Solved Windows 11 - Weird Foreground/Active App Issue

Hi chaps,

Have a weird issue on a Windows 11 machine (upgraded from Windows 10) wherein if you open hyperlinks, the browser opens in the background; and doesn't come to the foreground/make itself the active app. It isn't specific to a single browser either, it's happening for both Chrome, Edge, Firefox etc..

Seems to happen with browsers, as well as the snipping tool after taking a screen capture.

I've seen various 'fixes' online such as the registry fix for 'ForegroundLockTimeout' being set to either 0 / 30d40, but this makes no difference. I've also tried to look into the Efficiency Mode in Win11 but this was a red herring I feel.

Is anyone aware of GPOs in Win10 that may conflict and cause this in 11? Or perhaps a setting/registry that needs changing?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I am on the release version and can not duplicate your issue exactly in either Firefox or Edge when opening hyperlinks from within the browser, say a link in an web article or a link in a web search. In that case, the link will open in a new tab and that tab will assume focus.
If I open a link from outside the browser, say from an email or in a word document, where I have to ctrl+click to open the link, it does open a new tab in whichever browser I have set as default, but without focus. The browser shows open in my taskbar and I have to click on it from there to see the opened link rather than it bringing the browser into focus automatically..

glasskuter said:

I am on the release version and can not duplicate your issue exactly in either Firefox or Edge when opening hyperlinks from within the browser, say a link in an web article or a link in a web search. In that case, the link will open in a new tab and that tab will assume focus.
If I open a link from outside the browser, say from an email or in a word document, where I have to ctrl+click to open the link, it does open a new tab in whichever browser I have set as default, but without focus. The browser shows open in my taskbar and I have to click on it from there to see the opened link rather than it bringing the browser into focus automatically..

Click to expand...

I should've been clearer in my initial post - it is indeed from hyperlinks outside of the browser (commonly Outlook/Word etc).

What you mention in the second half of your post is exactly what we see. If it's a hyperlink outside of your browser, the taskbar will flash with the notification that the tab was opened, but it doesn't come to the foreground/take focus.

So then yes. It works for me the same way as it does for you. Possibly the behavior will change in 23H2 which is is around the corner.

This started happening some time late last year, after 22H2 was widely available. The screenshot thing was the first one I myself noticed, and a lot of other people noticed it as well. Since I don't use the snipping tool for any editing, just taking actual screenshots, I've enabled the Windows PrintScreen shortcut feature to start snipping tool, which allows for the basic controls (defined rectangle, freeform draw, application window and full desktop) and saves it automatically to the \Screenshots folder. However, the short cut does not have the timer function, nor does it have the video feature, so I have to revert to manually running the snipping tool for those, and it still does that (usually only for the first screenshot I take, after I bring it to the front, it usually stays there). One trick I tried to get to work was open snipping tool, close it, and open it again and then take the screenshot - that seems to leave it on top of other apps a bit more, but still not 100% of the time.

Opening links from other programs in the default browser will only not bring the browser to the foreground if the link goes to Edge. But I use a 3rd party tool, Browser Chooser 2, to initially catch URLs and other such http/s links, so I can redirect it to the browser / browser profile of my choice, and that always brings said browser to the foreground.

Looks like this is still an issue in 23H2.

Would be great if Microsoft could sort this.

I have seen this bug occasionally. I have to hover the mouse over the browser icon on the taskbar to see a mini preview and then click on this preview to switch to the browser. If you have a few applications open you can also cycle through them with ALT+TAB and select the browser. I don't know how to fix it since it is not persistent for me, it happens only a few times. Just make sure you have installed all Windows updates just in case one of them fixes that. Also update your graphics drivers.

Yeah. I suspect this is the behavior they actually want, for whatever reason.

spapakons said:

I have seen this bug occasionally. I have to hover the mouse over the browser icon on the taskbar to see a mini preview and then click on this preview to switch to the browser. If you have a few applications open you can also cycle through them with ALT+TAB and select the browser. I don't know how to fix it since it is not persistent for me, it happens only a few times. Just make sure you have installed all Windows updates just in case one of them fixes that. Also update your graphics drivers.

Click to expand...

Hi Spapakons, thanks, but its not so much that we can't make the browser/app active, but rather its not taking focus and coming to the foreground automatically when links/similar are opened outside of that particular app.

For instance, I'd expect Chrome to come to the foreground and take focus if I open a hyperlink from Outlook. Rather frustratingly its not, it just sits in the background and flashes on the taskbar. Clicking it from there works fine, its just I'd expect focus to automatically shift to it from the hyperlink stage.

Was hoping 23H2 may have had a fix or similar, but alas there isn't.

johnlgalt said:

Yeah. I suspect this is the behavior they actually want, for whatever reason.

Click to expand...

Certainly feels that way.

I'm glad in a way its not just my org that it's happening to. At first I thought it may have been our policies or such since upgrading to Win11. However others have mentioned on this thread they are seeing the same.

It is a rather annoying bug (or feature) for end-users though. Hopefully this gets traction and Microsoft will look to sort.

