«

Sorry for dumb two questions in as many minutes.

Is there any setting I can make anywhere to prevent applications from
grabbing the focus just because they feel like they need some attention?

Call me pendantic, but I like to decide which application I have focus on,
and I don't really want the focus to change until it's convenient for me.
The flashing-in-the-taskbar-because-I-need-attention idea is fine with me,
but the bloody thing should just sit them patiently until I'm ready to look
at it. But no.

Thoughts? Cheers.

--

Adam

"Adam Cameron" <> wrote in message
news:vkslwo3kd4ez$.19kngtzm3aqdw$... .
> Sorry for dumb two questions in as many minutes.
>
> Is there any setting I can make anywhere to prevent applications from
> grabbing the focus just because they feel like they need some attention?
>
> Call me pendantic, but I like to decide which application I have focus on,
> and I don't really want the focus to change until it's convenient for me.
> The flashing-in-the-taskbar-because-I-need-attention idea is fine with me,
> but the bloody thing should just sit them patiently until I'm ready to
> look
> at it. But no.
>

Download the free Windows XP Tweak UI PowerToy from Microsoft. There's a
registry key to change this.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx


--
Mauricio Freitas, Microsoft MVP Mobile Devices
http://www.geekzone.co.nz

On Wed, 18 May 2005 22:18:31 +1200, "Mauricio Freitas"
<> wrote:

>"Adam Cameron" <> wrote in message
>news:vkslwo3kd4ez$.19kngtzm3aqdw$.. ..
>> Sorry for dumb two questions in as many minutes.
>>
>> Is there any setting I can make anywhere to prevent applications from
>> grabbing the focus just because they feel like they need some attention?
>>
>> Call me pendantic, but I like to decide which application I have focus on,
>> and I don't really want the focus to change until it's convenient for me.
>> The flashing-in-the-taskbar-because-I-need-attention idea is fine with me,
>> but the bloody thing should just sit them patiently until I'm ready to
>> look
>> at it. But no.
>>
>
>Download the free Windows XP Tweak UI PowerToy from Microsoft. There's a
>registry key to change this.
>
>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx


Applications can still steal the focus if they use attach_thread_input
API call, even if the setting in tweakui says no focus stealing
http://images.somethingawful.com/mjo...2005/qirex.jpg

Maybe MS virtual desktop with the focus stealing apps like internet
explorer in their own desktop would work some of the time?

akiwi

On Wed, 18 May 2005 10:48:57 +0100, Adam Cameron wrote:

>Sorry for dumb two questions in as many minutes.
>
>Is there any setting I can make anywhere to prevent applications from
>grabbing the focus just because they feel like they need some attention?
>
>Call me pendantic, but I like to decide which application I have focus on,
>and I don't really want the focus to change until it's convenient for me.
>The flashing-in-the-taskbar-because-I-need-attention idea is fine with me,
>but the bloody thing should just sit them patiently until I'm ready to look
>at it. But no.
>
>Thoughts? Cheers.

Try taking a look at X-Setup (there's a free version around, I think).
I seem to remember there being some registry tweaks that affect the
behaviour of this taskbar flagging. Whether (or not) it affects focus
grabbing ... I dunno. Worth a try.

You defector!!!

Adam (the NZ one).

> You defector!!!
> Adam (the NZ one).

Heh. How'd you know I'd defected?

And I'll have you know *I'm* the Kiwi one, you imposter

--

Adam
(the... err... oh... I don't know any more!)

> Download the free Windows XP Tweak UI PowerToy from Microsoft. There's a
> registry key to change this.

Cheers. I even used to have that installed [slaps head]. Let's see how
well it works...

--

Adam

On Thu, 19 May 2005 00:36:42 +1200, akiwi <> wrote:

>On Wed, 18 May 2005 22:18:31 +1200, "Mauricio Freitas"
><> wrote:
>
>>"Adam Cameron" <> wrote in message
>>news:vkslwo3kd4ez$.19kngtzm3aqdw$. ...
>>> Sorry for dumb two questions in as many minutes.
>>>
>>> Is there any setting I can make anywhere to prevent applications from
>>> grabbing the focus just because they feel like they need some attention?
>>>
>>> Call me pendantic, but I like to decide which application I have focus on,
>>> and I don't really want the focus to change until it's convenient for me.
>>> The flashing-in-the-taskbar-because-I-need-attention idea is fine with me,
>>> but the bloody thing should just sit them patiently until I'm ready to
>>> look
>>> at it. But no.
>>>
>>
>>Download the free Windows XP Tweak UI PowerToy from Microsoft. There's a
>>registry key to change this.
>>
>>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx
>
>
>Applications can still steal the focus if they use attach_thread_input
>API call, even if the setting in tweakui says no focus stealing
>http://images.somethingawful.com/mjo...2005/qirex.jpg
>
>Maybe MS virtual desktop with the focus stealing apps like internet
>explorer in their own desktop would work some of the time?
>
>akiwi

MS changed the focus stealing behaviour in 98
Then for some strange reason they changed it back in XP

On Wed, 18 May 2005 16:27:14 +0100, Adam Cameron wrote:

>> You defector!!!
>> Adam (the NZ one).
>
>Heh. How'd you know I'd defected?

Vee haff veys ... mind you, asking how to connect a UK keyboard to a
laptoip gives it away a bit <g>.

>And I'll have you know *I'm* the Kiwi one, you imposter

Eheh! Touche ... hrrrmph - how do you do an "e-acute" on an **NZ**
keyboard then?

Adam.

In article <vkslwo3kd4ez$.19kngtzm3aqdw$.>,
Adam Cameron <> wrote:

>Call me pendantic...

Well, if you want to be a pendant, then nz.comp is as good a place as
any to hang around, so to speak ...

Lawrence the pedant

In article <>,
FreedomChooser <> wrote:

>On Thu, 19 May 2005 00:36:42 +1200, akiwi <> wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 18 May 2005 22:18:31 +1200, "Mauricio Freitas"
>><> wrote:
>>
>>>"Adam Cameron" <> wrote in message
>>>news:vkslwo3kd4ez$.19kngtzm3aqdw$. t...
>>>> Sorry for dumb two questions in as many minutes.
>>>>
>>>> Is there any setting I can make anywhere to prevent applications from
>>>> grabbing the focus just because they feel like they need some attention?
>>>>
>>>> Call me pendantic, but I like to decide which application I have focus on,
>>>> and I don't really want the focus to change until it's convenient for me.
>>>> The flashing-in-the-taskbar-because-I-need-attention idea is fine with me,
>>>> but the bloody thing should just sit them patiently until I'm ready to
>>>> look
>>>> at it. But no.
>>>
>>>Download the free Windows XP Tweak UI PowerToy from Microsoft. There's a
>>>registry key to change this.
>>>
>>>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx
>>
>>Applications can still steal the focus if they use attach_thread_input
>>API call, even if the setting in tweakui says no focus stealing
>>http://images.somethingawful.com/mjo...2005/qirex.jpg
>>
>>Maybe MS virtual desktop with the focus stealing apps like internet
>>explorer in their own desktop would work some of the time?
>>
>>akiwi
>
>MS changed the focus stealing behaviour in 98
>Then for some strange reason they changed it back in XP

And of course you still have the freedom to choose which one you want to
run, don't you?