General

The sklera Windows Player lets you easily turn the screens of your Windows devices into digital signage displays.


System Requirements

Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit OS version required)

Recommended: 4 GB RAM 

At least 4 GB of free disk space for the player software and content downloaded from playlists


Installation

  • Download the Windows player: skleraSetup-latest.exe (copy the link and paste it into a new tab).
  • Start the installation by double-clicking the downloaded file.
  • Wait until the installation is complete.


After installation, a shortcut to the application will be available on the desktop, along with a new "watchdog" folder.

It is recommended to run the "install-watchdog.bat" file located in this folder.
This creates a task in the Windows Task Scheduler that checks every minute whether the Player is running and starts it automatically if it is not.


Note

It is recommended to use a user account with automatic logon enabled for the player app installation.


Starting the sklera Player

The app starts automatically at the end of the installation. It can also be started manually by double-clicking the desktop shortcut.


The app will also start automatically every time the computer restarts, provided automatic user login has been set up (see also the section Enabling Automatic Login).


Enabling On-Screen Keyboard

If your system is operated via a touch display, the Windows touch keyboard can be enabled to allow text input via the touchscreen. 

Windows VersionInstructions
Windows 10

1. Open Windows Settings

2. Go to "Bluetooth & devices"

3. Select "Typing"

4. Enable "Automatically show the touch keyboard when not in tablet mode and there's no keyboard attached"

Windows 11

1. Open Windows Settings


2. Open "Time & language"


3. Open "Typing"

4. Open "Touch keyboard"


5. For the "Show touch keyboard" setting, select "When no keyboard is attached"


Note: If the touch keyboard doesn't appear automatically - e.g., because Windows detects a connected keyboard - select "Always" instead.


Tip

The touch keyboard built into Windows 10 and Windows 11 offers only limited customization options.

Alternatively, a 3rd-party on-screen keyboard can be used instead. This allows for custom layouts, remapped keys, and a flexible user interface design.

This also makes it possible, for example, to prevent users from changing keyboard settings or using unwanted keys or key combinations.

Examples of 3rd-party on-screen keyboards:
Hot Virtual Keyboard, Comfort On-Screen Keyboard Pro, Chessware Touch-It Virtual Keyboard


Hardening Windows

Windows VersionMeasure
Windows 10

Windows 11

Disabling Edge Swipe Gestures

Edge swipe gestures make it possible to access system functions. We therefore recommend disabling this feature, especially if input devices are accessible to users or the display is equipped with a touchscreen.

To disable edge swipe on all edges, a change to the Windows registry is required:


1. Start the Windows Registry Editor (press the Windows key and search for "regedit").


2. Navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\EdgeUI (or create it if it doesn't already exist)


3. Add a 32-bit DWORD named "AllowEdgeSwipe" (without quotes) and set its value to 0.


Log out and back in, or restart the computer, for the setting to take effect.

Windows 11

Disabling Multitouch Gestures

In Windows 11, in addition to edge swipe gestures, users can also access system functions via multitouch gestures. This feature can be disabled in Windows Settings:


1. Open Windows Settings


2. Open "Bluetooth & devices"


3. Open "Touch"


4. Turn off "Three- and four-finger touch gestures"

Windows 10

Windows 11

Securing Keyboard Input

When using a physical or on-screen keyboard, users can exit the sklera application and access system functions via special keys and system key combinations.

To prevent unwanted access, appropriate measures should therefore be implemented.
For example, using a 3rd-party on-screen keyboard and/or 3rd-party kiosk software.


Tip

For comprehensive protection, 3rd-party kiosk software can be used.

3rd-Party Kiosk Software:
Kiosk software provides a restricted user environment in which only a configured application starts automatically, while access to the desktop, system functions, key combinations, etc. is restricted.

Examples:
Inteset Secure Lockdown, SiteKiosk


Securing the sklera Player Application

The sklera Windows player application can be protected with a password in the channel settings. This means the player can only be closed after entering the specified password.

To do this, click "More > Settings > Advanced Settings", enter the desired password in the "Player Password" field, and then click "Save".


Enabling Automatic Login

Windows VersionInstructions
Windows 10

Windows 11

Press "Windows key + R" to open the "Run" dialog. Type "netplwiz" and confirm. Then uncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer".


Alternatively, the Sysinternals Autologon tool can be used:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autologon


Operating with Multiple Displays

The player app automatically detects the connected displays and generates a separate pairing code for each screen.


Server Switch for Your Own sklera Enterprise Installation (On-Premises or Private Cloud)

If the player is already running, close it using Ctrl+4, then run the "change-server.vbs" script located in the desktop "watchdog" folder. Enter the player server address of your sklera instance, then start the player app.

Note

Using the script is optional - it is sufficient to set the environment variable SKLERA_PLAYER_URL to the server address.


Linking with sklera

You can add the player to your sklera channel by entering the pairing code in the sklera CMS.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the pairing process.  


Note

You need one available sklera player license for each screen you want to use as a digital signage display.


Updates

The sklera player app is continuously improved. The app automatically checks for available updates, downloads them, and installs them.


Useful Shortcuts

Ctrl+1: Restart player app
Ctrl+2: Open status window
Ctrl+3: Check for player updates
Ctrl+4: Exit player


Note on Chromium

This sklera player app is based on the Electron framework. Currently the player app is functionally equivalent to Chrome 124.