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focus (active window) not returning?
I've had this from the year dot, so just assumed it was part of Windows,
but suddenly thought I'd ask if anyone knows a way round it: Sometimes closing something leaves no window/process as the "active" one (in default colour scheme, all title bars are grey none blue). For example, if I'm doing something, and open Task Manager, then close Task Manager, I have to click back on (or Alt-Tab to, use the Taskbar button, etc.) the window I was working in to get focus back to it. I've just experimented, and it's only _some_ applications: for example, Firefox (11.0) and Explorer (Windows, not IE) both _do_ get focus back. -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf 'So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work' - Peter Drucker, "management guru", quoted by Alan Howard in Computing, 10 December 1998. |
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#2
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focus (active window) not returning?
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message ... I've had this from the year dot, so just assumed it was part of Windows, but suddenly thought I'd ask if anyone knows a way round it: Sometimes closing something leaves no window/process as the "active" one (in default colour scheme, all title bars are grey none blue). For example, if I'm doing something, and open Task Manager, then close Task Manager, I have to click back on (or Alt-Tab to, use the Taskbar button, etc.) the window I was working in to get focus back to it. I've just experimented, and it's only _some_ applications: for example, Firefox (11.0) and Explorer (Windows, not IE) both _do_ get focus back. Mine's been that way from day one, also. I find if I minimize my window, whatever is under it gets the focus. But if I close it, then I have to click on either the old window or the task bar to change focus. In my case, not even IE picks up the focus on closing a different app. I posted a similar question years ago about the differences in focus for different programs, but never got a fix or even a really reasonable explanation other than "that's just the way it is." My example was when in OE (or even WLM on my Win7 machine), if I move the cursor from the Folders list to the Message side, I can scroll through the messages without clicking on anything. But in Explorer, I have to click in the right-hand pane in order to scroll. May be a different focus issue, but similar I think. Sorry, I can't help you, but I'll be following this thread, too :-) -- SC Tom |
#3
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focus (active window) not returning?
In ,
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote: I've had this from the year dot, so just assumed it was part of Windows, but suddenly thought I'd ask if anyone knows a way round it: Sometimes closing something leaves no window/process as the "active" one (in default colour scheme, all title bars are grey none blue). For example, if I'm doing something, and open Task Manager, then close Task Manager, I have to click back on (or Alt-Tab to, use the Taskbar button, etc.) the window I was working in to get focus back to it. I've just experimented, and it's only _some_ applications: for example, Firefox (11.0) and Explorer (Windows, not IE) both _do_ get focus back. I use AltDesk most of the time, so this behavior is different than stock Windows. And I can have as many desktops as I want. One thing I really like about AltDesk is not having to minimize one application and restoring another. As I just use one hotkey to do both at the same time. Anyway how it works here is each desktop has its own active window. And it stays that way even using a hotkey to jump around from desktop to desktop. -- Bill Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2 Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 2GB - Windows XP SP3 |
#4
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focus (active window) not returning?
In message , SC Tom writes:
[] I posted a similar question years ago about the differences in focus for different programs, but never got a fix or even a really reasonable explanation other than "that's just the way it is." My example was when in OE (or even WLM on my Win7 machine), if I move the cursor from the Folders list to the Message side, I can scroll through the messages without clicking on anything. But in Explorer, I have to click in the right-hand pane in order to scroll. May be a different focus issue, but similar I think. Sorry, I can't help you, but I'll be following this thread, too :-) It is a different focus issue, but at least you understood what I was on about! As for your one, I think some of the explorer alternatives _do_ offer the behaviour you desire - I think some of them call it something like Xerox-like, as other OSs do have this mode. Or it might be add-ons that give you that mode - possibly even variations to the mouse (or touchpad) driver. (I thought I'd seen it in the Synaptics settings, but I've just had a quick look and can't see it.) -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. -Arthur C Clarke, science fiction writer (1917- ) |
#5
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focus (active window) not returning?
In message , BillW50
writes: [] I use AltDesk most of the time, so this behavior is different than stock Windows. And I can have as many desktops as I want. One thing I really like about AltDesk is not having to minimize one application and restoring another. As I just use one hotkey to do both at the same time. (How does it know which two windows to minimise/maximise?) Anyway how it works here is each desktop has its own active window. And it stays that way even using a hotkey to jump around from desktop to desktop. I think that's a little radical for me at my stage, though thanks for suggesting! -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. -Arthur C Clarke, science fiction writer (1917- ) |
#6
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focus (active window) not returning?
