Refreshing Desktop Background

[mckeder]

Ok. I will explain so you know what I am trying to do.

I have 5 client computers in the call center. I need to create a desktop background that Holds all of the new client information so they dont have to dig through papers when the caller calls in. I need this to refresh everytime a team leader adds something to this file.

Is it possible?

Oh yeah, They are all running on Windows 98SE

[FN-GM]

no i don't think it is, have you considered upgrading?

[mckeder]

Unfortunatelly, Because of our systems and the programs we work with, its not possible for us to upgrade. We run programs that need to run on a dos shell not on the windows shell inside dos so we cant upgrade

[Ric_]

@mckeder: Rather than trying to refresh your current solution, couldn't you have IE open behind your windows, placed in kiosk mode and a web page with the info that refreshes at a set interval?

[limbo]

Doesn't Windows 98SE have active desktop?

So you can create a web page that has the information on and then set that as the active desktop, refresh it on a schedule so it is always up to date.

You could even then have hyperlinks that go straight to related information.

The page could be straight HTML that gets updated or link it to a database using php or asp.

[mckeder]

ah thanks guys. didn't even think of the active desktop. totally forgot. Thanks

[altecsole]

Unfortunatelly, Because of our systems and the programs we work with, its not possible for us to upgrade. We run programs that need to run on a dos shell not on the windows shell inside dos so we cant upgrade

You might want to consider using VirtualPC or VMWare to run your old applications in a virtaul machine. You could have up to date hardware running XP (or other) and have a virtual Win98 machine running your old applications.

[Geoff]

Indeed, I've done this in the past in primary schools where they have old Windows 3.1 era software.

[ICT_GUY]

I have a desktop refresh bit of VB6 code that refreshes the background.


'Declarations
Private Declare Function SHChangeNotify Lib "Shell32.dll" (ByVal wEventID As Long, ByVal uFlags As Long, ByVal dwItem1 As Long, ByVal dwItem2 As Long) As Long

Private Sub refreshdesktop()
Const SHCNE_ASSOCCHANGED = &H8000000
Const SHCNF_FLUSH = &H1000
SHChangeNotify SHCNE_ASSOCCHANGED, SHCNF_FLUSH, 0, 0
End Sub

I use it for a kludge using active desktop. ops:

[mckeder]

@ICT_GUY - Thanks for the bit of code. I am not greatly familure with VB as I have just started learning it but it does help

@altecsole

I did try to run Virtual Desktop on a windows xp machine. I installed the windows 98 on it but it just confused our agents to the point that they had no idea what they were doing. We run a call center that has to be fully operational 24/7 without any problems. I dont think this would work for us