Stealing focus

Hello:

I know, I am weird. I want newly opened applications to steal focus. I
know I am weird, because tons of articles on the web is about how *not*
to steal focus, no articles on the opposite. It seems to be a cardinal
sin to steal focus. Worse than gluttony, equal to pride.

Now, having confessed, I expect you to do the same. You are stealing
my 0x000000000(0) (in ForegroundLockTimeout) and replacing it with a
value that makes my apps *not* steal focus.

First, I thought it was Tweak IU, but I uninstalled it, and my
ForegroundLockTimeout value still changes.

Admit it, it is you :-)

Okay, maybe it is not you, but would you have any idea what in my XP
Home Dell Dim XPS T700 (yeah, it is a little old) does change the value
of ForegroundLockTimeout?

Regards,

Hans L

Hans L wrote:

> Hello:
>
> I know, I am weird. I want newly opened applications to steal focus.
> I know I am weird, because tons of articles on the web is about how
> not to steal focus, no articles on the opposite. It seems to be a
> cardinal sin to steal focus. Worse than gluttony, equal to pride.
>
> Now, having confessed, I expect you to do the same. You are stealing
> my 0x000000000(0) (in ForegroundLockTimeout) and replacing it with a
> value that makes my apps not steal focus.
>
> First, I thought it was Tweak IU, but I uninstalled it, and my
> ForegroundLockTimeout value still changes.
>
> Admit it, it is you :-)
>
> Okay, maybe it is not you, but would you have any idea what in my XP
> Home Dell Dim XPS T700 (yeah, it is a little old) does change the
> value of ForegroundLockTimeout?
>
> Regards,
>
> Hans L



--


I would like to add that I have now discovered that my setting of
ForegroundLockTimeout to 0x00000000(0) changes to 0x00002710(10000)
when I restart the computer. Any idea what type of app or what system
fuynction might do this?

Hans L

ForegroundLockTimeout
HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop

Data type Range Default value
REG_DWORD Time in milliseconds 200000

Description
Specifies the time, following user input, during which the system will not allow applications to force themselves into the foreground.

Windows doesn't change things, why would you think that. Type Clean Boot Troubleshooting in Help while online and follow the long and boring instructions. Or try regmon from www.sysinternals.com (edit menu - Log Boot), or set auditing on the key and read in event log what wrote to it.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goodbye Web Diary
http://margokingston.typepad.com/har....html#comments
=================================================
"Hans L" <fakeascanbe@evenfakier.com> wrote in message news:koSdnduVJvrOnSfeRVn-qw@adelphia.com...
> Hans L wrote:
>
>> Hello:
>>
>> I know, I am weird. I want newly opened applications to steal focus.
>> I know I am weird, because tons of articles on the web is about how
>> not to steal focus, no articles on the opposite. It seems to be a
>> cardinal sin to steal focus. Worse than gluttony, equal to pride.
>>
>> Now, having confessed, I expect you to do the same. You are stealing
>> my 0x000000000(0) (in ForegroundLockTimeout) and replacing it with a
>> value that makes my apps not steal focus.
>>
>> First, I thought it was Tweak IU, but I uninstalled it, and my
>> ForegroundLockTimeout value still changes.
>>
>> Admit it, it is you :-)
>>
>> Okay, maybe it is not you, but would you have any idea what in my XP
>> Home Dell Dim XPS T700 (yeah, it is a little old) does change the
>> value of ForegroundLockTimeout?
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Hans L
>
>
>
> --
>
>
> I would like to add that I have now discovered that my setting of
> ForegroundLockTimeout to 0x00000000(0) changes to 0x00002710(10000)
> when I restart the computer. Any idea what type of app or what system
> fuynction might do this?
>
> Hans L