I would have a look at the mouse and other focus settings. Maybe some weird configuration (such as focus follows mouse) prevents the browser window from taking focus when opened. As far as I remember there was a setting in Internet Explorer to open links in a new windows or a new tab and then change focus to that. Have a look at your browser settings just in case there is something similar and try making each new tab or new windows getting focus. This might work.

Patsy, Something has changed for me in recent days. Maybe there's been an update to Office.

I use Outlook (part of Office 2021, not the Outlook app or Ofc365)Links now open as they should (left click on link in an email. Edge opens and comes into focus)

In Word 2021, if I ctrl+click on a link in a document,a link now opens in Edge and takes focus.

The stupid snipping tool issue is still there though.

glasskuter said:

Patsy, Something has changed for me in recent days. Maybe there's been an update to Office.

I use Outlook (part of Office 2021, not the Outlook app or Ofc365)Links now open as they should (left click on link in an email. Edge opens and comes into focus)

In Word 2021, if I ctrl+click on a link in a document,a link now opens in Edge and takes focus.

The stupid snipping tool issue is still there though.

Click to expand...

Interesting. I also see this on the Office 365 version of Outlook. (Microsoft® Outlook® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2309 Build 16.0.16827.20130) 64-bit )

However as soon as I changed the File > Options > Advanced > File and browser preferences back to 'Default Browser' (chrome) it breaks again.


This is a rather annoying quirk.

It's no secret MS products are now designed around the Edge browser. The only other thing you might check is go to
settings>apps>default apps>scroll all way to bottom>choose default by link type>for file types HTTP and HTTPS change it to Chrome if its not already set.
I don't have Chrome but I tested mine with Firefox. When I did my Word and Outlook links opened in FF with focus.

This being 365 that you use, that may be a whole different story.

spapakons said:

I would have a look at the mouse and other focus settings. Maybe some weird configuration (such as focus follows mouse) prevents the browser window from taking focus when opened. As far as I remember there was a setting in Internet Explorer to open links in a new windows or a new tab and then change focus to that. Have a look at your browser settings just in case there is something similar and try making each new tab or new windows getting focus. This might work.

Click to expand...

It is not the mouse, the keyboard, the monitor, nor any other hardware device. It is Windows.

Plenty of threads on this throughout the forums - ever since 22H2 (yes 22, not 23) this behavior was first spotted with the Snipping Tool, and then slowly across other apps.

Before 22H2, you take a snip after opening the Snipping Tool and the preview showed there in Snipping Tool - as the foremost window, selected.

After 22H2, it is hit or miss. Sometimes you do the above and get the above. Sometimes you do the above and the Snipping Tool shows only on the taskbar as a minimized window.

Edge never has a problem coming into focus, seemingly. Interesting.

I reallyhope this is not an underhanded method to get more people to use Edge. Otherwise I smell a Class-Action Lawsuit in about 3.2 days.

johnlgalt said:

Edge never has a problem coming into focus, seemingly. Interesting.

I reallyhope this is not an underhanded method to get more people to use Edge. Otherwise I smell a Class-Action Lawsuit in about 3.2 days.

Click to expand...

This is how it is working for me in Office 365. If I set Outlook to open Edge, it will always open and take focus. Soon as I switch to default browser, stops working.

Snipping tool focus also seems to be broken still in 23H2 as you say.

glasskuter said:

It's no secret MS products are now designed around the Edge browser. The only other thing you might check is go to
settings>apps>default apps>scroll all way to bottom>choose default by link type>for file types HTTP and HTTPS change it to Chrome if its not already set.
I don't have Chrome but I tested mine with Firefox. When I did my Word and Outlook links opened in FF with focus.

This being 365 that you use, that may be a whole different story.

Click to expand...

Yeah we have Chrome set as the default app in Windows for both HTTP and HTTPS.

As others have mentioned, does feel like its Microsoft pushing Edge to be the default for end-users. Will test with Firefox myself and report back, but I don't believe it'll be browser based too much as snipping tool breaks in a similar way.

If there is another browser in the list, try setting that browser exclusively. Avoid the "default browser" setting. Also quit using Snip and Sketch Tool. You can use the good old Snipping Tool, read my previous post. Just copy the relevant files (.exe and .mui) from Windows 10 into the respective folders in your Windows 11 system. You can then create a desktop shortcut to launch Snipping Tool.

spapakons said:

If there is another browser in the list, try setting that browser exclusively. Avoid the "default browser" setting. Also quit using Snip and Sketch Tool. You can use the good old Snipping Tool, read my previous post. Just copy the relevant files (.exe and .mui) from Windows 10 into the respective folders in your Windows 11 system. You can then create a desktop shortcut to launch Snipping Tool.

Click to expand...

We aren't using Snip & Sketch. This is the classic snipping tool that it occurs on. There is also no problem with focus when launching the application. As others have seen & mentioned, the focus issue occurs on snipping tool after you take a snip.

There is no other browser listed in Outlook.