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
    2024-09-27T06:24:22+00:00

    I have the same issue with my two computers both running on AMD cpu's and one on GeForce 4090 gpu and the other on AMD 6900XT gpu, both have the same issue of tabbing me out to windows caused by this issue, explorer.exe is the only thing taking focus when i play games and it keeps randomly tab me out to Windows, it's so anoying! And to think that Microsoft can't fix this is unbelievable :(

    Hello, which windows version are you running? You can find this version by running winver in run dialog (Win+R) or the start menu.

    Are you able to reproduce this issue by opening an new windows explorer window, bring something else into the foreground without interacting with the explorer window then run the command gpupdate /force in CMD?

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-09-27T11:29:02+00:00

    I have the same issue with my two computers both running on AMD cpu's and one on GeForce 4090 gpu and the other on AMD 6900XT gpu, both have the same issue of tabbing me out to windows caused by this issue, explorer.exe is the only thing taking focus when i play games and it keeps randomly tab me out to Windows, it's so anoying! And to think that Microsoft can't fix this is unbelievable :(

    Hello, which windows version are you running? You can find this version by running winver in run dialog (Win+R) or the start menu.

    Are you able to reproduce this issue by opening an new windows explorer window, bring something else into the foreground without interacting with the explorer window then run the command gpupdate /force in CMD?

    I can only check one of my computers right now, the older one and it runs on: OS-version 22631.4169

    Did not understand the last steps you described, i am Swedish sorry :) Should i open another explorer.exe and see if that helps?

    I have used FocusTrigger and the only thing taking focus besides the game I play is explorer.exe

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-09-27T12:54:58+00:00

    Does this issue happens only in games that runs in full screen? Do you know if you have Home or Pro version of Win11? What happens when you follow the steps below?

    1: Open up a new explorer.exe window and don't do anything with it.

    2: Click on an another window that is not an explorer.exe window.

    3: Drag the non explorer.exe window over explorer.exe so it is hidden.

    4: Open up the run dialog (Win+R).

    5: Enter CMD in the run dialog and press enter.

    6: In the CMD (Command Prompt) window, write gpupdate /force.

    7: Observe if the explorer.exe window from step 1 goes to the front or not.

    The previous issue in this thread was that whenever Win11 ran an group policy update it will put an explorer.exe window to the front and put it into focus. The steps above is how you can easily re-produce it on a Win11 Pro or business/enterprise system. This issue should have been resolved in a previous update, but worth a shot to see if it still happens with the steps above.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-11-12T05:39:49+00:00

    Yaklaşık bir ay önce Windows Explorer, en son açılan penceresini rutin olarak ön plana taşıma gibi can sıkıcı bir alışkanlığa başladı. Bunu yapmasını engellemenin bir yolu var mı?

    Örneğin, bir dosyayı başka bir uygulamada açmak için bir Explorer penceresi açacağım ve birkaç dakika sonra, görünürde hiçbir sebep yokken, Windows Explorer Explorer penceresini ön plana getirerek uygulamayı kesintiye uğratacak. Bir video izlerken de aynı şey olacak: Videoyu izlemeye başladıktan bir veya iki dakika sonra en son açılan Explorer penceresi ön plana geçerek videoyu kesintiye uğratacak.

    Bu davranışı durdurmanın tek yolu, bir video izlerken veya başka bir uygulamada çalışırken tüm Explorer pencerelerini kapatmaktır. Çok can sıkıcı. Herhangi bir öneriniz var mı? Teşekkürler.

    Microsoft Windows 11 Home Sürüm 10.0.22621 Yapı 22621

    you can look an suspicus program starter on task sechulder,edited: like this i try the closing this program now

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-11-12T08:27:55+00:00

    I suspect they've almost cured it - (or at least hidden it) - its been fine for months then in October 2024 it happened again a few times then stopped ... seems to be behaving itself again now - there have been a few updates recently so I guess one broke it followed by another that fixed it

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