Windows XP - jumping between windows/applications

[Bugsy_malone 666]

Something thats really getting on my nerves at the moment is the fact that when im working on umpteen things at once windows keeps jumping between each task as it finishes.

I have internet explorer 7 and often have 2-3 seperate windows running incase a window crashes and i lose all of my tabs, problem is if i click on one and get a web page loading then go back to looking at another window, soon as the page is loaded it will jump to it, its really getting on my nerves!

Is this a feature I can turn off?

[dandnsmith]

You're talking about the 'focus'.
It's controllable using Firefox, but I've never tried to see what you can do with IE7 (I only use IE if forced to do so by particular web sites eg M'soft)

[Bugsy_malone 666]

Hmmm focus would be one way of describing it, but its not just internet explorer, I get it with applications too like windows live mail (which isnt running in IE its being a seperate application) and sometimes things like photoshop, etc.

[nvingo]

Yes I agree, have "phonetray" which pops up the caller's number when the landline rings, thus missing the last few letters typed into whatever I was working on. The "focus" really should stay with the user's chosen application, not just jump to another which happens to be ready for attention. It's not like in my example it requires any input, it could surely display its alert then disappear quietly, but I think it must be a Windows issue, not the individual apps.

[Bugsy_malone 666]

theres deffo gotta be an option because I'm on my work PC (also windows XP) and it doesnt jump, the thing at the bottom of the screen just flashes orange to tell me something happening.

Just lastnight my PC at home was driving me bananas, must be an option somewhere although I didnt find anything trying to use the the windows 'help'.

[smoggy]

to stay on the same tab when you click a link whilst browsing.
in internet explore select tools/internet options
click on settings where it says, "change how webpages are displayed in tabs"
untick the box, "always switch to new tabs when they are created "

EDIT : I edited and removed this reply as I stated I had misread the post but somehow it has returned unedited (although it showed as edited for some time??)

[RayB]

I've seen this before and agree it was a pain in the arse. I've spent the last half hour looking through XP settings and can't find it - it's possible it might be a "feature" on certain machines - do you have a HP or Packard Bell as it would be on one of those that I came across it?

EDIT: In IE have a look in Tools/Options/Advanced and under the "Accessibility" section, if the "move system caret..." is ticked, then un-tick it and see if that is any better.

[Bugsy_malone 666]

I have found a fix!

spent some time this evening going through every setting i could find on windows and it made no difference.

Then I did a search on google understanding that what i was looking at is called a 'focus'


The fix actually comes in the form of a little tool from microsoft itself! Microsoft powertools!

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP

if you look down the right hand side of the page it lists the downloads, you want Tweak UI. when you open Tweak UI from the start menu, a window comes up with a list of things to play with on the left, the general tab has a little plus by it which when you click on expands to give some more options, one of which is called 'focus', when you click on that on the right hand side it gives you the ability to turn off the auto application focus meaning you can stop windows controling you and get on with your life

[Bugsy_malone 666]

Hmmm maybe I havent found a fix, it still seems to be doing it!

[dandnsmith]

I find the setting in PowerToys to be interesting - I tend to stay away from the Tweak stuff, since it got me such a mess in my settings that it took a couple of weeks to get back to an approximation to normal.
A long time ago, there was a tool which would do for Windows what Linux would do without any problem - raise the window over which you hovered the mouse pointer, so it was fully visible. It didn't work on later versions (Me and later), and later Linux didn't have it configured automatically - which I regretted, as I had to find the settings for each new distro.

I've never seen the focus jumping for Windows in general - I hope you can find the answer to your problem, and look forward to any news about it.