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
    2023-05-24T07:29:20+00:00

    you can add gpedit to Windows home so yes I guess gp is still lurking there somewhere

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-05-23T16:24:35+00:00

    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 windows explorer
    2. Open Windows Explorer
    3. Background Windows Explorer, but do not minimize, by selecting any other window (including your command window)
    4. Run the command "gpupdate /force"

    I tried it again, but on my system it does not cause the Explorer window to pop into the foreground.

    For what it's worth, with all this talk about the Group Policy I tried to open the Group Policy Editor by following these steps:

    To open the Local Group Policy Editor via Task Manager:

    • Right-click the Start icon to open the Power User menu.
    • Select Task Manager from the list.
    • Click the Run new task button at the top.
    • Type gpedit. msc in the search box and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

    Results in an error:

    [Window Title]

    gpedit.

    [Content]

    Windows cannot find 'gpedit.'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again.

    [OK]

    Windows "Home" does not include gpedit.msc (or "local/group policy"), but I assume there is some sort of policy happening in the background.

    It is interesting to note that you cannot reproduce this consistently with gpupdate /force on Windows "Home."

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-05-23T16:07:06+00:00

    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 windows explorer
    2. Open Windows Explorer
    3. Background Windows Explorer, but do not minimize, by selecting any other window (including your command window)
    4. Run the command "gpupdate /force"

    I tried it again, but on my system it does not cause the Explorer window to pop into the foreground.

    For what it's worth, with all this talk about the Group Policy I tried to open the Group Policy Editor by following these steps:

    To open the Local Group Policy Editor via Task Manager:

    • Right-click the Start icon to open the Power User menu.
    • Select Task Manager from the list.
    • Click the Run new task button at the top.
    • Type gpedit. msc in the search box and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

    Results in an error:

    [Window Title]

    gpedit.

    [Content]

    Windows cannot find 'gpedit.'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again.

    [OK]

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-05-23T15:48:15+00:00

    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.

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