Windows 11 disabling wireless inputs when showing safety popups

[PedroBoh]

Hello!

So it seens i'm the only one with windows 11 or at least the only person with this problem. Whenever windows shows a popup, like that UAC "do you want to allow this program to make changes to your files" or when i'm changing system configurations like right-click > properties or even when a game has a launcher, like an MMORPG, windows completelly disables any wireless input i have. be it steam input when i'm using big picture but the game exe makes windows show the popup, wireless remote control via KDE connect, so any input EXCEPT for usb wired connected mouse and keyboard is allowed to work when i have these popups.
Is it like a safety feature so that my pc cant be remotelly tampered? I dont know anymore since it seens i'm literally the only person with this problem on the internet.
My guess is that any windows 11 user that has a controller would have the same problem, but right now i found no complaints on steam foruns. This problem is very noticeable if you play any mmorpg with a launcher but it seens i'm the only one having it.
This sucks because it kills any useability of big picture for me since whenever i want to play a game i have to go to the pc anyway to click the prompts until windows reenables my inputs.

[Define Brackish Water]

That's a painful spot to be in. Are you able to confirm that this happens with a bluetooth mouse? I understand if you don't have one.

I know that in Windows 10 you can prevent this popup from appearing OR you make it less secure. I believe what this article says about Windows 10 still applies to Windows 11.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/how-to-run-everything-in-administrator-mode-and-why-you-shouldnt-do-it/
I strongly recommend trying to see if the "do not dim" option works before disabling it entirely. Ideally you would leave this on the default setting. The Windows User Account Control feature is really handy when launching games that want to install DRM. It's sort of like a bouncer double checking with you before allowing a program to do some handiwork on your house.

I suggest asking around on other forums geared towards solving OS-specific problems. The official Microsoft help forums are sometimes useless or locked behind a login that requires a phone number, but aren't a bad place to seek help. I'd also recommend the forums on Tom's Hardware as the people there are high quality. Make sure to give your computer specs, Windows 11 edition & update version, and a good description of the problem.
https://forums.tomshardware.com/

[Crashed]

What appears to be happening is that Remote Play is unable to interact with the UAC session.

Even if you select do not dim, unless you launch Steam as Administrator you may not be even able to click on those dialogs.

[RiO]

Crashed původně napsal:

What appears to be happening is that Remote Play is unable to interact with the UAC session.

Even if you select do not dim, unless you launch Steam as Administrator you may not be even able to click on those dialogs.

If remote play is running with local user account permissions then once the desktop elevates they indeed lose the ability to send input to it. The APIs that can be used in Windows to forward key presses can only forward to processes that you have equal access to.

Makes sense, no? Wouldn't want arbitrary programs being able to inject keystrokes into a root shell, now would we?


The solution to this would be to have Steam's remote play go through an equally high privileged process, at which point the ability to inject key strokes would be available again.
Except, that is of course a huge security vulnerability and exploit just waiting to happen. (And after the last two they had, I'd sure hope Valve have learned their lesson in playing it steady and safe.)

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

RiO původně napsal:

Crashed původně napsal:

What appears to be happening is that Remote Play is unable to interact with the UAC session.

Even if you select do not dim, unless you launch Steam as Administrator you may not be even able to click on those dialogs.

If remote play is running with local user account permissions then once the desktop elevates they indeed lose the ability to send input to it. The APIs that can be used in Windows to forward key presses can only forward to processes that you have equal access to.

Makes sense, no? Wouldn't want arbitrary programs being able to inject keystrokes into a root shell, now would we?


The solution to this would be to have Steam's remote play go through an equally high privileged process, at which point the ability to inject key strokes would be available again.
Except, that is of course a huge security vulnerability and exploit just waiting to happen. (And after the last two they had, I'd sure hope Valve have learned their lesson in playing it steady and safe.)

Any app that allows remote access is already a risk on that front line, may it be TeamViewer, parsec, moonlight, etc, etc, and etc... The fact reason to wanting to do remote access/play is exactly what it meant to do it remote access/play via another device, such as phone tablet, or etc...

