Flashing orange taskbar buttons -- driving me nuts!

[Neil Harrington]

I've had this problem for over a month now and it's driving me crazy. I've
tried everything I can think of, or that someone else suggested, and have
gotten nowhere. Here's the problem:

1. When I have more than one window open, clicking on a taskbar button
doesn't bring that window to the front -- it just turns the button orange
and flashing. Usually THREE clicks on the taskbar button will bring the
window to the front, but not always. Sometimes I have to move other windows
out of the way and click on the window I want, and sometimes even that
doesn't bring it to the front. I understand this flashing orange has
something to do with "focus," or a program trying to get the system's
attention, or something like that.

2. The system is a homebuilt with Windows XP Home SP 2, 512 MB system
memory, with automatic updating turned on. I am using my ISP-supplied McAfee
security suite, and have been for about two months. At some point I started
using Yahoo! toolbar, and shortly after that this problem started. So I
uninstalled the Yahoo! toolbar but that made no difference.

3. When I first put the system together, it put two user icons on the
beginning screen, "Owner" and my name, both administrator. I have no idea
why, haven't seen that on my previous WinXP computers.. I used it that way
for quite a while, finally deleted the "Owner" account. It was not long
after that that I began having this problem for the first time, which makes
me wonder if that might have had something to do with it.

I have never seen this problem with any previous WinXP computer.

Can someone help me?

Neil

 

[Sharon F]

I've had this problem for over a month now and it's driving me crazy. I've
tried everything I can think of, or that someone else suggested, and have
gotten nowhere. Here's the problem:

1. When I have more than one window open, clicking on a taskbar button
doesn't bring that window to the front -- it just turns the button orange
and flashing. Usually THREE clicks on the taskbar button will bring the
window to the front, but not always. Sometimes I have to move other windows
out of the way and click on the window I want, and sometimes even that
doesn't bring it to the front. I understand this flashing orange has
something to do with "focus," or a program trying to get the system's
attention, or something like that.

2. The system is a homebuilt with Windows XP Home SP 2, 512 MB system
memory, with automatic updating turned on. I am using my ISP-supplied McAfee
security suite, and have been for about two months. At some point I started
using Yahoo! toolbar, and shortly after that this problem started. So I
uninstalled the Yahoo! toolbar but that made no difference.

3. When I first put the system together, it put two user icons on the
beginning screen, "Owner" and my name, both administrator. I have no idea
why, haven't seen that on my previous WinXP computers.. I used it that way
for quite a while, finally deleted the "Owner" account. It was not long
after that that I began having this problem for the first time, which makes
me wonder if that might have had something to do with it.

I have never seen this problem with any previous WinXP computer.

Can someone help me?

Neil

Remember that the taskbar is a hybrid type of window. While a single click
on a taskbar button should bring a window to the forefront, sometimes a
click on the taskbar itself is helpful to direct focus back to it (choose a
blank area). You could wait for a taskbar button's tooltip to appear before
clicking a button but it's usually quicker to shift the focus by clicking
the taskbar itself. Then click on the button for the window that you want
to view.

Right now, you're clicking once to bring up a program but that's actually
getting the focus to the taskbar. Due to focus and timing, it sounds like
your second click is minimizing the window (it shouldn't but suspect that's
why it doesn't show up) and the third is finally bringing it into view.

An alternative to clicking taskbar first: Use Alt+Tab to bring up a "bar"
of open windows. While still holding Alt, press Tab repeatedly to cycle
through the open windows. Stop on the window that you want to view and
release the keys. The selected window will appear.

 

[thecreator]

Hi Neil,

Nope, it has something to do with a Web-page that opened up, that you never looked at. Once you go to that Web-page, it ceases blinking Orange. If the Internet Explorer Web-pages are piled up on the Taskbar, just left-click on the stack, and it will list the Web-pages vertically, then all you need do, is to click on the Web-page you want to visit.

Also you may want to visit this Web-site: http://www.tune-up.com/ The program is called TuneUp Utilities 2006. The free Trial Version is a full-function program good for 30 days of use.

It should fix your problem and then some.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Get TweakUI and check: Prevent applications from stealing focus, then set
the Flash taskbar button 1 times.

Or change the ForegroundLockTimeout and ForegroundFlashCount settings in
your registry.

TweakUI
[+] General
Focus

Focus
[[Enables to user to "prevent applications from stealing focus" from the
window you are working in. Instead, their taskbar icon will flash to
indicate that the application is trying to get your attention.]]

