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
    2023-07-26T17:03:38+00:00

    Folks, this thread is getting a bit frayed. To get us back on track, here's the summation of the previous 26 pages of posts:

    • The post about downgrading to Windows 7 is a joke (if it's not, I'll eat my hat...not that I wear one). EDIT: Guess I'll be eating my hat. I thought you were joking. 😳
    • The problem is caused by a Group Policy update bug (you can check yourself by opening a CMD windows and typing "gpupdate /force").
    • It looks like 23H2 corrects the issue, but won't be released until this fall.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-07-26T16:46:13+00:00

    While I feel your pain, Going back to Win 7 is an extreme call. Windows 10 doesn't exhibit the issue, so you could go to 10.

    I'm 100% onboard with everyone else though. File explorer randomly coming into focus is a huge risk. So many things could go wrong. Especially if you are gaming and mashing buttons.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-07-26T16:14:24+00:00

    Fixed. I've downgraded to Windows 7.

    Microsoft is not very interested in this kind of defiance, but you are endangering your own PC by missing security updates. If this is so annoying for you, then a suitable act of defiance would be to switch to a Mac or Chromebook.

    Well, which is worse... potential security issues with an old OS that works, or DEFINITE productivity issues (to include during presentations) with the current OS?

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-07-26T15:43:25+00:00

    Well it's not about defiance. It's about having a functioning operating system so people can do their jobs without the risk of accidentally deleting / removing files. This is untenable. Organizations who have bought in to the MS platform don't have the option to switch to Macs. And Chromebook should never be considered a serious option.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-07-26T15:32:27+00:00

    Fixed. I've downgraded to Windows 7.

    Microsoft is not very interested in this kind of defiance, but you are endangering your own PC by missing security updates. If this is so annoying for you, then a suitable act of defiance would be to switch to a Mac or Chromebook.

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