Recommendation to emulate laptop keyboard and mouse as USB input for controlling desktop computer


caarsonr

caarsonr

New member
Local time
5:28 PM
Posts
5
OS
Windows 11
Is there any software available (or a method of doing so) for Windows that can emulate my laptop's keyboard and mouse as a USB input device, allowing me to control a desktop computer using my laptop's input devices? I want to be able to connect my laptop to the desktop via USB and have the desktop recognize the laptop's keyboard and mouse as if they were directly connected. Any recommendations or suggestions for such software?
 
Windows Build/Version
11

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram
    CPU
    12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1260P 2.10 GHz
Mouse Without Borders, which was spun off from a MS employee's side project. It allows you to send keyboard/mouse input to another PC so when you place two monitors side by side, your mouse "scrolls" across to the other PC's desktop.

You don't need to remotely logon to the other PC.

 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
garlin said:
Mouse Without Borders, which was spun off from a MS employee's side project. It allows you to send keyboard/mouse input to another PC so when you place two monitors side by side, your mouse "scrolls" across to the other PC's desktop.

You don't need to remotely logon to the other PC.

Click to expand...
I can't express enough how much I value your suggestion. Mouse Without Borders is indeed a stellar tool for sharing mouse and keyboard input across various computers. Yet, it does hinge on having a network connection and both computers to be completely booted and actively running the software. In contrast, my particular need involves being able to send keyboard strokes during the desktop PC's booting process. Hence, I'm on the hunt for a solution that facilitates a USB-to-USB connection between my laptop and desktop. The goal is for the desktop to perceive my laptop's keyboard and mouse as if they were natively connected via USB. Regrettably, Mouse Without Borders doesn't satisfy this specific need. If you can offer any further advice or pointers to accomplish this, your help would be immensely appreciated.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram
    CPU
    12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1260P 2.10 GHz
Then you need a USB switcher, which is basically a KVM without the M (monitor).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
garlin said:
Then you need a USB switcher, which is basically a KVM without the M (monitor).
Click to expand...
Thank you for your suggestion. A USB switcher could indeed be a viable solution for switching USB device inputs between computers. However, it typically requires an external keyboard and mouse, which would then be used to control the selected computer.

In my case, I'm aiming to use my laptop's keyboard and mouse to control a desktop PC via a USB-to-USB connection, even during the boot process. Unfortunately, laptop keyboards and mice are usually internally connected and may not function as expected with a USB switcher. I'm still looking for a method that allows my laptop's input devices to behave as if they were external USB devices when connected to the desktop PC.

Nonetheless, I appreciate your suggestion, and I'm open to exploring any other ideas that could help achieve this.
Your help is SUPER appreciated and any other suggestions you have are extremely helpful. If you know of a KV that works with the internal mouse and keyboard or a method to make it work together that would be amazing.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram
    CPU
    12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1260P 2.10 GHz
Given all the suggestions presented to you by @garlin , I think buying a separate set of mouse and keyboard would be the most cost efficient and no fail solution for your purpose.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Gaming Edge Wifi (X570)
    Memory
    32GB Adata XPG DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1070 8GB ROG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Main Boot Drive : 512GB Adata XPG RGB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
    PSU
    EVGA 600 Watts Gold
    Case
    Deepcool Genome II
    Cooling
    Deepcool Fryzen
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    "Moderna"
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-4790K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Xtreme6 Z97
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI R9 290
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    500GB Adata SSD (OS Only)
    PSU
    Thermaltake 475 Watts 80 Bronze
    Case
    Thermaltake Commander I Snow Edition
    Cooling
    Deep Cool Archer Air Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Armageddon MKA-5R RGB-Hornet
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Moderna :)
garlin said:
What you're looking for is a USB crash cart adapter, those are pricey :(.
Click to expand...
😲
Those prices are insane!
badrobot said:
Given all the suggestions presented to you by @garlin , I think buying a separate set of mouse and keyboard would be the most cost efficient and no fail solution for your purpose.
Click to expand...
I am surprised to see nobody has made this solution. I am going to try to make it myself as I am majoring in EECE and it sounds like a good idea! It might be complex though so I will update here if I complete it.

Thank you all for your responses and I appreciate your help!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram
    CPU
    12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1260P 2.10 GHz
I have another possible solution for you.

If you want to send a keystroke to your desktop during boot up direct via USB connection, perhaps all you need is a macro keypad. You don't need a full keyboard.

1687580759786.png
These macro keypads come in 2, 3, 6 or more keys and some of them even comes with a volume control. Macro keypads are very easy to use and each key are highly customizable. You can set each key to do anything that you can think of. Even open a website for you in just one keystroke.

