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
    2023-08-24T07:29:51+00:00

    ... if there happens to be a short-cut key combination that allows me to trigger a script that minimises all existing Explorer windows (background and/or foreground) ...

    There is a shortcut key combination for minimising windows, but I'm not sure it works for this issue. You can use WIN+D to minimise everything and return to the desktop.

    There have been a few new posts recently, so I just wanted to remind any newcomers that we believe we understand when this issue happens - it is not random and seems to be related to group policy updates. It can be reproduced manually by running gpupdate /force from a command prompt (assuming there is an explorer window in the background that hasn't already been affected by the issue or manually minimised). Group policy updates occur on all versions of Windows 11, even Home and PCs not connected to an active directory. In theory, the issue could be solved by Home users, but that doesn't help all us poor sods trying to get work done.

    Lastly, we believe Microsoft has fixed this in a developer edition of Windows, and there is hope that an update will be released to fix it soon. EDIT: But a fix is already frustratingly LATE.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T07:33:33+00:00

    One could probably setup a key binding for this PowerShell script to kill all explorer windows:

    Get-Process | Where {$_.ProcessName -Like 'explorer'} | Stop-Process -Force

    😅

    Seems a bit overkill, but let me know how you get on?!

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T07:40:02+00:00

    This issue can be easily reproduced in Win11Pro only.

    To reproduce:

    Launch a new windows explorer window.

    Put any other programs above the explorer window.

    Open CMD or Powershell.

    Run the command gpupdate /force

    ...

    Profit.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T07:41:07+00:00

    or just R-click explorer and 'close all windows'?

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T07:41:20+00:00

    One could probably setup a key binding for this PowerShell script to kill all explorer windows:

    Get-Process | Where {$_.ProcessName -Like 'explorer'} | Stop-Process -Force

    😅

    Seems a bit overkill, but let me know how you get on?!

    it is an overkill solution... I like it. Going to try it out then, but it will also kill your desktop i am pretty sure.

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