned in passing, but didn't remember the exact details. Your link provided that.