How to: Detect User Idle Time or Inactivity

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Access Developer Reference

This topic shows how to create a procedure that will run if your Microsoft Access application does not detect any user input for a specified period of time. It involves creating a hidden form, DetectIdleTime, which keeps track of idle time.

Follow these steps to create the DetectIdleTime form.

  1. Create a blank form that is not based on any table or query and name it DetectIdleTime.
  2. Set the following form properties:
    Property Value
    OnTimer [Event Procedure]
    TimerInterval 1000
    Bb243861.vs_note(en-us,office.12).gif  Note
    The TimerInterval setting indicates how often (in milliseconds) the application checks for user inactivity. A setting of 1000 equals 1 second.
  3. Enter the following code for the OnTimer property event procedure:
    

          Sub Form_Timer()
' IDLEMINUTES determines how much idle time to wait for before
' running the IdleTimeDetected subroutine.
Const IDLEMINUTES = 5
    

         Static PrevControlName As String
     Static PrevFormName As String
     Static ExpiredTime

     Dim ActiveFormName As String
     Dim ActiveControlName As String
     Dim ExpiredMinutes

     On Error Resume Next

     ' Get the active form and control name.

     ActiveFormName = Screen.ActiveForm.Name
     If Err Then
        ActiveFormName = "No Active Form"
        Err = 0
     End If

     ActiveControlName = Screen.ActiveControl.Name
        If Err Then
        ActiveControlName = "No Active Control"
        Err = 0
     End If

     ' Record the current active names and reset ExpiredTime if:
     '    1. They have not been recorded yet (code is running
     '       for the first time).
     '    2. The previous names are different than the current ones
     '       (the user has done something different during the timer
     '        interval).
     If (PrevControlName = "") Or (PrevFormName = "") _
       Or (ActiveFormName <> PrevFormName) _
       Or (ActiveControlName <> PrevControlName) Then
        PrevControlName = ActiveControlName
        PrevFormName = ActiveFormName
        ExpiredTime = 0
     Else
        ' ...otherwise the user was idle during the time interval, so
        ' increment the total expired time.
        ExpiredTime = ExpiredTime + Me.TimerInterval
     End If

     ' Does the total expired time exceed the IDLEMINUTES?
     ExpiredMinutes = (ExpiredTime / 1000) / 60
     If ExpiredMinutes >= IDLEMINUTES Then
        ' ...if so, then reset the expired time to zero...
        ExpiredTime = 0
        ' ...and call the IdleTimeDetected subroutine.
        IdleTimeDetected ExpiredMinutes
     End If
  End Sub</code>
    4. Create the following procedure in the form module: 
            Sub IdleTimeDetected(ExpiredMinutes)
         Dim Msg As String
         Msg = "No user activity detected in the last "
         Msg = Msg & ExpiredMinutes & " minute(s)!"
         MsgBox Msg, 48
      End Sub

    To hide the DetectIdleTime form as it opens, set the WindowMode argument of the OpenForm method to acHidden.