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
    2023-06-27T02:22:11+00:00

    I wonder if they would fix it if someone sued them because the switch to focus in Explorer, revealed HIIPA protected information to a Zoom audience.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-06-26T17:58:15+00:00

    I also have this problem since about one month. Two colleagues of mine have it too.

    It really suprises me how old this thread is. This bug can mess up my stuff pretty bad. That is unacceptable...

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-06-23T13:22:37+00:00

    It's super awesome when this happens during a company wide presentation and Explorer takes over PowerPoint.

    Does anyone at Microsoft care? It's called "Microsoft Windows" and the "Windows" part is literally broken... wow... smh...

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-06-15T07:56:42+00:00

    I been testing one of the latest Windows Insider builds on "Canary Channel", which is flagged as version 23H2. This version does not have the explorer pop up issue when gpupdate is being ran

    23H2 is officially released sometime in October/November this year (2023).

    Thanks! That's better news than we've had so far. Just a few months to wait then. This sounds like progress to me.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-06-02T14:41:51+00:00

    This issue is royally messing with my productivity again this morning. Anybody home, Microsoft??

    Me too. Microsoft should buy me batteries for all the extra mouse movements I do. ... and fund more carpal tunnel surgery

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