does it change when you boot to Safe Mode?
"Hans L" <fakeascanbe@evenfakier.com> wrote in message
news:koSdnduVJvrOnSfeRVn-qw@adelphia.com...
| Hans L wrote:
|
| > Hello:
| >
| > I know, I am weird. I want newly opened applications to steal
focus.
| > I know I am weird, because tons of articles on the web is about
how
| > not to steal focus, no articles on the opposite. It seems to be a
| > cardinal sin to steal focus. Worse than gluttony, equal to pride.
| >
| > Now, having confessed, I expect you to do the same. You are
stealing
| > my 0x000000000(0) (in ForegroundLockTimeout) and replacing it with
a
| > value that makes my apps not steal focus.
| >
| > First, I thought it was Tweak IU, but I uninstalled it, and my
| > ForegroundLockTimeout value still changes.
| >
| > Admit it, it is you :-)
| >
| > Okay, maybe it is not you, but would you have any idea what in my
XP
| > Home Dell Dim XPS T700 (yeah, it is a little old) does change the
| > value of ForegroundLockTimeout?
| >
| > Regards,
| >
| > Hans L
|
|
|
| --
|
|
| I would like to add that I have now discovered that my setting of
| ForegroundLockTimeout to 0x00000000(0) changes to 0x00002710(10000)
| when I restart the computer. Any idea what type of app or what
system
| fuynction might do this?
|
| Hans L

David Candy wrote:

> ForegroundLockTimeout
> HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop
>
> Data type Range Default value
> REG_DWORD Time in milliseconds 200000
>
> Description
> Specifies the time, following user input, during which the system
> will not allow applications to force themselves into the foreground.
>
> Windows doesn't change things, why would you think that. Type Clean
> Boot Troubleshooting in Help while online and follow the long and
> boring instructions. Or try regmon from www.sysinternals.com (edit
> menu - Log Boot), or set auditing on the key and read in event log
> what wrote to it.

Thank you, David and Mungo. I will try the suggestions.

Hans L

--

Hans L wrote:

> Hans L wrote:
>
> > Hello:
> >
> > I know, I am weird. I want newly opened applications to steal
> > focus. I know I am weird, because tons of articles on the web is
> > about how not to steal focus, no articles on the opposite. It seems
> > to be a cardinal sin to steal focus. Worse than gluttony, equal to
> > pride.
> >
> > Now, having confessed, I expect you to do the same. You are
> > stealing my 0x000000000(0) (in ForegroundLockTimeout) and replacing
> > it with a value that makes my apps not steal focus.
> >
> > First, I thought it was Tweak IU, but I uninstalled it, and my
> > ForegroundLockTimeout value still changes.
> >
> > Admit it, it is you :-)
> >
> > Okay, maybe it is not you, but would you have any idea what in my XP
> > Home Dell Dim XPS T700 (yeah, it is a little old) does change the
> > value of ForegroundLockTimeout?
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Hans L



David & Mungo:

I set HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ForegroundLockTimeout to
0x000000000(0).

I set RegMon to log startup changes to the registry.

I got this (and only this) from the log file:


96988: winlogon.exe:748 QueryValue HKU\.Default\Control
Panel\Desktop\ForegroundLockTimeout SUCCESS 0x30D40


I cannot interpret this other than to say that 0x30D40 is the hex
default value for Foreground LockTimeout (200000 ms). However, my
value after startup was (and is always) 0x00002710(10000).

Is it winlogon.exe that sets this value at startup? 96988 is the line
number in the RegMon log file. But what is 748 and QueryValue?

And, more importantly, what can I do about this?

Regards,

Hans L



--

It is reading that from the system settings (for when noone is logged on). Seems rather irrelevent as you will not see the window in the first place.

748 is the process ID (easy to get the program's number - much harder [meaning more work] to get it's name). Look in Task Manager process tab. Queryvalue means it is being read only, not written.

cmd /k reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v "ForegroundLockTimeout"

Put above in a shortcut in startup. What make you think it happens at startup rather than shutdown.

Create a new administrator account. Fix FLT to what you want it to be. Log out of your account. Log in to new account. Type regedit in Start Run, read help on loading hives. Load your hive.

the new temporary path to your FLT is

HKU\<the name you chose when loading the hive>\Control Panel\Desktop

Has it changed since you logged off.

Give auditing a go. Note Read Help carefully. It is a two stage thing. Turn auditing on for Objects. Then set the object (the desktop regkey) to be audited.

