Applications stealing focus - reg key no longer fixes

Anonymous
2010-04-08T18:42:59+00:00

I want to prevent any applications from stealing focus in windows 7 (and Vista).  Tweakui used to modify the below Registry key to 0.  Then there was a key that affected the number of flashes a "want to steal focus" window would make in the taskbar.

ForegroundLockTimeout

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

This reg key is apparently no longer working.  Focus stealing is a major problem, from canceling/oking window that pop-up, to getting virus's from IE windows.  Applications are still written to do this, including MS Office 2007.  If you are typing an email something can pop up and get the next key stroke.  I need to fix this.  Any ideas, or has Windows completely removed a needed feature.

tags: steal focus apps active regedit

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Apps

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Anonymous
2011-10-23T11:13:03+00:00

I solved the problem in this way:

I noticed that just before the focus was "stolen", the PC got "busy" for a second (beside the mouse appeared the small circle indicating the processor is working hard on sth).

So I started the Task Manager and gave a close look at the processes. I noticed that one process took over a relevat percentage of CPU usage exactly an instant before the focus was stolen from the task manager window.

Since it was a process that I don't need to be active all the time (sth about Vodafone Mobile connection, which I rarely use) I just stopped the process and then didn't allow the process to be started every time I turn on the PC. I did this last step using Piriform's free software  "CCleaner", but I'm sure you can find different tools for this...

This was enough to fix it ...

Hope this helped!

Bye!

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-02-05T01:08:29+00:00

    This is simply not correct.  I'm running Windows 7 Professional and both IE and Windows Live Mail regularly steal focus from each other while I'm typing.  It seems they've disabled the regkey so that it has no effect, but they didn't atually fix the problem. 

    As an example, if I'm typing an email in WLM and there's a page loading in IE in the background (or even auto-refreshing as some websites do) it will steal focus once it's completed loading. 

    In fact, another example happened just as I was typing this!  I was running FAVC (the video convertor software) in the background as I was typing this in IE, and FAVC just took focus while I was mid-sentence.

    The most infuriating part is when a dialog box steal focus and you select a button without even realising what the box said. 

    Fifteen years since Win 95 and we still have this.  Fix it FFS!!!

    P.S. The old regkey fix never worked consistently in XP either.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-01-27T18:07:26+00:00

    I've had this happen on occasion on my work computer.  I've noticed when it happens, that I'm also unable to click even within Outlook (usually it's either frozen, or lagging because of a network delay or something).  I'm assuming that when it's not responding like this, it's also unable to respond to the DWM requests to put itself in the back of the stack -- although I'm at a total loss to explain why the heck another window wouldn't be able to show up on top of it.  So all I can really confirm is that I've had this happen as well, and don't know why.

    Does this sound like what you have occur as well, or does your Outlook remain fully functioning (able to select toolbar items, open messages, etc) when "forced on top" behavior is occuring?

    If this solves your issue, click the 'Propose as Answer' link below, and vote as helpful by clicking the green triangle to the lelft. Thanks!

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-01-27T17:54:31+00:00

    My problem is that on occcasion, when Outlook 2010 is running in Win 7 Professional, and it is maximized, I cann swtich to another program. I try to put the mouse over the (running) program on the taskbar and click on it, or ALT + TAB to the program, no matter, the program appear on screen and is immediately replace by Outlook. Even if I try to compose an email in Outlook, the new window opens up, but the main Outlook window replaces it. My only option is to minimize the Outlook main window and click on the desired program.

    Strangely enough, if I close and reopen Outlook, this behavior does not resume.

    Windows 7 Professional RTM 2 GB memory 160 HD Networked (wired and wireless)Gateway Laptop Epson Artisan 810 All-in One Printer - Wiried and WiFi Verizon FIOS Internet Connection Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 Windows phone Windows 6.5

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