Now granted yes you don't blindly want to just give any software high level permission access, but in some cases you do depending what the app in question, and why want to give it that permission, and not like we can't config things to restrict permissions to doing things such as launching CMD, or such, but again just depends what, why, and how with app in question.

[PedroBoh]

Thanks for the help!
So in hindsight it was pretty obvious that running stuff as admin would solve this, it worked, but still kinda weird. I dont have this problem in windows 10 or linux. So is it just that windows 11 is more heavyhanded than windows 10 when it comes to security?
I'll have to aways remember to run programs as admin unless i want to freeze my inputs, which could be catastrophic when i need to work remotelly on my computer since i would need to travel for up to an hour just to allow my remote app to work then back again. I'm seriously considering going back to windows 10 just for that. Most of the time i'll be next to the computer so ill just need to take up to 2 cats out of my lap which is also a bummer.

Now that i think about it, it kinda made my pc less safe since i have to give apps all of the privileges in order to solve this annoyance. Oh well. Although you could argue that if the app control your inputs it already has access to everything.

[PedroBoh]

Define Brackish Water původně napsal:

That's a painful spot to be in. Are you able to confirm that this happens with a bluetooth mouse? I understand if you don't have one.

I know that in Windows 10 you can prevent this popup from appearing OR you make it less secure. I believe what this article says about Windows 10 still applies to Windows 11.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/how-to-run-everything-in-administrator-mode-and-why-you-shouldnt-do-it/
I strongly recommend trying to see if the "do not dim" option works before disabling it entirely. Ideally you would leave this on the default setting. The Windows User Account Control feature is really handy when launching games that want to install DRM. It's sort of like a bouncer double checking with you before allowing a program to do some handiwork on your house.

I suggest asking around on other forums geared towards solving OS-specific problems. The official Microsoft help forums are sometimes useless or locked behind a login that requires a phone number, but aren't a bad place to seek help. I'd also recommend the forums on Tom's Hardware as the people there are high quality. Make sure to give your computer specs, Windows 11 edition & update version, and a good description of the problem.
https://forums.tomshardware.com/

I thought of that but unfortunatelly i dont have one. If i had to guess a bluetooth mouse woudnt work too but a wireless mouse with a dongle would since the dongle simulates a wired mouse as far as i know, this might be a solution for my annoyance so whenever i lost inputs i could leave the dongled mouse near so that i click the prompts.
For now my problem is mostly solved, but thanks for the tip, tomshardware was very helpful to me in many occasions in the past.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

PedroBoh původně napsal:

Thanks for the help!
So in hindsight it was pretty obvious that running stuff as admin would solve this, it worked, but still kinda weird. I dont have this problem in windows 10 or linux. So is it just that windows 11 is more heavyhanded than windows 10 when it comes to security?
I'll have to aways remember to run programs as admin unless i want to freeze my inputs, which could be catastrophic when i need to work remotelly on my computer since i would need to travel for up to an hour just to allow my remote app to work then back again. I'm seriously considering going back to windows 10 just for that. Most of the time i'll be next to the computer so ill just need to take up to 2 cats out of my lap which is also a bummer.

Yes either edit permissions, run as admin, or make changes to the UAC to allow all apps full permission without asking.

[Crashed]

Perhaps it was working on Windows 10 because you logged into Remote Play with the lock screen showing then approved the elevated access?

[PedroBoh]

Dr.Shadowds 🐉 původně napsal:

PedroBoh původně napsal:

Thanks for the help!
So in hindsight it was pretty obvious that running stuff as admin would solve this, it worked, but still kinda weird. I dont have this problem in windows 10 or linux. So is it just that windows 11 is more heavyhanded than windows 10 when it comes to security?
I'll have to aways remember to run programs as admin unless i want to freeze my inputs, which could be catastrophic when i need to work remotelly on my computer since i would need to travel for up to an hour just to allow my remote app to work then back again. I'm seriously considering going back to windows 10 just for that. Most of the time i'll be next to the computer so ill just need to take up to 2 cats out of my lap which is also a bummer.