[[When an application needs your attention-or when it simply wants to annoy
you-it steals the focus from the application in which you're currently
working. This leads to frustration as you flip back and forth between
windows. The settings in the Focus category prevent that scenario by causing
applications to flash their taskbar buttons to get your attention rather
than stealing focus from the application in the foreground.]]
----

Download TweakUI here >>>

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Tweak UI
TweakUI.exe
-----

Tweak UI for Windows XP Guide
http://www.winxpsolution.com/Tweakuixppro.aspx
----

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Value Name: ForegroundFlashCount
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 thru X
0 = taskbar button flashes until you click it
1 thru X = flashes the number of times for value set

Value Name: ForegroundLockTimeout
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 00030d40
The default value is 0x00030D40 (200000)
This value is the time in milliseconds before Windows XP allows an
application to steal the focus from the foreground application. To convert
200000 to seconds, divide it by 1000 (200 seconds).

New program window appears behind all other open windows on a Windows
2000-based, Windows XP-based, or Windows Server 2003-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=886217

ForegroundLockTimeout
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/55200.mspx

ForegroundFlashCount
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/55199.mspx


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Neil Harrington]

Remember that the taskbar is a hybrid type of window. While a single click
on a taskbar button should bring a window to the forefront, sometimes a
click on the taskbar itself is helpful to direct focus back to it (choose
a
blank area). You could wait for a taskbar button's tooltip to appear
before
clicking a button but it's usually quicker to shift the focus by clicking
the taskbar itself. Then click on the button for the window that you want
to view.

Sharon, thanks for the tip.

I'm actually embarrassed to say this, but right now I have eight windows
open, eight buttons on the taskbar and *none* of them have turned orange or
flashing. I have no idea why. It's been a pesky daily problem, and now it
doesn't appear at all. Like a toothache disappearing in the dentist's
office.

But I'm taking note of your suggestions and will try them all next time it
happens.

Right now, you're clicking once to bring up a program but that's actually
getting the focus to the taskbar. Due to focus and timing, it sounds like
your second click is minimizing the window (it shouldn't but suspect
that's
why it doesn't show up) and the third is finally bringing it into view.

Hmmm. I did notice some change where I could see the edge of the window I
wanted to bring to the front, on the second click. It may indeed have been
minimizing -- I could only see that it changed in some way, disappeared I
think which supports what you're suggesting.

An alternative to clicking taskbar first: Use Alt+Tab to bring up a "bar"
of open windows. While still holding Alt, press Tab repeatedly to cycle
through the open windows. Stop on the window that you want to view and
release the keys. The selected window will appear.

That's a good idea and it should have occurred to me. I knew about Alt+Tab
but just never thought of it.


Thanks again for the help,

Neil

 

[Neil Harrington]

I'm not sure what you mean by "left-click on the stack." What stack?

This doesn't necessarily happen when there are too many buttons on the
taskbar, if that's what you mean. I can have only two or three windows open
and I still get any of the buttons turning orange and flashing when I click
on it. In fact I've had it happen when there's only *one* button and one
window, that one button turns orange and flashes. Right now it's not
happening at all, with eight buttons on the taskbar. (Go figure.)

Neil


Hi Neil,

Nope, it has something to do with a Web-page that opened up, that you
never looked at. Once you go to that Web-page, it ceases blinking Orange. If
the Internet Explorer Web-pages are piled up on the Taskbar, just left-click
on the stack, and it will list the Web-pages vertically, then all you need
do, is to click on the Web-page you want to visit.

Also you may want to visit this Web-site: http://www.tune-up.com/ The
program is called TuneUp Utilities 2006. The free Trial Version is a
full-function program good for 30 days of use.

It should fix your problem and then some.

 

[Neil Harrington]

Get TweakUI and check: Prevent applications from stealing focus, then set
the Flash taskbar button 1 times.

Okay, I've done that. Right now I'm not having the problem at all. I already
had tried TweakUI on someone else's suggestion and checked Prevent
applications from stealing focus, but that didn't help. Now I've set the
Flash taskbar button 1 time as you suggest, but the problem had disappeared
anyway before I did that. (Maddening when it's not repeatable!)

Or change the ForegroundLockTimeout and ForegroundFlashCount settings in
your registry.

TweakUI
[+] General
Focus

Focus
[[Enables to user to "prevent applications from stealing focus" from the
window you are working in. Instead, their taskbar icon will flash to
indicate that the application is trying to get your attention.]]

[[When an application needs your attention-or when it simply wants to
annoy
you-it steals the focus from the application in which you're currently
working. This leads to frustration as you flip back and forth between
windows. The settings in the Focus category prevent that scenario by
causing
applications to flash their taskbar buttons to get your attention rather
than stealing focus from the application in the foreground.]]