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message ... In message , SC Tom writes: [] I posted a similar question years ago about the differences in focus for different programs, but never got a fix or even a really reasonable explanation other than "that's just the way it is." My example was when in OE (or even WLM on my Win7 machine), if I move the cursor from the Folders list to the Message side, I can scroll through the messages without clicking on anything. But in Explorer, I have to click in the right-hand pane in order to scroll. May be a different focus issue, but similar I think. Sorry, I can't help you, but I'll be following this thread, too :-) It is a different focus issue, but at least you understood what I was on about! As for your one, I think some of the explorer alternatives _do_ offer the behaviour you desire - I think some of them call it something like Xerox-like, as other OSs do have this mode. Or it might be add-ons that give you that mode - possibly even variations to the mouse (or touchpad) driver. (I thought I'd seen it in the Synaptics settings, but I've just had a quick look and can't see it.) There probably is an add-on or replacement that would accomplish that, but I don't feel like loading my system up with a bunch of third-party stuff that may, after a Microsoft update or two, prove to be non-beneficial. It's really not that big of a deal, but always thought it would be nice to have incorporated into the OS. I looked at my Synaptic (touchpad) and SetPoint (Bluetooth Logitech mouse) settings and didn't see anything either. I looked at my Intellipoint settings on my desktop PC, and there's nothing there, either. Oh well, I've lived with it this long. . . ( Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. -Arthur C Clarke, science fiction writer (1917- ) very true :-) ) -- SC Tom |
#7
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focus (active window) not returning?
In ,
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote: In message , BillW50 writes: [] I use AltDesk most of the time, so this behavior is different than stock Windows. And I can have as many desktops as I want. One thing I really like about AltDesk is not having to minimize one application and restoring another. As I just use one hotkey to do both at the same time. (How does it know which two windows to minimise/maximise?) Easy, run one application per desktop and then just switch to the other application (in this case desktop). Anyway how it works here is each desktop has its own active window. And it stays that way even using a hotkey to jump around from desktop to desktop. I think that's a little radical for me at my stage, though thanks for suggesting! It isn't radical or anything really. I think it is totally practical myself. There are lots of free ones out there and most of the free ones only have up to four desktops. AltDesk you can have zillions of them if you want to. Here are some free ones to play with. Desktops http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../cc817881.aspx Moo0 MultiDesktop (Free) - A Simple Multi-Desktop Environment http://www.moo0.com/software/MultiDesktop/ Virtual desktops have been used a lot on *nix systems for years. Most Windows users don't know anything about them though. -- Bill Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2 Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 2GB - Windows XP SP3 |
#8
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focus (active window) not returning?
In ,
BillW50 wrote: In , J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote: In message , BillW50 writes: [] I use AltDesk most of the time, so this behavior is different than stock Windows. And I can have as many desktops as I want. One thing I really like about AltDesk is not having to minimize one application and restoring another. As I just use one hotkey to do both at the same time. (How does it know which two windows to minimise/maximise?) Easy, run one application per desktop and then just switch to the other application (in this case desktop). Anyway how it works here is each desktop has its own active window. And it stays that way even using a hotkey to jump around from desktop to desktop. I think that's a little radical for me at my stage, though thanks for suggesting! It isn't radical or anything really. I think it is totally practical myself. There are lots of free ones out there and most of the free ones only have up to four desktops. AltDesk you can have zillions of them if you want to. Here are some free ones to play with. Desktops http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../cc817881.aspx Moo0 MultiDesktop (Free) - A Simple Multi-Desktop Environment http://www.moo0.com/software/MultiDesktop/ Virtual desktops have been used a lot on *nix systems for years. Most Windows users don't know anything about them though. I was playing with the above two free ones and there is an old XP PowerToys one called "Virtual Desktop Manager" that I think I like better out of all of the free ones. I can't find a direct URL for it, but if you go to: Windows XP downloads - Microsoft Windows http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...ads/windows-xp And the website has a PowerToys tab. Click on that one. Then you should be able to see the Virtual Desktop Manager. And if you download and install, you probably won't find it anywhere. No problem, because you need to right click on the Taskbar select Tools and then Desktop Manager and it will show up on the Taskbar. To turn it off, just check it again. The options for it is right clicking on it. There is even a little help file. -- Bill Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2 Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 2GB - Windows XP SP3 |
#9
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focus (active window) not returning?
In message , BillW50
writes: [] I was playing with the above two free ones and there is an old XP PowerToys one called "Virtual Desktop Manager" that I think I like better out of all of the free ones. I can't find a direct URL for it, but if you go to: Windows XP downloads - Microsoft Windows http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...ads/windows-xp And the website has a PowerToys tab. Click on that one. Then you should be able to see the Virtual Desktop Manager. And if you download and Direct URL seems to be http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=211482 install, you probably won't find it anywhere. No problem, because you need to right click on the Taskbar select Tools and then Desktop Manager and it will show up on the Taskbar. To turn it off, just check it again. The options for it is right clicking on it. There is even a little help file. -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf Nothing is more dangerous than a boss with a spreadsheet. (Scott Adams [via Dilbert], 1998-12-12) |
#10
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focus (active window) not returning?