Also regmon has filters. I would have entered ForegroundLockTimeout as the filter (on edit menu) and if there was only one read I would see only 1 line (not 90 000 of them).
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goodbye Web Diary
http://margokingston.typepad.com/har....html#comments
=================================================
"Hans L" <fakeascanbe@evenfakier.com> wrote in message news:EbSdnTlgnJgzEyHeRVn-tQ@adelphia.com...
> Hans L wrote:
>
>> Hans L wrote:
>>
>> > Hello:
>> >
>> > I know, I am weird. I want newly opened applications to steal
>> > focus. I know I am weird, because tons of articles on the web is
>> > about how not to steal focus, no articles on the opposite. It seems
>> > to be a cardinal sin to steal focus. Worse than gluttony, equal to
>> > pride.
>> >
>> > Now, having confessed, I expect you to do the same. You are
>> > stealing my 0x000000000(0) (in ForegroundLockTimeout) and replacing
>> > it with a value that makes my apps not steal focus.
>> >
>> > First, I thought it was Tweak IU, but I uninstalled it, and my
>> > ForegroundLockTimeout value still changes.
>> >
>> > Admit it, it is you :-)
>> >
>> > Okay, maybe it is not you, but would you have any idea what in my XP
>> > Home Dell Dim XPS T700 (yeah, it is a little old) does change the
>> > value of ForegroundLockTimeout?
>> >
>> > Regards,
>> >
>> > Hans L
>
>
>
> David & Mungo:
>
> I set HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ForegroundLockTimeout to
> 0x000000000(0).
>
> I set RegMon to log startup changes to the registry.
>
> I got this (and only this) from the log file:
>
>
> 96988: winlogon.exe:748 QueryValue HKU\.Default\Control
> Panel\Desktop\ForegroundLockTimeout SUCCESS 0x30D40
>
>
> I cannot interpret this other than to say that 0x30D40 is the hex
> default value for Foreground LockTimeout (200000 ms). However, my
> value after startup was (and is always) 0x00002710(10000).
>
> Is it winlogon.exe that sets this value at startup? 96988 is the line
> number in the RegMon log file. But what is 748 and QueryValue?
>
> And, more importantly, what can I do about this?
>
> Regards,
>
> Hans L
>
>
>
> --
>

David, see interspersed comments:

David Candy wrote:

> It is reading that from the system settings (for when noone is logged
> on). Seems rather irrelevent as you will not see the window in the
> first place.
>
> 748 is the process ID (easy to get the program's number - much harder
> [meaning more work] to get it's name). Look in Task Manager process
> tab. Queryvalue means it is being read only, not written.

Judging from the use of these numbers, 748 is probably the ID for
winlogon.exe


>
> cmd /k reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v
> "ForegroundLockTimeout"
>
> Put above in a shortcut in startup.

I do not understand how to put it in a shortcut in startup. "startup",
I assume, is "Startup" in start--All programs--Startup, but how do I
put the text above in a shortcut? And what will the result be (what,
when, where).

What make you think it happens at
> startup rather than shutdown.

Since my last message, I started Windows in Safe Mode, and then, there
was no change of ForegroundLockTimeout [it stayed as 0x00000000(0)]. I
believe that means the change does not take place during closedown.


>
> Create a new administrator account. Fix FLT to what you want it to
> be. Log out of your account. Log in to new account. Type regedit in
> Start Run, read help on loading hives. Load your hive.
>
> the new temporary path to your FLT is
>
> HKU\<the name you chose when loading the hive>\Control Panel\Desktop
>
> Has it changed since you logged off.

I'll check this out if the above Safe Mode thing is not proof enough.


>
> Give auditing a go. Note Read Help carefully. It is a two stage
> thing. Turn auditing on for Objects. Then set the object (the desktop
> regkey) to be audited.

Unfortunately, I have XP Home, and the auditing only works in
Professional.

>
> Also regmon has filters. I would have entered ForegroundLockTimeout
> as the filter (on edit menu) and if there was only one read I would
> see only 1 line (not 90 000 of them).

I did that once, but it did not seem to work. However, I think I just
did not find the log file at that point (by "root", the authors of
RegMon means C:\Windows, and thought I looked there too, I missed the
file the first time). I will try with the filter once again, and then
I will also try to run the log through startup and closedown.

By the way, my UltraEdit-32 opens 170 MB without a hitch. And I
learned a little by having the entire file and reading a little
tutorial on the Sysinternal website.

Regards,

Hans L



--

Hans L wrote:
> David, see interspersed comments:
>
> David Candy wrote:
>> cmd /k reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v
>> "ForegroundLockTimeout"
>>
>> Put above in a shortcut in startup.
>
> I do not understand how to put it in a shortcut in startup.
> "startup", I assume, is "Startup" in start--All programs--Startup,
> but how do I put the text above in a shortcut? And what will the
> result be (what, when, where).

