Windows 7: Background or dialogue activity taking focus

Hi All,
Trust this is the right place for this. I have been having this strange problem since having to do a re-OS of my system. After installing all my software I started noticing that a background activity would steal the focus. I could be typing in the IE browser address bar and then would here a ping as it lost focus but without any apparent window taking over, thus leaving me to think it is a background activity. However it also does the same with windows that complete activities such as WinZip. If an archive finishes and the confirmation dialogue pops up instead of flashing the taskbar like it use to it now steals focus.


I have the Tuneup Utilities installed which has a function to enable the flashing of the taskbar to notify of a background activity needing attention however the setting never seems to stay saved as it works and then somehow during the day fails.


I have done various scans of the system and it is completely clean of viruses and Trojans etc.


Would really appreciate some advice before something inadvertently happens.




Regards,
Lloyd