Those descriptions don't really sound like the problem I'm (or I was)
having. I'd be trying to *get* an application to come into the foreground by
clicking on the button, and the button would just turn orange and start
flashing. When this happened it would happen with every button I clicked. I
could have a whole taskbar full of flashing orange buttons.

----

Download TweakUI here >>>

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Tweak UI
TweakUI.exe

I'd already gotten and installed Tweak UI, but thanks for the link to the
guide. It still doesn't seem to me that the "focus" thing is my problem. The
item on Focus reads:

"Enables to user to “prevent applications from stealing focus” from the
window you are working in. Instead, their taskbar icon will flash to
indicate that the application is trying to get your attention. This is a
per-user setting."

But my problem isn't that some application is trying to get *my* attention,
it's that I can't bring *it* to the foreground by clicking on the button --
except by clicking it three times, and sometimes not even then.

----

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Value Name: ForegroundFlashCount
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 thru X
0 = taskbar button flashes until you click it
1 thru X = flashes the number of times for value set

Value Name: ForegroundLockTimeout
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 00030d40
The default value is 0x00030D40 (200000)
This value is the time in milliseconds before Windows XP allows an
application to steal the focus from the foreground application. To
convert
200000 to seconds, divide it by 1000 (200 seconds).

New program window appears behind all other open windows on a Windows
2000-based, Windows XP-based, or Windows Server 2003-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=886217

Now *that* looks like my problem! Thanks!

ForegroundLockTimeout
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/55200.mspx

ForegroundFlashCount
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/55199.mspx

I will. I've saved those links and will explore those solutions the next
time it happens, and post the results. (I can't believe I've gone through
this session *without* the orange flashing buttons, as I've been getting
that every time I was on the Internet. Oh well.)

Thanks again.

Neil

 

[Neil Harrington]

Well, the problem does appear to be gone! Didn't happen at all yesterday,
and not so far this morning either. The only actual change I made was in
Tweak UI, setting the Flash taskbar button to 1 (it had been 2), since
Prevent applications from stealing focus was already checked (I may have
done that some time ago).

I *think* the problem was gone even before I made this change, have no idea
why. It was an intermittent thing anyway, but more correct to say the
problem intermittently wasn't there, since it seemed to be there about 90%
of the time.

Incidentally, that Microsoft page on this problem,
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=886217 , says to *clear* the Prevent
applications from stealing focus check box, not check it. So if the problem
recurs I'll try that, but at present it seems to be fixed with that box
checked. I've printed out that page and it will be useful if this ever does
start up again.

Thanks very much to Wesley and the others who replied.

Neil

Get TweakUI and check: Prevent applications from stealing focus, then set
the Flash taskbar button 1 times.

Or change the ForegroundLockTimeout and ForegroundFlashCount settings in
your registry.

TweakUI
[+] General
Focus

Focus
[[Enables to user to "prevent applications from stealing focus" from the
window you are working in. Instead, their taskbar icon will flash to
indicate that the application is trying to get your attention.]]

[[When an application needs your attention-or when it simply wants to
annoy
you-it steals the focus from the application in which you're currently
working. This leads to frustration as you flip back and forth between
windows. The settings in the Focus category prevent that scenario by
causing
applications to flash their taskbar buttons to get your attention rather
than stealing focus from the application in the foreground.]]
----

Download TweakUI here >>>

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Tweak UI
TweakUI.exe
-----

Tweak UI for Windows XP Guide
http://www.winxpsolution.com/Tweakuixppro.aspx
----

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Value Name: ForegroundFlashCount
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 thru X
0 = taskbar button flashes until you click it
1 thru X = flashes the number of times for value set

Value Name: ForegroundLockTimeout
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 00030d40
The default value is 0x00030D40 (200000)
This value is the time in milliseconds before Windows XP allows an
application to steal the focus from the foreground application. To
convert
200000 to seconds, divide it by 1000 (200 seconds).

New program window appears behind all other open windows on a Windows
2000-based, Windows XP-based, or Windows Server 2003-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=886217

ForegroundLockTimeout
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/55200.mspx

ForegroundFlashCount
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/55199.mspx


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

I've had this problem for over a month now and it's driving me crazy.
I've
tried everything I can think of, or that someone else suggested, and have
gotten nowhere. Here's the problem:

1. When I have more than one window open, clicking on a taskbar button
doesn't bring that window to the front -- it just turns the button orange
and flashing. Usually THREE clicks on the taskbar button will bring the
window to the front, but not always. Sometimes I have to move other
windows out of the way and click on the window I want, and sometimes even
that doesn't bring it to the front. I understand this flashing orange has
something to do with "focus," or a program trying to get the system's
attention, or something like that.

