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
    2023-08-24T06:23:34+00:00

    I've been having the exact same issues. It's so irritating, yet validating, to find out that this isn't just my system. Would be great to have these things addressed rather than being told "try starting from zero."

    An fresh install of Win11 does not help, it is a bug in windows itself and all new installations. Older versions does not have this bug, but it is always recommended to keep your system up to date at all times. Check the next reply on how to disable the cause for this issue.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T06:21:36+00:00

    As an fix you can either minimize or close the windows. After they have popped into the front once, they wont do it again. So if you manage to re-use only your current opens ones then they will not go into the front again.

    I don't like the idea of them making me needing to hoop-jump. But if there happens to be a short-cut key combination that allows me to trigger a script that minimises all existing Explorer windows (background and/or foreground), then that could be fairly easy to execute.

    Although, the network admin would need to probably approve such a script (if one could be created) - so that all machines could be set up with the same key-combination shortcut that runs the approved script (installed into all Win 11 operating systems).

    I do not like this fix either, but it is the closest to an fix i have been able to find without disabling group policy updates, which is an important feature for work computers.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T06:19:08+00:00

    This is a bug when it comes to Win11. The cause is group policy update. It is possible to disable group policy updates, but AFAIK, it is only possible on Win11Pro. If you are using an work computer, do not try to disable it since this feature is important for a work environment.

    If you are going to disable group policy update on a work computer, please speak with your IT team first!

    How to disable group policy update:

    In the group policy editor set the policy Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Group Policy\Turn off background refresh of Group Policy to disabled.

    Alternatively, you can do the registry approach.Location: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

    Key: DisableBkGndGroupPolicy

    Setting: DWORD set to 1

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-08-23T20:45:33+00:00

    I've been having the exact same issues. It's so irritating, yet validating, to find out that this isn't just my system. Would be great to have these things addressed rather than being told "try starting from zero."

    Was this answer helpful?

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-08-23T20:33:09+00:00

    As an fix you can either minimize or close the windows. After they have popped into the front once, they wont do it again. So if you manage to re-use only your current opens ones then they will not go into the front again.

    I don't like the idea of them making me needing to hoop-jump. But if there happens to be a short-cut key combination that allows me to trigger a script that minimises all existing Explorer windows (background and/or foreground), then that could be fairly easy to execute.

    Although, the network admin would need to probably approve such a script (if one could be created) - so that all machines could be set up with the same key-combination shortcut that runs the approved script (installed into all Win 11 operating systems).

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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