Sensory Software's Grid 3 is a popular communication software package, running in Windows. Naturally, I would like handShake to be able to operate this software through the software keystrokes that handShake generates.  To get Grid 3 to respond to a software keystroke, I have to 'elevate' handShake to run as an Administrator. I do have a second solution. I can use a Freetronics Leostick USB dongle as a pretend keyboard and have this generate keystrokes that appear as coming from a physical keyboard. I did this for a while, but this adds a layer of complexity and expense to the project. The simplest solution is to run handShake as an Administrator when using Grid 3, or other software that requires software keystrokes to come from an elevated source.

I tested out adding the functionality for handShake to detect when Grid3 was running, then automatically try to elevate to run in Administrator mode. I got this running. Then removed the functionality. Why? Security. Software running as Administrator can damage your system if incorrectly or maliciously written.

Now handShake detects if Grid 3 is running and advises that this requires the software to be restarted as an Administrator, but does not automatically restart in Administrator mode.

Running handShake as Administrator is a choice that the user makes and implements if he or she deems necessary.  As all of the code is on the project GitHub site, the code can be reviewed by the user or whoever administers the communication device that handShake runs on. The code can be reviewed to check that it is safe to run as an Administrator.

One of the advantages of open source projects is that they are open to scrutiny to find security flaws.