2. The system is a homebuilt with Windows XP Home SP 2, 512 MB system
memory, with automatic updating turned on. I am using my ISP-supplied
McAfee security suite, and have been for about two months. At some point
I started using Yahoo! toolbar, and shortly after that this problem
started. So I uninstalled the Yahoo! toolbar but that made no difference.

3. When I first put the system together, it put two user icons on the
beginning screen, "Owner" and my name, both administrator. I have no idea
why, haven't seen that on my previous WinXP computers.. I used it that
way
for quite a while, finally deleted the "Owner" account. It was not long
after that that I began having this problem for the first time, which
makes me wonder if that might have had something to do with it.

I have never seen this problem with any previous WinXP computer.

Can someone help me?

Neil

 

[Wesley Vogel]

It seems that there is no real fix for applications stealing focus, TweakUI
or not, but Flash taskbar button 1 times is LESS irritating than more than 1
times.

Mine flash blue.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Well, the problem does appear to be gone! Didn't happen at all yesterday,
and not so far this morning either. The only actual change I made was in
Tweak UI, setting the Flash taskbar button to 1 (it had been 2), since
Prevent applications from stealing focus was already checked (I may have
done that some time ago).

I *think* the problem was gone even before I made this change, have no
idea why. It was an intermittent thing anyway, but more correct to say the
problem intermittently wasn't there, since it seemed to be there about 90%
of the time.

Incidentally, that Microsoft page on this problem,
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=886217 , says to *clear* the Prevent
applications from stealing focus check box, not check it. So if the
problem recurs I'll try that, but at present it seems to be fixed with
that box checked. I've printed out that page and it will be useful if
this ever does start up again.

Thanks very much to Wesley and the others who replied.

Neil

Get TweakUI and check: Prevent applications from stealing focus, then set
the Flash taskbar button 1 times.

Or change the ForegroundLockTimeout and ForegroundFlashCount settings in
your registry.

TweakUI
[+] General
Focus

Focus
[[Enables to user to "prevent applications from stealing focus" from the
window you are working in. Instead, their taskbar icon will flash to
indicate that the application is trying to get your attention.]]

[[When an application needs your attention-or when it simply wants to
annoy
you-it steals the focus from the application in which you're currently
working. This leads to frustration as you flip back and forth between
windows. The settings in the Focus category prevent that scenario by
causing
applications to flash their taskbar buttons to get your attention rather
than stealing focus from the application in the foreground.]]
----

Download TweakUI here >>>

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Tweak UI
TweakUI.exe
-----

Tweak UI for Windows XP Guide
http://www.winxpsolution.com/Tweakuixppro.aspx
----

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Value Name: ForegroundFlashCount
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 thru X
0 = taskbar button flashes until you click it
1 thru X = flashes the number of times for value set

Value Name: ForegroundLockTimeout
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 00030d40
The default value is 0x00030D40 (200000)
This value is the time in milliseconds before Windows XP allows an
application to steal the focus from the foreground application. To
convert
200000 to seconds, divide it by 1000 (200 seconds).

New program window appears behind all other open windows on a Windows
2000-based, Windows XP-based, or Windows Server 2003-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=886217

ForegroundLockTimeout
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/55200.mspx

ForegroundFlashCount
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/55199.mspx


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

I've had this problem for over a month now and it's driving me crazy.
I've
tried everything I can think of, or that someone else suggested, and
have gotten nowhere. Here's the problem:

1. When I have more than one window open, clicking on a taskbar button
doesn't bring that window to the front -- it just turns the button
orange and flashing. Usually THREE clicks on the taskbar button will
bring the window to the front, but not always. Sometimes I have to move
other windows out of the way and click on the window I want, and
sometimes even that doesn't bring it to the front. I understand this
flashing orange has something to do with "focus," or a program trying
to get the system's attention, or something like that.

2. The system is a homebuilt with Windows XP Home SP 2, 512 MB system
memory, with automatic updating turned on. I am using my ISP-supplied
McAfee security suite, and have been for about two months. At some point
I started using Yahoo! toolbar, and shortly after that this problem
started. So I uninstalled the Yahoo! toolbar but that made no
difference.

3. When I first put the system together, it put two user icons on the
beginning screen, "Owner" and my name, both administrator. I have no
idea why, haven't seen that on my previous WinXP computers.. I used it
that way
for quite a while, finally deleted the "Owner" account. It was not long
after that that I began having this problem for the first time, which
makes me wonder if that might have had something to do with it.

I have never seen this problem with any previous WinXP computer.

Can someone help me?

Neil