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windows-10user32

Windows 10 not responding to uiAction 47 (SPI_SETWORKAREA) for user32.dll's SystemParametersInfo(uAction, uParam, lpvParam, fuWinIni)

Does anyone have any information on why Windows 10 no longer allows you to set a custom WorkArea using SystemParametersInfo? I was using this to reserve screen space for dock/bar applications. Anyone had any luck getting it working?

For reference the code on this question works to set a custom work area In Windows 8.1, 8, 7, and XP, but no longer works on Windows 10. How can I resize the desktop work area using the SPI_SETWORKAREA flag?

My only alternative options seem to be using SHAppBarMessage (not preferable as it does not allow modifying form opacity to my knowledge), or using SetWindowsHookEx with WH_CALLWNDPROC, but that seems to require .dll injection for external processes?

Solution

  • I had a similar issue, an old program that correctly set the work area in Windows 7 stopped working in Windows 10.

    What worked for me was changing the 'fWinIni' argument (the last argument) from SPIF_CHANGE to SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE.

    So, what previously worked but doesn't anymore:

    private const uint SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE = 2;
private const uint SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE = 1;
private const uint SPIF_CHANGE = SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE | SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE;
SystemParametersInfo(SPI_SETWORKAREA, 0, ref rect, SPIF_CHANGE);

    What works correctly now:

    private const uint SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE = 2;
private const uint SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE = 1;
private const uint SPIF_CHANGE = SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE | SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE;
SystemParametersInfo(SPI_SETWORKAREA, 0, ref rect, SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE);

    Hopefully this works for you as well.