Yes either edit permissions, run as admin, or make changes to the UAC to allow all apps full permission without asking.

The only solution was to run steam and those other apps i want to have inputs as admin AND changing uac so it doesnt popup anymore, only one of either wasnt enough. When the popup was supposed to show when i am admin the inputs freeze with no popup, disabling uac solved that. But if i try only disabling uac the same thing happened, when the popup was supposed to appear the inputs freeze.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

PedroBoh původně napsal:

Dr.Shadowds 🐉 původně napsal:

Yes either edit permissions, run as admin, or make changes to the UAC to allow all apps full permission without asking.

The only solution was to run steam and those other apps i want to have inputs as admin AND changing uac so it doesnt popup anymore, only one of either wasnt enough. When the popup was supposed to show when i am admin the inputs freeze with no popup, disabling uac solved that. But if i try only disabling uac the same thing happened, when the popup was supposed to appear the inputs freeze.

Maybe worth knowing about, basically just runs all your stuff with admin permission. I wouldn't recommend it for protection reasons unless it used for local, or offline only.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3qRQOCWp-Q

Video just explaining incase you thought of this at some point, and better to explain to you ahead of time so know not recommended to use.

UAC turn off just basically bypass pop up allowing you to do things you wanted without being asked everytime, but apps will not automatically get admin level it get permissions to do things want it instead of needing to ask for it, but if it need higher level then yes admin needed, which if have UAC off, and set app to have admin on launch, then it just run as admin with no pop up just like you said.

[Crashed]

Dr.Shadowds 🐉 původně napsal:

PedroBoh původně napsal:

The only solution was to run steam and those other apps i want to have inputs as admin AND changing uac so it doesnt popup anymore, only one of either wasnt enough. When the popup was supposed to show when i am admin the inputs freeze with no popup, disabling uac solved that. But if i try only disabling uac the same thing happened, when the popup was supposed to appear the inputs freeze.

Maybe worth knowing about, basically just runs all your stuff with admin permission. I wouldn't recommend it for protection reasons unless it used for local, or offline only.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3qRQOCWp-Q

Video just explaining incase you thought of this at some point, and better to explain to you ahead of time so know not recommended to use.

UAC turn off just basically bypass pop up allowing you to do things you wanted without being asked everytime, but apps will not automatically get admin level it get permissions to do things want it instead of needing to ask for it, but if it need higher level then yes admin needed, which if have UAC off, and set app to have admin on launch, then it just run as admin with no pop up just like you said.

On Server SKUs this account is the default account unless the system is a Domain Controller in which case the domain's Administrator account is default.

[RiO]

PedroBoh původně napsal:

Dr.Shadowds 🐉 původně napsal:

Yes either edit permissions, run as admin, or make changes to the UAC to allow all apps full permission without asking.

The only solution was to run steam and those other apps i want to have inputs as admin AND changing uac so it doesnt popup anymore, only one of either wasnt enough. When the popup was supposed to show when i am admin the inputs freeze with no popup, disabling uac solved that. But if i try only disabling uac the same thing happened, when the popup was supposed to appear the inputs freeze.

Initially the popup for UAC didn't show because such popups are painted on a secure desktop. A second desktop projected on top of the original one. By default nothing running in the original one can see or interact with the secure one. This is a security measure that is aimed at trying to prevent malware from eavesdropping the UAC prompt for your credentials. But it means that legit applications like Steam and its remote play can't do that either.

When you 'disabled' UAC it doesn't actually disable anything. It just meant the process won't need UAC to prompt for permission to elevate. Rather, when requested it will just do so.

But when it does, the process elevates to the session 0 security level and any program running under the normal session 1 user mode security level will no longer be able to send keystrokes to the process running in session 0 or communicate with it using various other inter-process communication methods.

This is why your inputs 'froze' when you had only 'disabled' UAC. Basically, the session 1 process implementing Steam remote play was just stopped cold from sending input to the elevated process now running in session 0 context by the OS's security boundaries.

By also running Steam and all its associated processes elevated to administrator, they run within the same security context again and input can be piped through.