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
    2023-03-28T12:09:58+00:00

    Unfortunately, the only workaround I'm aware of is to shut down all instances of Windows Explorer as soon as possible. If you use Windows 11 for professional work, keeping Explorer windows closed is a serious productivity hit, but so is this Explorer pop-up issue.

    I and others have been reporting this issue for over three months now, yet no word from Microsoft acknowledging the issue, much less offering a fix.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-03-28T18:42:48+00:00

    Still the same **** here in Windows 11 Pro 22H2 Build 22621.1413 clean installation!

    It slowly gets very annoying!!

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-03-28T19:33:45+00:00

    Even after a clean install. That's disappointing. I was thinking about running a repair installation but there would be no point if a clean install doesn't fix this.

    Guess we have to wait for the slouching beast, Microsoft, to fix this issue. Sigh...

    I guess just keep posting via MS's Feedback Hub.

    In Settings, go to System & scroll to bottom, select About, scroll to bottom again and punch Give Feedback.

    Select:

    Category - Files, Folders, & Online Storage

    Subcategory - File Explorer

    Then search for: "Sometimes on the latest version of Windows 11, File Explorer will take foreground focus by itself and go on top of the app I was using"

    Then upvote it. You can post there as well...

    It does look like MS is looking into this:

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-03-30T15:21:41+00:00

    I've been getting this explorer annoyance on my home Win 11 PC and wonder if there might also be a link to another problem I have of the screen going black for a few seconds at a random time after booting - like its decided to reinstall the video driver. I was waiting for MS to hopefully fix this sometime soon but my work PC has just done the explorer thing too ...

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-03-30T20:28:35+00:00

    Hi c-duncan,

    I haven't experienced what you're describing and haven't noticed any mention here of the screen going black. That's not to say that there isn't a connection, but these could be distinct issues. Might not hurt to troubleshoot that issue.

    I came across this: Display blanks out for 2 or 3 seconds

    Hope you figure it out!

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