I think this one is fairly straightforward.

Using UltraEdit, create a text file fred.bat (or any name) with contents
(all on one line, I assume)
cmd /k reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v
"ForegroundLockTimeout"

Place it in
C:\Documents and Settings\Hans\Start Menu\Programs\Startup (change Hans to
your username)
or
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

This should work. Or you could put a shortcut in this location and point it
to to fred.bat


--
Cheers,
Trevor L.
Website: http://tandcl.homemail.com.au

Ah well, if it doesn't happen in safe mode then type in Help while online,
clean boot troubleshooting.

Have a think - do 1/2 of them, then either the other 1/2 or 1/2 the first 1/2. The difference in effort is logarithmic. The more items the less effort. In programming terms it is known as QuickSearch.

If 16 items then one at a time is an average of 8 boots, minimun 1 and a max of 16. Using Quick alogarithm the max is 4 reboots (the average is a little under 4). Or 25%. If 32 items the max is 32 one at a time or 5 with Quick (about 17%). I hate rebooting.

That PID is winlogon. Regmon shows name and PID.

To create a shortcut r/c desktop, New - Shortcut and put it in the Wizard. Drag shortcut to startup. Do this anyway for interest sake. It will pop up a window with the registry value of FLT (type it in start run to see what it looks like). I'd put Regmon there too. It may be being changed after Regmon finishes logging the boot. Don't put a filter or regmon will ask you to confirm it (you want it to be logging straight away not asking you questions).

I presume they use the Edit control (like notepad) or the Rich Text control (like Wordpad) which is a 4 gb max file size.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goodbye Web Diary
http://margokingston.typepad.com/har....html#comments
=================================================
"Hans L" <fakeascanbe@evenfakier.com> wrote in message news:BbydnVJ4j6uoLSHenZ2dnUVZ_v6dnZ2d@adelphia.com ...
> David, see interspersed comments:
>
> David Candy wrote:
>
>> It is reading that from the system settings (for when noone is logged
>> on). Seems rather irrelevent as you will not see the window in the
>> first place.
>>
>> 748 is the process ID (easy to get the program's number - much harder
>> [meaning more work] to get it's name). Look in Task Manager process
>> tab. Queryvalue means it is being read only, not written.
>
> Judging from the use of these numbers, 748 is probably the ID for
> winlogon.exe
>
>
>>
>> cmd /k reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v
>> "ForegroundLockTimeout"
>>
>> Put above in a shortcut in startup.
>
> I do not understand how to put it in a shortcut in startup. "startup",
> I assume, is "Startup" in start--All programs--Startup, but how do I
> put the text above in a shortcut? And what will the result be (what,
> when, where).
>
> What make you think it happens at
>> startup rather than shutdown.
>
> Since my last message, I started Windows in Safe Mode, and then, there
> was no change of ForegroundLockTimeout [it stayed as 0x00000000(0)]. I
> believe that means the change does not take place during closedown.
>
>
>>
>> Create a new administrator account. Fix FLT to what you want it to
>> be. Log out of your account. Log in to new account. Type regedit in
>> Start Run, read help on loading hives. Load your hive.
>>
>> the new temporary path to your FLT is
>>
>> HKU\<the name you chose when loading the hive>\Control Panel\Desktop
>>
>> Has it changed since you logged off.
>
> I'll check this out if the above Safe Mode thing is not proof enough.
>
>
>>
>> Give auditing a go. Note Read Help carefully. It is a two stage
>> thing. Turn auditing on for Objects. Then set the object (the desktop
>> regkey) to be audited.
>
> Unfortunately, I have XP Home, and the auditing only works in
> Professional.
>
>>
>> Also regmon has filters. I would have entered ForegroundLockTimeout
>> as the filter (on edit menu) and if there was only one read I would
>> see only 1 line (not 90 000 of them).
>
> I did that once, but it did not seem to work. However, I think I just
> did not find the log file at that point (by "root", the authors of
> RegMon means C:\Windows, and thought I looked there too, I missed the
> file the first time). I will try with the filter once again, and then
> I will also try to run the log through startup and closedown.
>
> By the way, my UltraEdit-32 opens 170 MB without a hitch. And I
> learned a little by having the entire file and reading a little
> tutorial on the Sysinternal website.
>
> Regards,
>
> Hans L
>
>
>
> --
>