Comments on: Applications Stealing Focus on Windows XP

By: Bradley

Bradley — Thu, 20 May 2010 13:51:32 +0000

I don't know if we have the same problem. Here is my issue. I start up applications (internet and Microsoft Office. In order to move from one application to the other and one internet tab to the other I must have Windows Task Manager running and click on each entry before I can access that area. Sometimes I even have to re-initiate Task Manager to get what I want. Once I am active inside the application everything is fine.

Help! This is very frustrating and only started recently. I have been running Windows XP on this laptop for over four years.

By: Windows XP mit P 2 "verssteckt" Fenster | hilpers

Windows XP mit P 2 "verssteckt" Fenster | hilpers — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:17:00 +0000

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By: Pin Windows - Computer Forums

Pin Windows - Computer Forums — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:30:31 +0000

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By: John Sinclair

John Sinclair — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 09:52:35 +0000

Well I’ve got vista now, and there seems to be a huge problem with windows grabbing the focus – its like XP, but back before this I used this setting. And no tweak XP for vista. So I looked up the reg key that it sets, and it IS ALREADY SET! WTF? does this setting no longer work in vista!?

By: Phil

Phil — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:24:01 +0000

Thank you JR.

Before the fix, after starting Windows XP I wanted to get a command prompt and run a few commands. Icons appearing in the System Tray caused the focus to be lost from the Run dialog and the Cmd window about four times, argh!

After the fix, I was able to type away with the keyboard consistently in the Run dialog and the Cmd window without any interruptions. Much, much better.

Why Microsoft does not include this setting as default in Windows XP? I have no idea. I would go to the trouble of writing a paid-for postal letter to Microsoft, but after the Vista debacle - depressingly - I have no faith in Microsoft's ability to respond to consumer feedback.

By: Jerry T.

Jerry T. — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:13:28 +0000

There must be some other registry key that works in conjunction with this one. On my PC I was able to duplicate a user's issue with a pop-up (from a JavaScript alert window) but my Prevent apps from stealing focus was OFF. I turned it on and the pop-up did NOT steal focus from the foreground app.

But, on the user's PC, the pop-up still steals focus. Even had our help desk rebuild the user's PC (reinstalled Windows XP) and verified the TweakUI checkbox was on and the issue still exists for them but I can't dupe it with that registry setting on.

Bizarre.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:39:26 +0000

Arrgh. Replace backslash between control and panel with a space.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:30:50 +0000

^^ It ate the formatting. There should be underscores between HKEY CURRENT and USER.

You could also put this in a bat file and run it every few hours:

reg ADD "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control\Panel\Desktop" /v ForegroundLockTimeout /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00030d40 /f > nul

Place underscores between HKEY CURRENT and USER.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:19:36 +0000

I've noticed that something is undoing the setting as well. You can run this reg file every day or so and it will reset it to the TweakUI value:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] "ForegroundLockTimeout"=dword:00030d40

I put it in the task scheduler and run it every 4 hours.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 22:09:52 +0000

While TweakUIXP may work at the moment. I find that I am losing the setting and have to reset several times a week. Something else is 'unfixing' the setting.

What and Why?

Solution?

By: multineedia » Blog Archive » Applications Stealing Focus on Windows XP

multineedia » Blog Archive » Applications Stealing Focus on Windows XP — Tue, 29 May 2007 17:01:01 +0000

[...] Most useful Windows XP Tip ever. taking the red pill – » Applications Stealing Focus on Windows XP [...]

By: Eric Thompson

Eric Thompson — Wed, 23 May 2007 12:19:03 +0000

I must concur with Dallas: TweakUI may help, but it appears that nothing will stop IE 7 from controlling my desktop.

By: Dallas

Dallas — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:06:14 +0000

I have tried this, but IE 7 still allows certian Windows to pop up & steal away the focus – looks like it’s back to Maxthon for me