# Inactive window becomes the active one on its own. How to prevent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498 "2004-01-15T01:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498/1 "2004-01-15T01:35:22Z")
Here’s the scenario. I have several programs running on a Windows OS. One I’m working with. Something happens in another, usually something that I am not interested in hearing about at the moment. That program pops up in my face, preventing me from continuing without minimizing it or some how bringing the first program back to active window status. For example, I’m listening to internet radio and the connection is lost. The media player pops up on the screen to tell me this. I would like for this sort of thing to not happen. Is there some way to keep inactive windows inactive? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498/2 "2004-01-15T01:58:18Z")
There’s a feature in one of the Power Tools or TweakUIs for MS-Windows that allows “click to focus” to be set, _a la_ X-Windows. (You do understand that there is more than one “Windows” OS don’t you.) ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498/3 "2004-01-15T03:14:39Z")
It’s “TweakUI”, available for most Windows OSes, and the feature is called “prevent applications from stealing focus”. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498/4 "2004-01-15T15:21:59Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > (You do understand that there is more than one “Windows” OS don’t you.) Yeah. Since I have the problem on two different MS Windows OSs, I decided not to specify. Thanks, y’all! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498/5 "2004-01-15T16:06:29Z")
I meant “different” as in made by different companies or organizations. Despite MS’s claims, “windows” is a generic term. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498/6 "2004-01-15T16:18:15Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > …windows" is a generic term. Ah. So I should havw written Microsoft Windows rather than “windows”. Cool. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498/7 "2004-01-15T16:40:22Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I meant “different” as in made by different companies or organizations. Despite MS’s claims, “windows” is a generic term. \< hijack \> Sorry, **ftg** , it is only your opinion that “Windows” is a generic term. The US Goverment saw fit to allow the name to be trademarked by Microsoft. You may not like it, you may not agree with it, but “Windows” is NOT a generic term. [http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=jtk1v6.5.1](http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=jtk1v6.5.1) \< /hijack \> I have used the TweakUI setting in the past and noted there were still some programs that still grab the focus (Winamp while listening to a Shoutcast station that opened a new minibrowser each time a new song was played was one that came to mind). I’m not sure if that setting works if a whole new process is started by one of the background applications - I think under certain conditions that new process will still demand attention, regardless of what the TweakUI setting is. Before anyone asks - this anectdotal and I don’t have cite. yet ( 🙂 ) critter42 ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498/8 "2004-01-15T20:48:41Z")
> [@critter42](#): > > \< hijack \> > Sorry, **ftg** , it is only your opinion that “Windows” is a generic term. The US Goverment saw fit to allow the name to be trademarked by Microsoft. You may not like it, you may not agree with it, but “Windows” is NOT a generic term. > > [http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=jtk1v6.5.1](http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=jtk1v6.5.1) > > \< /hijack \> I feel like I sould be demand money and parachut for this but, Your link just gives a timeout error. However I don’t dispute “Windows” is a registered trademark. Lots of things are trademarked. It’s just a question of if they will hold up in court. **“The US Goveremnt saw fit to alllow the name to trademarked by Micrsoft”** is a bit misleading though. Microsoft was given the trade mark after many denieded applications for a “Windows” trademark. There is case currently in the courts that will test the validity of the “Windows” trademark. Microsoft vs Lindows. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inactive-window-becomes-the-active-one-on-its-own-how-to-prevent/224498/9 "2004-01-15T21:06:55Z")
Anybody can _get_ patents, copyrights and trademarks on just about anything. The issue is _are they valid_. The validity of MS’s _claim_ of trademark on “Windows” is still working thru various court cases. Since MS has a lot of lawyers, they can keep things going for a long time. I’m an optimist however, and I think that eventually they’ll be sent home in disgrace.