Windows 11--most recently opened Explorer window keeps popping up into the foreground

You can force the process in a CMD with "gpupdate /force".
GPO will be triggered any 90 minutes.

So, if the GPO is the issue, this should also happen if you force them.

I can not confirm, that this issue is in touch with the GPO sync, since I do have this once a day or less, while others do have this more often, but none of them once with any GPO run...

Okay, this issue is now reproducible via the following steps:

1. EDIT: First, ensure there are no Explorer windows open.
2. Open Explorer - leave it open and do not minimise it.
3. Open a CMD/Terminal window.
4. Type the following and press return: gpupdate /force

Expected: Group Policy updates and nothing else happens.

Actual: The terminal read-out shows "Updating policy..." and then the Explorer window pops over the top of the terminal window.

As such, I agree this seems to relate to GP updates.

Well spotted!

The only thing I could mention, that is similar to anybody in my env is, that anybody has Trellix (McAfee) products installed and that anybody runs Microsoft Teams.

I am running MS Teams at work, but not on my Home PC (seen the issue on both). No McAfee.

So, i tried gpupdate /force and the explorer window immediately popped into the foreground on the first run. Any consecutive runs did nothing. So i am now even more sure that group policies is the culprit, but this could also just be good timing too. Gonna try a few times to check if i can make this even more reproducible.

I followed this procedure, but could not reproduce the results; the File Explorer window did not pop into the foreground. Terminal window reported the following:

C:\Users\xxx>gpupdate /force

Updating policy...

Computer Policy update has completed successfully.

User Policy update has completed successfully.

The only event I see that maybe corresponds to the Explorer window popping up is when my desktop wallpaper changes (it changes images every 10 minutes), though the Explorer pop-ups are much more frequent than that.

I'm heartened by the activity on this thread. While the technical details are above my paygrade, it gives me a smidgeon of hope. :)

Microsoft Windows 11 Home 10.0.22621 Build 22621

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16-core, 32-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor

MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk WIFI Motherboard

Samsung 970 PRO SSD 1TB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive

Samsung 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 Internal Solid State Drive

G.Skill RipJaws V Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) 288-Pin SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4-28800)

ZOTAC GeForce 8GB RTX 3060 Ti v531.68

Excellent work everybody - including Michael and all - regarding the group policy thing.

Earlier on, when I was executing the "gupdate /force" in command window, I reported that I wasn't getting the windows explorer window to come to the foreground.

I now have a repeatable procedure to get that windows explorer window (or windows to pop up).

First, I have to CLOSE (get rid of) all EXISTING windows explorer windows. So absolutely NO explorer windows running at all.

Once every single explorer window is removed (closed) - ie. no windows explorer windows in the background at all, I then start up an explorer window (fresh one). It is only then - a "gpupdate /force" will consistently bring the explorer window to the foreground.

Excellent work everybody. You have nailed it.

After reading through the posts above, I can now see that Diplocaulus mentioned that it's necessary to have all explorer windows gone to begin with. As I was interested to see if I could get the gupdate /force thing to work, I decided to try the 'clean slate' thing. Confirming that the procedure posted by Diplocaulus definitely allows the pop-up to occur on my laptop here.

As others have noted...

I am able to reproduce always, with gpupdate /force with the following caveats:

• The same instance of Explorer window will only steal foreground/focus once, and not again, during subsequent gpupdate /force's
• If the Explorer window is ever minimized previously, it does not seem to steal foreground/focus during gpupdate /force

@Diplocaulus, try:

1. Completely closing "File Explorer"
2. Open "File Explorer"
3. *Background "*File Explorer," but do not minimize, by selecting any other window (including your command window)
4. Run the command "gpupdate /force"

You may also notice your desktop icons refreshing when this happens as well.