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
    2012-02-17T23:44:16+00:00

    It doesn't matter that you can't reproduce the specific instance.  What does matter is that this is happening, and it's a problem. 

    I am an accountant, and this happens too often with the various software that I use.  Just wait until you are in the middle of typing up an e-mail and you hit "cancel" or "OK" inadvertently as you are typing away are 50-60 WPM.  There is no time to respond, only "Ummmm, what did I just select?".

    Bottom line, bad coding,.  M$ can't hold developer's hands and tell them how to write their software, but they can block this behavior by writing the appropriate code of their own and at MINIMUM allowing us access to disable the hook the allows programs to steal focus.

    It's real, it happens, and it is really happening at inopportune times for many of us.

    Please, can we get a change, patch, something?

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-02-18T15:35:44+00:00

    This remains a constant problem. I recently reinstalled Win 7 x64 and it continues to happen.

    This is exasperating and even dangerous (to our data). I sometimes back up gigabytes of files by copying to external hard drives. After running for half an hour sometimes an error or warning pops up while I'm in the middle of typing in another application. Like netjustin says, 'There is no time to respond, only "Ummmm, what did I just select?"'

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-02-19T22:29:16+00:00

    In Windows 7, applications are not supposed to be allowed to steal focus.  The registry setting was removed because it is always assumed to be "0" in the code.  The Windows 7 Engineering Team blogged about this in their "needy applications" blog.

    Yeah well you didn't fix it, I have Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.  This happens all the time.  Usually it's the MICROSOFT Windows Parental controls wanting me to sign in and update.

    Come on guys this is bullshit.

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