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
    2023-03-14T10:21:36+00:00

    Same problem.

    HP ZBook 15u G6

    Windows 11 Pro (22H2 - Os Build 22621.1344)

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-03-15T06:11:29+00:00

    Wonder if you guys are using any 3rd party window ui mods like Rainmeter and RoundedTB?

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-03-15T06:21:11+00:00

    Wonder if you guys are using any 3rd party window ui mods like Rainmeter and RoundedTB?

    No, absolutely nothing since our company's IT refuse the installation of such tools. I suppose the problem has something to do with the introduction of the tabbed Explorer windows, since I never witnessed this issue before the latest W11 feature update.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-03-15T08:27:01+00:00

    Wonder if you guys are using any 3rd party window ui mods like Rainmeter and RoundedTB?

    No, absolutely nothing since our company's IT refuse the installation of such tools. I suppose the problem has something to do with the introduction of the tabbed Explorer Windows, since I never witnessed this issue before the latest W11 feature update.

    Same here - absolutely no 3rd party window UI mods, due to company's IT security policy. I am a local administrator on my device but the devices are regularly scanned for approved software. Same is true for my personal machine - I generally leave Windows alone because I find myself reinstalling it fairly regularly and I don't spend a huge amount of time worrying about what it looks like.

    Yes, Tabbed Explorer Windows could be related. I feel they are poorly implemented - for example, they do not have some of the expected tabbed behaviour we've come to enjoy in browsers such as Edge. I suspect we'll see these improved over time.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-03-15T08:56:21+00:00

    Wonder if you guys are using any 3rd party window ui mods like Rainmeter and RoundedTB?

    I have seen this issue appear on completely clean windows installs, virtual and non virtual. In some cases, while i am setting up an computer for a worker from an completely new installed and clean system the window goes to the front while i am in the process of setting up the computer.

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