Windows 11--most recently opened Explorer window keeps popping up into the foreground

Anonymous
2023-01-01T17:15:47+00:00

About a month ago Windows Explorer started the annoying habit of routinely moving its most recently opened window into the foreground. Is there a way to stop it from doing this?

For example, I'll open an Explorer window to open a file into another application, and a few minutes later, for no apparent reason, Windows Explorer will interrupt the application by popping its Explorer window into the foreground. The same thing will happen when watching a video: a minute or two into watching the video and the most recently opened Explorer window will move into the foreground interrupting the video.

The only way to stop this behavior is to close all Explorer windows while watching a video or working in another application. Annoying as heck. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Microsoft Windows 11 Home Version 10.0.22621 Build 22621

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-03-28T19:33:45+00:00

    Even after a clean install. That's disappointing. I was thinking about running a repair installation but there would be no point if a clean install doesn't fix this.

    Guess we have to wait for the slouching beast, Microsoft, to fix this issue. Sigh...

    I guess just keep posting via MS's Feedback Hub.

    In Settings, go to System & scroll to bottom, select About, scroll to bottom again and punch Give Feedback.

    Select:

    Category - Files, Folders, & Online Storage

    Subcategory - File Explorer

    Then search for: "Sometimes on the latest version of Windows 11, File Explorer will take foreground focus by itself and go on top of the app I was using"

    Then upvote it. You can post there as well...

    It does look like MS is looking into this:

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-01-17T17:45:55+00:00

    Here's a repro I found - if anyone can try this, please let me know if it also works for you:

    This appears to happen only once after explorer has first started. I can reliably repro this by restarting explorer from task manager (explorer -> end task, then "Run new task" -> "explorer.exe"), opening a new explorer window and moving it to the background, and then using ctrl+c to copy text in any application. That forces the previously opened explorer window to be brought to the foreground with focus.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-01-15T15:34:11+00:00

    I am having the same problem with my Windows 11 Home 22H2, also since the latest Windows software update in December 2022. Would appreciate some help.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-01-15T14:07:15+00:00

    I have had the same problem since December, since a couple of Windows 11 updates (I have Windows 11 Home, version 22H2), not sure which one triggered it, but I can't seem to make it stop. Extremely disruptive and annoying.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-01-05T22:15:21+00:00

    Hi MuNull,

    Interesting that your hardware configuration is similar to mine:

    AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16-core, 32-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor

    MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk WIFI Motherboard

    Samsung 970 PRO SSD 1TB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive

    Samsung 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 Internal Solid State Drive

    G.Skill RipJaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) 288-Pin SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4-28800)

    ZOTAC GeForce 8GB RTX 3060 Ti

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