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

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-06-28T10:41:04+00:00

    I think Windows 11 is so far doing only yearly feature upgrades (compared to what Windows 10 did a few years back for Semi-Annual upgrades).

    So next one should be 23H2 and no 23H1 :)

    The number 22H2 stands for year 22 second half. 23H1 would mean year 23 first half. 23H2 is year 23 half 2, when the update is released it is then second half of the year, so it is then 23H2.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-06-28T10:33:07+00:00

    I think Windows 11 is so far doing only yearly feature upgrades (compared to what Windows 10 did a few years back for Semi-Annual upgrades).

    So next one should be 23H2 and no 23H1 :)

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-06-28T10:25:39+00:00

    All (win11) computers here are currently on 22H2 - are MS skipping 23H1 and going straight to 23H2 :)

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-06-28T09:28:20+00:00

    Another work around to closing your Explorer Windows is to instead to Minimize that same Explorer Window by clicking the "-" icon.

    I have just tried this method and it does not pop up the explorer window to front:

    - Close all Explorer Windows

    - Open an Explorer Window

    - Minimize the Explorer Window by clicking the "-" top right

    - Open CMD and type: gpupdate /force

    - Explorer does not bring to front and stays minimized.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-06-28T07:46:29+00:00

    Back up the comments a ways, there is a post that will walk you through replicating the process. It is related to a Group Policy update that happens every so often. It is the most common cause amongst the people in here.

    Thanks, James. I haven't sorted through to look for it yet, but is there a solution, or is it just that the reason has been identified and we are all waiting for the solution?

    In short: Newly created explorer windows is affected, if a explorer window already have popped to the front it is then "safe".

    Issue happens on gpupdate, which runs automatically every x minutes (think it was 90, or so), can be executed with command gpupdate /force.

    Even though it is an group policy update issue, it works on AD and non AD computers.

    Current solution: Close all explorer windows you are not using.

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