Hi. I have been having ongoing issues with Outlook for over 6 months, in which Outlook will become locked to the foreground. Outlook has no add-ins enabled, and has been repaired, reinstalled, updated and downgraded many times. The affected OS is a Windows Server 2016, functioning as a terminal server. The affected users have two screens, and occasionally when a window is dragged to the same screen area as Outlook, Outlook will remain the foreground focus and the application being dragged will be "under/behind" the Outlook window. This can also happen when the user is using a single screen. This is not application specific, and even happens with the Outlook "New Email" window if popped-out from the Outlook client. We have gathered numerous ETL logs and event logs and have come up with absolutely nothing. Previously, the only known way to resolve the matter was to close and re-open Outlook. However, strangely enough I have found that opening the options menu and closing it (Not changing any options, hitting either cancel or OK) will also resolve the issue. From the options menu, we have tried with the following settings both enabled and disabled, with no luck on any setting: Hardware Graphics Acceleration Live Preview Use Animations when expanding conversations and groups We have tested the Email auto-configuration XML, and the MS partner support rep I was working with has confirmed that it is all okay. I also provided him with screenshots of the connection status when Outlook is stuck, and we confirmed that all was OK there. Another potential solution that was tried was unlocking and locking the taskbar. Both when the issue occurs and pro-actively. We also recreated one of the users Outlook profile. This did not resolve the issue. The issue is confirmed to not follow the user to other devices. I'm sure there are more solutions that we have tried, that I have simply forgotten about during the length of this ticket. At long last, the technician had advised me that I need to rebuild the affected server. This is not an option for us, as the server is used literally every single day inclusive of weekends, and the customer is entirely dependent on the running of this server. I have now been advised by the technician to log a forum post here. Please let me know if any other information should be required, but I feel this is quite extensive. I do have recordings of the issue, and all ETL + Event logs.

Same problem here. Server 2012R2 RDS (Dutch) with Office 2016 32 bit (Dutch). Not all users have the problem! I see most here with the problem are also Dutch?

We also have a very similar situation for the last few months. Some users reporting Outlook staying on top and others say it constantly stealing focus. Multiple load balanced Windows Server 2016 and 2012R2 Session hosts (Remoteapp) Office 2016 Standard on all Have tried all the “Outlook stealing focus” reg hacks I can find also, repaired Office installation, Created new server user profile and outlook profile etc but still no joy All servers are fully patched including this months (11/19) updates

Same Problem here after about an hour users have to close outlook 2016 and reopen it to fix the isue. the error is outlook open on the right screen doesn't allow a draged excel document (or any kind of program) over outlook from the left screen. (outlook stays on top) sofware versions: Server 2016 rdp (1607 14393.3326) Outlook 2016 32bit (16.0.4927.100) (Dutch version) (no office 365, but office 2016 standard) server hardware is Vmware 6,7 on a proliant dl360 Gen10 with intel Xeon Gold 5118 My first thought was a problem on one of my rdp servers but after investigating other servers where affected to. i will try to reinstall office 2016 standard on one server without updates, and see if it is some kind of update, the problem seems pretty recent.

Outlook "Stuck on top/Foreground". Issue is intermittent, and occurs usually after ~1 hour of use. Can be sooner

Anonymous

Hi.

I have been having ongoing issues with Outlook for over 6 months, in which Outlook will become locked to the foreground.

Outlook has no add-ins enabled, and has been repaired, reinstalled, updated and downgraded many times.

The affected OS is a Windows Server 2016, functioning as a terminal server.

The affected users have two screens, and occasionally when a window is dragged to the same screen area as Outlook, Outlook will remain the foreground focus and the application being dragged will be "under/behind" the Outlook window.

This can also happen when the user is using a single screen.

This is not application specific, and even happens with the Outlook "New Email" window if popped-out from the Outlook client.

We have gathered numerous ETL logs and event logs and have come up with absolutely nothing.

Previously, the only known way to resolve the matter was to close and re-open Outlook.

However, strangely enough I have found that opening the options menu and closing it (Not changing any options, hitting either cancel or OK) will also resolve the issue.

From the options menu, we have tried with the following settings both enabled and disabled, with no luck on any setting:

Hardware Graphics Acceleration
Live Preview
Use Animations when expanding conversations and groups

We have tested the Email auto-configuration XML, and the MS partner support rep I was working with has confirmed that it is all okay.

I also provided him with screenshots of the connection status when Outlook is stuck, and we confirmed that all was OK there.

Another potential solution that was tried was unlocking and locking the taskbar. Both when the issue occurs and pro-actively.

We also recreated one of the users Outlook profile. This did not resolve the issue.

The issue is confirmed to not follow the user to other devices.

I'm sure there are more solutions that we have tried, that I have simply forgotten about during the length of this ticket.

At long last, the technician had advised me that I need to rebuild the affected server. This is not an option for us, as the server is used literally every single day inclusive of weekends, and the customer is entirely dependent on the running of this server.

I have now been advised by the technician to log a forum post here.

Please let me know if any other information should be required, but I feel this is quite extensive.

I do have recordings of the issue, and all ETL + Event logs.

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211 answers

Anonymous

2019-11-26T13:00:12+00:00

Same problem here. Server 2012R2 RDS (Dutch) with Office 2016 32 bit (Dutch).

Not all users have the problem!

I see most here with the problem are also Dutch?
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Anonymous

2019-11-25T15:34:02+00:00

We also have a very similar situation for the last few months.

Some users reporting Outlook staying on top and others say it constantly stealing focus.

Multiple load balanced Windows Server 2016 and 2012R2 Session hosts (Remoteapp)

Office 2016 Standard on all

Have tried all the “Outlook stealing focus” reg hacks I can find also, repaired Office installation, Created new server user profile and outlook profile etc but still no joy

All servers are fully patched including this months (11/19) updates
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Anonymous

2019-11-25T14:55:15+00:00

Same Problem here after about an hour users have to close outlook 2016 and reopen it to fix the isue. the error is outlook open on the right screen doesn't allow a draged excel document (or any kind of program) over outlook from the left screen. (outlook stays on top)

sofware versions:

Server 2016 rdp (1607 14393.3326)

Outlook 2016 32bit (16.0.4927.100) (Dutch version) (no office 365, but office 2016 standard)

server hardware is Vmware 6,7 on a proliant dl360 Gen10 with intel Xeon Gold 5118

My first thought was a problem on one of my rdp servers but after investigating other servers where affected to.

i will try to reinstall office 2016 standard on one server without updates, and see if it is some kind of update, the problem seems pretty recent.
Was this answer helpful?

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