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
    2023-06-27T21:33:52+00:00

    On page 21, user Alan Chambers1 says it is fixed in the 23H2 preview build. But it doesn't release until this fall. Looks as if we're stuck with it until then. :/

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-06-27T21:20:52+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?

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-06-27T21:10:50+00:00

    Diplocaulus

    Like you, when i first tried the GP update File Exp. popped up; but thereafter, it stopped popping into foreground.

    Also like you, i have desktop slideshow set to change every 10 min and have noticed that it, when switching background image, seems to force FE in to the foreground. But It also seems that FE pops up at other times as well (but not certain of this).

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-06-27T20:51:32+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.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-06-27T20:02:39+00:00

    Glad to see you all found the group policy trigger - I came here and read through all of this to see if it had been reported yet. I've been dealing with this across multiple computers on 3 different AD domains for months now and only discovered that cause this morning. 23H2 can't come soon enough.

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