Windows GUI application when user is not logged in?

Question

I've written a Autoit script that starts a GUI application, when the application starts there is a login form. The scripts fills the login form and tries to log in. Then it records the time it took to login to the application and shuts the application down afterwards, writes a output file with the time it took.

The thing is, I can't get the application to start unless Im logged in as the user the Scheduled task is running on. So my question is:

Is there any way to start a GUI application even though the user isn't logged in? Or is the only way to have a user always logged in?

Answer 1

Try to run the script as the System user. That user should always be "logged in". But maybe something prevents your app running as long as the Windows login screen is visible. I'm not sure what that could be and I've seen applications run on the Windows login screen (for example, the VPN tool), so it might work.

Answer 2

If you are trying to control a gui application via simulated clicks and stuff, that application needs to be displayed. You might eventually work out how to launch the application via command line or whatever, but your clicks and scripted keyboard entry simply won't work.