Programattically taking screenshots in windows without the application noticing

Question

Duplicate of: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/774925/detect-when-users-take-screenshots-of-my-program

There are various ways to take screenshots of a running application in Windows. However, I hear that an application can be tailored such that it can notice when a screenshot is being taken of it, through some windows event handlers perhaps? Is there any way of taking a screenshot such that it is impossible for the application to notice? (Maybe even running the application inside a VM, and taking a screenshot from the host?) I'd prefer solutions in Python, but anything will do.

Answer 1

Do you have a particular anti-screenshot program in mind? Ultimately, you're right, running the app in a VM will trump any 'protection' it has, but the method depends on which OS/VM you're using, and it's not worth the overhead until it's needed.

I'd just use this: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/69645/take-a-screenshot-via-a-python-script-linux/70237#70237 (Windows only)

Answer 2

Find out how the pros do it:

http://browsershots.org/ https://sourceforge.net/projects/browsershots/ http://trac.browsershots.org/wiki

Answer 3

> I hear that an application can be tailored such that it can notice when a screenshot is being taken of it

Complete nonsense. Don't repeat what kids say... Read MSDN about screenshots.

Answer 4

There will certainly be no protection against a screenshot taken with a digital camera.

Answer 5

One could use Remote Desktop or the (low-level) VNC Mirror Driver and take the screenshot on an another computer.