If you need to use a regular keyboard and mouse, that's when you can make use of Mouse Without Borders.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Gaming Edge Wifi (X570)
    Memory
    32GB Adata XPG DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1070 8GB ROG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Main Boot Drive : 512GB Adata XPG RGB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
    PSU
    EVGA 600 Watts Gold
    Case
    Deepcool Genome II
    Cooling
    Deepcool Fryzen
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    "Moderna"
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-4790K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Xtreme6 Z97
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI R9 290
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    500GB Adata SSD (OS Only)
    PSU
    Thermaltake 475 Watts 80 Bronze
    Case
    Thermaltake Commander I Snow Edition
    Cooling
    Deep Cool Archer Air Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Armageddon MKA-5R RGB-Hornet
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Moderna :)
I actually have 2 PCs and a laptop connected to 1 set of mouse and keyboard using a USB switcher.
The USB switcher is automatic. It connects to any PC that you power on.


1687580028416.png

I usually use them one at a time. If I need to use two, I use mouse without borders.

1687580057182.png
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Gaming Edge Wifi (X570)
    Memory
    32GB Adata XPG DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1070 8GB ROG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Main Boot Drive : 512GB Adata XPG RGB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
    PSU
    EVGA 600 Watts Gold
    Case
    Deepcool Genome II
    Cooling
    Deepcool Fryzen
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    "Moderna"
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-4790K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Xtreme6 Z97
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI R9 290
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    500GB Adata SSD (OS Only)
    PSU
    Thermaltake 475 Watts 80 Bronze
    Case
    Thermaltake Commander I Snow Edition
    Cooling
    Deep Cool Archer Air Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Armageddon MKA-5R RGB-Hornet
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Moderna :)
badrobot said:
I have another possible solution for you.

If you want to send a keystroke to your desktop during boot up direct via USB connection, perhaps all you need is a macro keypad. You don't need a full keyboard.
These macro keypads come in 2, 3, 6 or 9 keys and some of them even comes with a volume control. Macro keypads are very easy to use and each key are highly customizable. You can set each key to do anything that you can think of. Even open a website for you in just one keystroke.

If you need to use a regular keyboard and mouse, that's when you can make use of Mouse Without Borders.
Click to expand...
badrobot said:
I actually have 2 PCs and a laptop connected to 1 set of mouse and keyboard using a USB switcher.
The USB switcher is automatic. It connects to any PC that you power on.


View attachment 63155

I usually use them one at a time. If I need to use two, I use mouse without borders.

View attachment 63156
Click to expand...
Thank you for sharing the suggestion of using a macro keypad for sending keystrokes to the desktop during the boot-up process via a direct USB connection. It's an interesting solution that can offer customization and ease of use for specific functions.

I appreciate the versatility of macro keypads, allowing users to customize each key's functionality according to their needs. The ability to execute various commands or even open websites with just a single keystroke can be quite advantageous.

I am going to try and make my solution because I am looking for this particular functionality and it doesn't seem to be available.

Again thank you for your suggestions and if you have anymore please do let me know,
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram
    CPU
    12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1260P 2.10 GHz
github.com

GitHub - Flowm/etherkey: Emulate a conventional USB keyboard with a scriptable, network capable microcontroller.

Emulate a conventional USB keyboard with a scriptable, network capable microcontroller. - Flowm/etherkey
github.com github.com
www.sjoerdlangkemper.nl

Running Etherkey on an ATmega32u4 to emulate a keyboard

This article describes a cheap solution to emulate a keyboard on another computer. This is a rudimentary method of transferring data from one computer to another, with the advantage that it works on any computer and does not need installation of any software on the target device.
www.sjoerdlangkemper.nl
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming F16 (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming F16 (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
Yep, made exactly this.
Laptop connected to the PC with an USB cable.
Made a small C# tool for remote control.
Also added support for video capture to have a full KVM solution.
And way faster and better than the Aten CV211.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows
    Computer type
    Laptop
I think you might be looking for Pi-Cast KVM.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Mac OS, Linux ubuntu and windows 11.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    apple
sipper said:
Yep, made exactly this.
Laptop connected to the PC with an USB cable.
Made a small C# tool for remote control.
Also added support for video capture to have a full KVM solution.
And way faster and better than the Aten CV211.
Click to expand...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows
    Computer type
    Laptop
sipper said:
Yep, made exactly this.
Laptop connected to the PC with an USB cable.
Made a small C# tool for remote control.
Also added support for video capture to have a full KVM solution.
And way faster and better than the Aten CV211.
Click to expand...
what tool did you make? would you be willing to share it?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Mac OS, Linux ubuntu and windows 11.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    apple
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Register laptop as an input device
Replies
3
Views
1K
markbohenvert
M

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom