Explorer.exe randomly taking focus - Windows 11

I actually resolved this issue months ago by disabling widgets and the search bar on start bar.

Even internally at Microsoft, they still release products that declare runFullTrust and hence can do anything they want, including activities that are unsupported or that violate Microsoft Store policies. Windows Widgets are included in the Windows Web Experience Pack (package name MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience), and if you look at their package manifest (AppxManifest.xml), you'll see the runFullTrust restricted capability. Windows Search is part of the Windows Feature Experience Pack (package name MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS), and you'll also see its manifest declare runFullTrust.

Windows Phone and Xbox run the strictest editions of Windows where runFullTrust is unnecessary or not even recognized, and once you've seen Windows at its best, you'll want to hold PC editions of Windows to the same standard. I shared my methodology of using S mode auditing to track down uncertified software in hopes of inspiring others to apply the same techniques and hopefully make their own success stories and share other advancements.

Edit (29 November 2023): Here's a tier list for Windows computing safety, highest first, with parenthetical reasoning on why each tier is weaker than its predecessor:

1. Compliance with Microsoft Store policies
2. Windows on Xbox (because not all of the Microsoft Store policies can be enforced programmatically by the system)
3. Windows on Windows Phone (because it's very easy to enable sideloading to bypass Microsoft Store policies, end-user penalties for bad behavior or misuse are insubstantial, and Microsoft lacks business agreements to compel them to stop user / player cheating via running unapproved code in retail)
   [Windows editions in this tier and higher are considered to be trusted platforms --- Windows Defender is absent from these editions.]
4. Windows in S mode on PC (because runFullTrust is selectively allowed)
5. Microsoft Store certification (because exceptions to the Microsoft Store policies can be granted, including publications that are not compatible with S mode)
6. Windows switched out of S mode on PC (because runFullTrust is always allowed, as are the equivalent loose .exe and .msi programs, and there is no recourse if a policy breach is made)
   [This is arbitrary code execution, so ransomware and malware thrive in this environment, and Developer Mode resides here.]

Most people are still in the lowest tier (which is understandable because it was the only option prior to Windows 8 --- it took several engineering whitepapers from the archived Building Windows 8 blog and a few years into Windows 10 before I was finally convinced to advance). My organization (and their Group Policy refresh) is in the lowest tier, too.

It's been several months and a Windows 11 feature update, so the situation is clearly tricker than it seems --- I suspect it involves one or more third-parties, and Microsoft's social media policy probably prevents their staff from disclosing their identity, so we need to figure out who it is ourselves. Hopefully a security researcher can provide a few hints on what WinDbg breakpoints we should set so we can find the caller and the root cause.

Get out of here Xbox ambassador lol.

You obviously haven't a clue. This has been a problem since windows 11 released. On 1000s of PCs that ran windows 10 without a single issue.

It isn't any third party app or download or program taking focus. There is not any single program that all PCs have in common.

Explorer.exe is what takes focus. It will minimise anything you have open be it a game, film, browser etc etc to take you to state at your desktop wallpaper (so get a good one!)

I actually resolved this issue months ago by disabling widgets and the search bar on start bar. However months later after some windows updates the problem is now back. Every single game of league of legends or any steam game etc etc results in a random minimize to desktop, usually within the first 10 minutes of playing. Which in competitive games is just pure annoying.

You should stick to Xbox and pass this onto the PC guys who can actually do something about it

It's easy to blame Windows because the upgrade the most recent perceived change to your system. As users, we need to hold first-party and third-party developers accountable, which is difficult to do when "This program is doing unsupported things, but their customers don't know or care."

The easiest thing we can do is look for applications and installers that adhere to the modern Windows app model (.appx and .msix, not loose .exe or .msi) and don't subvert it with capabilities like runFullTrust, which is disclosed by the phrasing "Uses all system resources" or formerly, "Access all your files, peripheral devices, apps, programs and registry". S mode compatibility is a good start, but not as strong as it ought to be because runFullTrust products are still allowed --- Windows made its success on that legacy app model, so it's difficult to turn it away.

In my case, I used S mode compatibility testing to identify a program (Bonjour) that can do anything it wants (loose .exe is the equivalent of runFullTrust) and was responsible for most of the symptoms. The last known part is in my organization's Group Policy processing, which does things that are not S mode compliant, but the symptoms are now infrequent enough that I'm willing to accept it and move on to more productive endeavors.

I have the same issue. Currently running Windows 11 version 23H2 (OS Build 22631.2506) this issue is not only on this build but every build since the release of Windows 11. It happens "randomly" throughout the day (on average 5-7 times during an 8 hour period)

I've been using Files v3 while Microsoft pretends the problem doesn't exist. Files is free, open source and looks almost exactly like Windows Explorer. And it doesn't have this annoying eternal bug. https://files.community/