In ,
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote: In message , BillW50 writes: [] I was playing with the above two free ones and there is an old XP PowerToys one called "Virtual Desktop Manager" that I think I like better out of all of the free ones. I can't find a direct URL for it, but if you go to: Windows XP downloads - Microsoft Windows http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...ads/windows-xp And the website has a PowerToys tab. Click on that one. Then you should be able to see the Virtual Desktop Manager. And if you download and Direct URL seems to be http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=211482 install, you probably won't find it anywhere. No problem, because you need to right click on the Taskbar select Tools and then Desktop Manager and it will show up on the Taskbar. To turn it off, just check it again. The options for it is right clicking on it. There is even a little help file. Yes that will download the PowerToys one. I found a really nice free one. It almost has everything that AltDesk has, but this one is free. Lots of features too and supports unlimited number of desktops like AltDesk does. It might be a little tough to set it up at first (default is one desktop for example which is basically worthless) if you don't understand virtual desktops too well. Maybe playing with the others a bit to get a feel for virtual desktops first. Virtual Dimension v0.94 http://virt-dimension.sourceforge.net/ -- Bill Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2 Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 2GB - Windows XP SP3 |
#11
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focus (active window) not returning?
On Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:06:58 +0000, in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general, "J. P. Gilliver (John)" , wrote I've had this from the year dot, so just assumed it was part of Windows, but suddenly thought I'd ask if anyone knows a way round it: Sometimes closing something leaves no window/process as the "active" one (in default colour scheme, all title bars are grey none blue). For example, if I'm doing something, and open Task Manager, then close Task Manager, I have to click back on (or Alt-Tab to, use the Taskbar button, etc.) the window I was working in to get focus back to it. I've just experimented, and it's only _some_ applications: for example, Firefox (11.0) and Explorer (Windows, not IE) both _do_ get focus back. Let me suggest this: If you OVERTLY minimize your windows before going to your current window, they are no longer 'active' and will not get a re-focus when you close your current one. (I.E., you will return to desktop) If you allow Win XP to auto-minimize the window by you simply changing focus to another app, then the auto-minimized window remains in an 'active' list and when you close your current window, Win XP WILL refocus to the last window used . (did that make sense?) jim |
#12
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focus (active window) not returning?
In news
jim wrote on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:13:29 -0500:
If you allow Win XP to auto-minimize the window by you simply changing focus to another app, then the auto-minimized window remains in an 'active' list and when you close your current window, Win XP WILL refocus to the last window used . Huh? How do you tell Windows to auto-minimize the application that lost focus? -- Bill Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2 Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 2GB - Windows XP SP3 |
#13
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focus (active window) not returning?
In ,
SC Tom wrote on Sun, 18 Mar 2012 10:25:40 -0400: "J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message ... As for your one, I think some of the explorer alternatives _do_ offer the behaviour you desire - I think some of them call it something like Xerox-like, as other OSs do have this mode. Or it might be add-ons that give you that mode - possibly even variations to the mouse (or touchpad) driver. (I thought I'd seen it in the Synaptics settings, but I've just had a quick look and can't see it.) There probably is an add-on or replacement that would accomplish that, but I don't feel like loading my system up with a bunch of third-party stuff that may, after a Microsoft update or two, prove to be non-beneficial. It's really not that big of a deal, but always thought it would be nice to have incorporated into the OS. I looked at my Synaptic (touchpad) and SetPoint (Bluetooth Logitech mouse) settings and didn't see anything either. I looked at my Intellipoint settings on my desktop PC, and there's nothing there, either. Oh well, I've lived with it this long. . . Are you two speaking about Xmouse? If so, I seem to recall it is under some (not all) versions of Synaptic drivers. Also Windows TweakUI offers Xmouse control to be enabled too. You can also enable Xmouse under a registry hack too. And Tom... I used to like to keep all of my systems as close to stock as I can keep them. As helping lots of people, you have to know how to do things the stock way. I also wanted to stay away from third party enhancements due to the possibility of stability issues too. But ending up with more and more test machines, I started to play with them more and more. And quite frankly, some of them I wouldn't want to live without. And my fears of stability problems were mostly unfounded. Sure you run into one once in a blue moon or something, but it isn't that big of a deal really. -- Bill Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2 Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 2GB - Windows XP SP3 |
#14
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focus (active window) not returning?
