Window Focus

[microsvc]

Window focus has been one of my biggest peeves with Vista. From tabs in IE7
to email app, they all want to be the boss and get immediate focus to the
front. I have tried every suggestion I could find to stop this annoyance.
For example, I would be in IE7, then go to open the email app from IE, it
would immediately steal focus, so I'd bring IE back in front, then again the
email app would get in front again.

HELP!

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

So what you are saying is that you don't want the application to take focus
when you launch it? While you can enable the option to prevent applications
from stealing focus using the registry tweak described here:
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_prevent_applications_fr.htm, it
may not be a permanent fix. By design, the application most recently
launched will always be the one in focus as it's assumed that you would want
it to be. Part of the problem stems from programs like web browsers and
plugins that refocus when the page refreshes.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[microsvc]

Rick, I understand about it taking focus when its launched, but I then click
back to the original program, like IE, then it goes back to the focus of the
other program, so I click back to IE, then the other program steals focus
again, and again.

Your link is for XP, but upon examining my registry, that registry key is
already set to 0x00030d40 (200000).

~bob

 

[PBowen]

This has been my biggest Vista irritation as well! You know, the Windows XP
Powertoys had a great feature for that but don't see anything like that for
Vista....What a cryin' shame.

P. Bowen
(e-mail address removed) but here, I'm just another "Roman at the Forum".

 

[Tobias Weber]

By design, the application most recently
launched will always be the one in focus as it's assumed that you would want
it to be.

That assumption only works if applications launch instantly and windows
for all kinds of remote content (web pages, network drives, IMAP
folders, ...) open instantly. As that isn't the case the user will start
off something and continue working until it's ready *and she's finished
the current thought*. A design that pushes into the foreground is broken.