Stop the system from changing focus to another program

04-09-08, 02:10 AM

As one might expect here, I have windows 98SE.

My email program used to grab the focus of the system sometimes when
new email came in. Lately, it grabs it every time, I think. And
Eudora is on top, when I'm trying to look at something else.

My browser, FireFox2, also grabs the focus when a page is loading. It
can do it 3 times for just one screen, at different stages.

It's driving me crazy.

CAn I turn off the switching of focus to the program that has
retrieved new files, or whatever the rule is here? Can I just turn it
off altogether so that I am the sole decisor of what program is on
top?

Thanks.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

04-09-08, 12:20 PM

Don Phillipson

"mm" <NOPSAMmm2005> wrote in message
news:614u

> My email program used to grab the focus of the system sometimes when
> new email came in. Lately, it grabs it every time, I think. And
> Eudora is on top, when I'm trying to look at something else.
>
> My browser, FireFox2, also grabs the focus when a page is loading. It
> can do it 3 times for just one screen, at different stages.
>
> It's driving me crazy.
>
> CAn I turn off the switching of focus to the program that has
> retrieved new files, or whatever the rule is here? Can I just turn it
> off altogether so that I am the sole decisor of what program is on
> top?

"Focus" is non-standard so we are not quite sure
what you mean. Win98SE is a multitasking OS (can
do several things simultaneously) i.e. has no "focus"
although it recognizes one of several windows as currently
active. Do you mean Firefox or Eudora hangs Windows
or just runs too slowly?

If so we need first to know your housekeeping practice,
e.g. when OS was last updated, whether it is free of
viruses and malware, when Temp. Internet Files and
junk files were last emptied, usage of SCANDISK
and DEFRAG etc., besides PC details (speed, RAM,
available disk space.)

04-09-08, 03:37 PM

Gary S. Terhune

Oh, come on, Don! "Focus" is a well-known computer term. When you have more
than one window open, only one can have "focus". If you type, or use your
mouse on the window, it must have "focus". None of the other windows that
are open have focus. Take two instances of Notepad, for example. When you
type in some words, the window where the typing shows up is window with
focus.

To the OP, no, there is no built in Windows utility that allows you to
control focus. It can be done in the original programming, and I believe
there might even be a third-party app that will help you get the windows
under control, but that's the best I can offer. Haven't you tried this
before? You have dial-up and like to stay ahead of the page you're reading
but this focus problem makes that impossible?

04-09-08, 04:16 PM

dadiOH

mm wrote:
> As one might expect here, I have windows 98SE.
>
> My email program used to grab the focus of the system sometimes when
> new email came in. Lately, it grabs it every time, I think. And
> Eudora is on top, when I'm trying to look at something else.
>
> My browser, FireFox2, also grabs the focus when a page is loading. It
> can do it 3 times for just one screen, at different stages.
>
> It's driving me crazy.
>
> CAn I turn off the switching of focus to the program that has
> retrieved new files, or whatever the rule is here? Can I just turn it
> off altogether so that I am the sole decisor of what program is on
> top?

IIRC, TweakUI (available from Microsoft) has a setting to prevent windows
from stealing focus.

04-11-08, 04:36 PM

Ron Badour

Tweak UI, General Tab, Prevent applications from stealing focus: If
"Prevent applications from stealing focus" is enabled, applications will not
be allowed to steal 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.

Tweak UI is available from:
http://downloads.pcworld.com/pub/new...tweakui133.exe
Right-click the TweakUI .inf file and select install. Should a notice
appear saying a disk is required, click OK and another screen appears. Click
browse, go to the folder containing Tweak and click OK and OK.

04-12-08, 04:08 PM

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:36:12 -0500, "Ron Badour" <Sorry>
wrote:

>Tweak UI, General Tab, Prevent applications from stealing focus: If
>"Prevent applications from stealing focus" is enabled, applications will not
>be allowed to steal 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.

Got it! Gives the choice of flashing 3 times, or until I click on
that window. Came with "Prevent from stealing focus" checked. That
sort of surprises me. I'll have to check what other features change
the status quo.

>Tweak UI is available from:
>[..]
>Right-click the TweakUI .inf file and select install. Should a notice
>appear saying a disk is required, click OK and another screen appears. Click
>browse, go to the folder containing Tweak and click OK and OK.

Yeah, the notice did appear, but like you describe, easy to get past
it. I wonder what use that precaution is. If I've managed to get
that far, surely I have the folder cotaining the tweak files.

Thanks to you dadiOH and all.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

04-12-08, 04:10 PM

On Wed, 9 Apr 2008 07:37:59 -0700, "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote:

>Oh, come on, Don! "Focus" is a well-known computer term. When you have more
>than one window open, only one can have "focus". If you type, or use your
>mouse on the window, it must have "focus". None of the other windows that
>are open have focus. Take two instances of Notepad, for example. When you
>type in some words, the window where the typing shows up is window with
>focus.
>
>To the OP, no, there is no built in Windows utility that allows you to
>control focus. It can be done in the original programming, and I believe
>there might even be a third-party app that will help you get the windows
>under control, but that's the best I can offer. Haven't you tried this
>before? You have dial-up and like to stay ahead of the page you're reading
>but this focus problem makes that impossible?

I did ask about this before on the Eudora group, because Eudora does
it sometimes and sometimes not, and it also plays notes so I know mail
has arrived. Much less reason to change focus even than the
webbrowser, and very annoying. But now I have DSL for the last 4
months, and I don't know if that makes the effect worse, but Eudora
seems worse and Firefox can take the focus 3 times in 15 seconds, for
just one tab. Now it's gotten really annoying.

Thanks for the help.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

04-12-08, 04:11 PM

On Wed, 9 Apr 2008 11:16:47 -0400, "dadiOH" <dadiOH>
wrote:

>
>IIRC, TweakUI (available from Microsoft) has a setting to prevent windows
>from stealing focus.

I used to have Tweakui on another computer, and I may have seen this
feature and thought I didn't want it then. But somehow the problem
has gotten worse. Thanks.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

04-12-08, 06:37 PM

Gary S. Terhune

I use IE and OE and I never seem to have this problem at all.

#10

04-22-08, 12:30 AM

On Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:08:12 -0400, mm <NOPSAMmm2005>
wrote:

>On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:36:12 -0500, "Ron Badour" <Sorry>
>wrote:
>
>>Tweak UI, General Tab, Prevent applications from stealing focus: If
>>"Prevent applications from stealing focus" is enabled, applications will not
>>be allowed to steal 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.
>
>Got it! Gives the choice of flashing 3 times, or until I click on
>that window. Came with "Prevent from stealing focus" checked. That
>sort of surprises me. I'll have to check what other features change
>the status quo.

A little more follow-up. It's working, but it still changes focus a
couple times a day, but not nearly enough to bother me.

I haven't figured out what makes those times special. I turned it
off, saved it, and turned it on again, but it still does it a little.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

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