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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
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.
I've been having this issue for ages. Same as everyone else, it's random when exactly it happens but it WILL happen everytime i'm watching anything.
My System is:
AMD 5800x3d
Gigabyte Aorus Pro Wifi iTX mobo
32gb ddr4 3600mhz
Zotac RTX 4090 (was previously MSI 6900xt gaming trio Z - same issue)
2tb 980 pro
512gb PM9A1
1TB 860 evo sata
2tb 860 evo sata
500gb 860 evo sata
2tb seagate hdd
Winver:
22621.2215
This issue is known to not be consistent with Windows 11 Home, but can be reproduced and happens a lot more often on Windows 11 Pro.
Windows 11 Home is not meant for business or enterprise use, so group policies might update at a longer intervals than Win11Pro.
Windows 11 Pro is for professional computer users, business and enterprise usages, so this version runs group policy updates a lot more often.
This issue we are experiencing where the explorer window goes to top and takes focus is due to the computer is checking for group policy updates.
Trying to execute complicated CGI, Photoshop or video editing procedures when a File Explorer window suddenly pulls focus can be disastrous; happens to me several times a day, every day. Maybe Microsoft engineered Windows 11 to be the Annoying Anti-Productivity OS, for reasons unknown.
Totally agree with you Diplo. Just yesterday, I was editing an MS Word document (and has happened before) -- where a string of background explorer windows came up, as I was typing and back-spacing etc. Even though there might be safeguards to prevent particular key combinations (eg. backspace, delete) from activating when those explorer DIRECTORY windows pop-up -- there is always the 'worry' that important directories or files or something could eventually be unknowingly impacted negatively under some unforeseen and unaccounted conditions. Also the fact that it is disruptive when you're working and those windows just pop-up at random. It's unsatisfactory.
Both today and yesterday I worked on a few Excel files and no longer have this problem (I used to on this machine, it went away a couple weeks ago .. and it went away NOT after a Microsoft update ... no clue why).
Edition Windows 11 Home
Version 22H2
Installed on 7/22/2023
OS build 22621.2134
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22659.1000.0
Device name Dell-2023-AIO
Processor 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1355U 1.70 GHz
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.7 GB usable)
Device ID 131CE122-0106-42F5-BD91-40E457B32AD0
Product ID 00342-22176-95797-AAOEM
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch Touch support with 10 touch points
== I jumped over to my other Win 11 machine, used Excel and Microsoft Word for about 10-minutes, kept the Win Explorer window open in the background and it never popped up, here is that machine:
Edition Windows 11 Home
Version 22H2
Installed on 10/01/22
OS build 22621.2134
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22659.1000.0
Device name Dell-2021-all-in-one
Processor 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1165G7 @ 2.80GHz 2.80 GHz
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.6 GB usable)
Device ID 50F858A8-1BCB-4D98-8E5A-39A547072391
Product ID 00325-96772-67585-AAOEM
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch Touch support with 10 touch points
I have had that machine for a while and would have the Win Expl. issue constantly until recently.,
update:
argh.... that 2022 machine just did it. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS
===
I went back to my 2023 machine, used Excel for about 15-minutes with Win Expl. window open in the background, no issue.
summary: no clue ... both have the same Windows definition and OS build, both have Bitdefender running (both updated today and had both machines rebooted this morning). Both machines are similar (Intel i7 but different generations), both have the same DRAM (but the 2023 does have a dedicated graphic card) .... but that would not explain why the 2023 DID have the Win. Explor. issue until recently, so I would not suspect the hardware unless there was a security update to hardware.
that is happened to me as well. I'm editing a file - deleting characters and file explorer pops up and I end up deleting files. Rubbish!!!!!
