# something that bugs me about computer applications

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-that-bugs-me-about-computer-applications/201434>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 13, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-that-bugs-me-about-computer-applications/201434 "2003-09-13T21:07:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-that-bugs-me-about-computer-applications/201434/1 "2003-09-13T21:07:08Z")

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Why is it when you, for example, have more than one window open, and you click on something in one window, and it takes a bit of time, so you go to another window to pass the time, it always interups what you’re doing and takes you to the window that you were waiting for when it’s loaded? Why cant it just flash at the bottom to alert you to the fact that it’s loaded? It can be exceedingly annoying!

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**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-that-bugs-me-about-computer-applications/201434/2 "2003-09-13T21:14:16Z")

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XP does exactly that.

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-that-bugs-me-about-computer-applications/201434/3 "2003-09-14T00:42:10Z")

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Microsoft’s TweakUI utility has a **Prevent applications from stealing focus** option which should do what you want.

[WinXP version](http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp)  
[Win9x/ME/NT/2000 version](http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp)

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-that-bugs-me-about-computer-applications/201434/4 "2003-09-14T00:55:43Z")

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Are you talking about a browser? If you click on a file or some text or a cell in an open window and you have some time to kill before it comes up, you need a new computer, so I’ll assume you mean a browser.

You need a different browser. What you’re describing would annoy the hell out of me.