DIY puzzle - automatic PC depresser!

[Lobster]

Here's a head scratcher for those of you who are a tad more innovative than me...

I am currently freelancing for a company who have provided me with a dedicated, highly locked-down laptop which hooks up securely to the company's systems and provides internal email. However, I do my actual work on my own PC, with full-size keyboard, dual monitors etc, and just keep the laptop running at the side of the desk mainly in order to monitor email.

However. Due to security concerns the laptop is deliberately set up to lock out if it's not used for 15 minutes, at which point I have to tap in one of those oh-so-secure extra-convuluted username/password combos to bring it back to life. I try and remember to tap the spacebar every so often to prevent this but naturally I keep forgetting, so I end up having to resurrect it probably a dozen times a day. Drives me f*****g nuts!

So, I'm trying to think of an easy way of setting up something that would automatically and mechanically tap the spacebar for me every 10-15 minutes. Maybe something already round the house that I could repurpose? or build with Lego?

The floor is open!

[Clive George]

The classic answer to this one is one of those nodding bird things.

(Simpsons)

If I was doing that I'd have to have a separate keyboard otherwise I'd get very annoyed with the thing getting in the way when I wanted to type.

Hack a keyboard with a timer chip somehow?

However is there a way of pretending to press a key in software?

Need to make sure the key is innocuous - hitting space randomly can cause problems if you're not careful.

[Roger Mills]

It might be easier to plug in a USB mouse - if you're allowed to - and find a way of nudging that. That won't upset any running programs in the way that random text might.

Here's a way-out idea - but it might spark others: Sit the mouse on a rotating gramophone turntable - and leave it running.

[WeeBob]

If the laptop is properly locked down, you probably won't be able to install any software, or enable the USB ports.

Can you say what model the laptop is, and/or what physical connections can be made?

[Mike Barnes]

While I think about the mechanism, let's consider which key you're going to press. I would avoid the space bar. My favourite for waking up screen savers is the Ctrl key, because pressing and releasing it has no effect on any program I use, other than the screen saver of course. Also I only ever use the left Ctrl key, so the obvious choice for me would be the right Ctrl key, so that the device wouldn't interfere with my typing.

Would it be possible to plug in an external keyboard and press a key on that? If you didn't have to type on the same keyboard, the mechanism could be lot bulkier.

In the meantime, a kitchen timer set to fourteen minutes could remind you to press a key, as long as you remember to restart it every time.

(I wouldn't like to be in your shoes if there's a security breach because of this proposed device)

[Andy Burns]

There are software versions that do the same, but I assume you'd not be allowed to install them!

[Santo Brown]

Should be completely trivial to do with one of those programmable timers and a solenoid.

Trouble is that is a chasm anyone can fall into.

[whisky-dave]

Is this the standard screen saver that is kicking in, as once in you could extend the time the default is 15mins. If there's a seperate program installed then the company might be able to change any setting, or perhaps even a simplier password set.

[Andy Burns]

Group policies would prevent the user modifying the screensaver settings.

[whisky-dave]

My PC is managed although I'm not sure to what extent I can adjust the time it takes the screensaver to come on. If it is a group polices them perhaps whoever sets up this policy can change it that was my point, because it's not as though the company doesn;t want him to have the password, it just if the PC is left unattended for >15mins or so.

Personally I'd set an alarm on an Apple watch ;-)

[John Rumm]

How about grabbing a VM image of laptop so that you can run it in a window on your main desktop?

[GB]

It's probably sufficient to sellotape the lead for that mouse to the lead of the mouse on the main pc. You only need to make small nudges.

[Brian-Gaff]

If it can be made to come alive with a mouse, it might be easier to hack a mouse than a keyboard. However as this laptop is in your house, I see no reason for it to have a timed lock out in the first place, at least not such a short one.

Brian

[Mike Clarke]

Or a scheduled task on your own PC which periodically wakes up, beeps and displays a pop-up saying "Kick the laptop".

[Mike Clarke]

But his employers security "experts" will have deemed it to be essential.

[Mike Clarke]

[Tim+]

Alas a cat will only work if you neither want nor need it to. As soon as you *want* it to do something, it won't.

Tim

[Dave W]

If the laptop has a CD drive, software to play audio CDs, and stays alive while a CD is playing, you could put the player on auto repeat. But as you say it's dedicated this is probably impossible.

[Chris Hogg]

There must be something here you could adapt!

[Reentrant]

Something similar here: