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
    2011-08-16T02:48:06+00:00

    This happens to me, every day when I'm using Visual Studio 2010, which ironically is a Microsoft product.

    Set a breakpoint, debug your app, switch to another app, start typing. When your breakpoint hits, VS steals the focus and the text you were typing gets entered into VS.  This is a major productivity killer.  This is on Win 7, 64 bit. According to the internet, this happens for all versions of windows.

    Windows update also steals my focus.  Come to think of it, the things that steal my focus the most are MS programs and Windows itself.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-08-17T08:55:53+00:00

    This happens to me, every day when I'm using Visual Studio 2010, which ironically is a Microsoft product.

    Set a breakpoint, debug your app, switch to another app, start typing. When your breakpoint hits, VS steals the focus and the text you were typing gets entered into VS.  This is a major productivity killer.  This is on Win 7, 64 bit. According to the internet, this happens for all versions of windows.

    Windows update also steals my focus.  Come to think of it, the things that steal my focus the most are MS programs and Windows itself.

    Pretty much every version of VS since 2003 does this...and you are correct. It is a PITA.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-09-13T15:30:26+00:00

    If I have Aero disabled windows live messenger will steal focus ALL the time. With AERO on it doesn't steal focus.

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