Handle windows lock/unlock events in .net core

In .NET Core, you can handle Windows lock and unlock events using the Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents class. This class provides a way to subscribe to system events, including session unlock and lock events. Here's how you can do it:

1. Add Reference:
   Make sure your .NET Core project targets Windows since this class is Windows-specific. Add a reference to the SystemEvents assembly:

   bashCopy code
   dotnet add package Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents
   
   

2. Subscribe to SessionSwitch Event:
   The SessionSwitch event is fired when a user locks or unlocks the session. Here's an example of how to subscribe to this event:

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   using Microsoft.Win32;
   
   
   
   class Program
   
   {
   
       static void Main(string[] args)
   
       {
   
           SystemEvents.SessionSwitch += SystemEvents_SessionSwitch;
   
   
   
           // Prevent the application from exiting immediately
   
           Console.WriteLine("Press Enter to exit.");
   
           Console.ReadLine();
   
       }
   
   
   
       private static void SystemEvents_SessionSwitch(object sender, SessionSwitchEventArgs e)
   
       {
   
           switch (e.Reason)
   
           {
   
               case SessionSwitchReason.SessionLock:
   
                   Console.WriteLine("Session locked");
   
                   // Handle session lock event
   
                   break;
   
   
   
               case SessionSwitchReason.SessionUnlock:
   
                   Console.WriteLine("Session unlocked");
   
                   // Handle session unlock event
   
                   break;
   
           }
   
       }
   
   }
   
   

   In this example, the SessionSwitch event is subscribed to, and the SystemEvents_SessionSwitch method is called when the session is locked or unlocked.

Remember that the SessionSwitch event is fired from the main application thread, so you shouldn't perform long-running operations within its handler to avoid blocking the UI.

1. Handle Application Exit:
   Since you want to listen to events indefinitely, you should prevent the application from exiting immediately. In the example above, the Console.ReadLine() is used to keep the application running until the user presses Enter.

Keep in mind that handling system events requires specific permissions, and your application might need to run with appropriate privileges to receive these events. Additionally, note that the SessionSwitch event is not supported in all platforms and environments (e.g., Linux or macOS).

Lastly, ensure that your .NET Core version is compatible with the Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents package, as compatibility may vary between different versions.