"BillW50" wrote in message ... In , SC Tom wrote on Sun, 18 Mar 2012 10:25:40 -0400: "J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message ... As for your one, I think some of the explorer alternatives _do_ offer the behaviour you desire - I think some of them call it something like Xerox-like, as other OSs do have this mode. Or it might be add-ons that give you that mode - possibly even variations to the mouse (or touchpad) driver. (I thought I'd seen it in the Synaptics settings, but I've just had a quick look and can't see it.) There probably is an add-on or replacement that would accomplish that, but I don't feel like loading my system up with a bunch of third-party stuff that may, after a Microsoft update or two, prove to be non-beneficial. It's really not that big of a deal, but always thought it would be nice to have incorporated into the OS. I looked at my Synaptic (touchpad) and SetPoint (Bluetooth Logitech mouse) settings and didn't see anything either. I looked at my Intellipoint settings on my desktop PC, and there's nothing there, either. Oh well, I've lived with it this long. . . Are you two speaking about Xmouse? If so, I seem to recall it is under some (not all) versions of Synaptic drivers. Also Windows TweakUI offers Xmouse control to be enabled too. You can also enable Xmouse under a registry hack too. And Tom... I used to like to keep all of my systems as close to stock as I can keep them. As helping lots of people, you have to know how to do things the stock way. I also wanted to stay away from third party enhancements due to the possibility of stability issues too. But ending up with more and more test machines, I started to play with them more and more. And quite frankly, some of them I wouldn't want to live without. And my fears of stability problems were mostly unfounded. Sure you run into one once in a blue moon or something, but it isn't that big of a deal really. Oh, don't get me wrong, I've used plenty of 3rd-party stuff (and still do LOL). My objection (if that's what it truly is; maybe "dissatisfaction" would be more appropriate) is to something working one way in one native program, but not that same way in another native program. I tried Xmouse in TweakUI for XP, and it works fine for changing focus (even bringing the newly focused on window to the forefront, if you want it to), but not within the same window. It doesn't change the focus from the Folder pane to the File pane in Explorer. Thanks for the suggestion, though. -- SC Tom |
#15
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focus (active window) not returning?
In ,
SC Tom wrote on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:49:43 -0400: "BillW50" wrote in message ... In , SC Tom wrote on Sun, 18 Mar 2012 10:25:40 -0400: "J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message ... As for your one, I think some of the explorer alternatives _do_ offer the behaviour you desire - I think some of them call it something like Xerox-like, as other OSs do have this mode. Or it might be add-ons that give you that mode - possibly even variations to the mouse (or touchpad) driver. (I thought I'd seen it in the Synaptics settings, but I've just had a quick look and can't see it.) There probably is an add-on or replacement that would accomplish that, but I don't feel like loading my system up with a bunch of third-party stuff that may, after a Microsoft update or two, prove to be non-beneficial. It's really not that big of a deal, but always thought it would be nice to have incorporated into the OS. I looked at my Synaptic (touchpad) and SetPoint (Bluetooth Logitech mouse) settings and didn't see anything either. I looked at my Intellipoint settings on my desktop PC, and there's nothing there, either. Oh well, I've lived with it this long. . . Are you two speaking about Xmouse? If so, I seem to recall it is under some (not all) versions of Synaptic drivers. Also Windows TweakUI offers Xmouse control to be enabled too. You can also enable Xmouse under a registry hack too. And Tom... I used to like to keep all of my systems as close to stock as I can keep them. As helping lots of people, you have to know how to do things the stock way. I also wanted to stay away from third party enhancements due to the possibility of stability issues too. But ending up with more and more test machines, I started to play with them more and more. And quite frankly, some of them I wouldn't want to live without. And my fears of stability problems were mostly unfounded. Sure you run into one once in a blue moon or something, but it isn't that big of a deal really. Oh, don't get me wrong, I've used plenty of 3rd-party stuff (and still do LOL). My objection (if that's what it truly is; maybe "dissatisfaction" would be more appropriate) is to something working one way in one native program, but not that same way in another native program. I tried Xmouse in TweakUI for XP, and it works fine for changing focus (even bringing the newly focused on window to the forefront, if you want it to), but not within the same window. It doesn't change the focus from the Folder pane to the File pane in Explorer. Thanks for the suggestion, though. Oh ok... but Xmouse does work from pane to pane too. I just tried it with OE6 and it works wonderfully. But it isn't working with Explorer (Tab key works jumping focus between pane to pane though). I'll play with it with other applications and see what panes Xmouse works with and which ones it doesn't. Since I edit my posts within Word 2000, I just checked Split window and Xmouse doesn't work there either. You still have to click on the split window to change the focus. -- Bill Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2 Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 2GB - Windows XP SP3 |
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