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
    2011-03-23T14:03:12+00:00

    I just tested this and it does not solve the problem.

    I have to agree with all the other posters, after this many years why can't Microsoft fix a simple issue? Why can we not be given a registry entry to globally enable and disable this feature? This is nothing short of ridiculous.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-03-30T19:01:58+00:00

    I tried

    * ping 127.0.0.1 && notepad

    * switching to google chrome

    * after a few seconds a notepad appears in the superbar

    => no focus stolen!!!

    Same with a notepad already open. Second icon in the superbar.

    Microsoft Windows 7 [Version 6.1.7600] German Home Professional

    My settings in

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

    ForegroundFlashCount 7

    ForegroundLockTimeout 200000

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-03-31T08:01:03+00:00

    Well I can only assume you have some other setting changed as the ones you mention are identical to mine but when I try the same test the focus is grabbed by notepad.

    In real terms you can never have anything running in the background that may require some input as the chances of pressing the wrong key at the wrong time are just too great.

    Windows was built as a single threading, single user system and that is what it remains whilst this anomaly is in place.

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