Stuff that "pop-up"

[Phrosen]

Hi.
I have many times had things (such as updates) running in the background, while doing other things (such as typing on forums).
Many times have these things managed to pop-up with questions and whatnot.

For example, I start an update on a game, tab out and start typing in another window. The update is nearly finished and it throws up one of those windows that looks exactly like the one that I tabbed out of, only this window is "new" - so it ends up on top. Usually at that moment I manage to press 'space' or 'enter' or something similar. The default (and usually only) button of these update-windows is 'cancel', effectively ending the update and I have to start all over.

Now I'm wondering if there's a way to prevent stuff from popping up in my face whenever it feels like?
I would like to see a gentle flash on the taskbar when something wants my attention, instead of getting a window with a cancel button in my face.

 

[not so gray matter]

Most programs can disable pop up messages via the configuration. Anti-Viruses and Firewalls do this through something called Gaming or Silent Mode. I don't think there's a blanket application pop up blocker. You'll need to go through each program that bothers you and disable it's notification options.

 

[CommonTater]

Hi.
I have many times had things (such as updates) running in the background, while doing other things (such as typing on forums).
Many times have these things managed to pop-up with questions and whatnot.

For example, I start an update on a game, tab out and start typing in another window. The update is nearly finished and it throws up one of those windows that looks exactly like the one that I tabbed out of, only this window is "new" - so it ends up on top. Usually at that moment I manage to press 'space' or 'enter' or something similar. The default (and usually only) button of these update-windows is 'cancel', effectively ending the update and I have to start all over.

Now I'm wondering if there's a way to prevent stuff from popping up in my face whenever it feels like?
I would like to see a gentle flash on the taskbar when something wants my attention, instead of getting a window with a cancel button in my face.

This is called "stealing focus" and you're right it's as annoying as all get out....

This is a registry tweak so precaution applies!
In regedit path into...

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Now either adjust or create the followind DWORD values...

ForegroundFlashCount == 5
ForegroundLockTimerout == 10000

This should prevent anything from stealing focus for 10 seconds after your last activity in the foreground window and make the taskbar icon flash 5 times.

 

[logicearth]

This should prevent anything from stealing focus for 10 seconds after your last activity in the foreground window and make the taskbar icon flash 5 times.

Except these "popups" the OP is referring too. If the developer of these applications followed the Windows API, then they would have not stolen focus while the user is typing. However, these developers are not following the API and thus believe there application is so important....The problem lies with the application developers and only they can fix it.

 

[CommonTater]

This should prevent anything from stealing focus for 10 seconds after your last activity in the foreground window and make the taskbar icon flash 5 times.

Except these "popups" the OP is referring too. If the developer of these applications followed the Windows API, then they would have not stolen focus while the user is typing. However, these developers are not following the API and thus believe there application is so important....The problem lies with the application developers and only they can fix it.

And where in WinApi is there ANYTHING to tell a programmer what the user is doing in a different window? Those are some serious hooks to set into a system, requiring every program to engage in journaling every kesystroke and mouse move... any idea the impact that would have on system performance?

Second even if they did use the GetForegroundWindow(void) function and checked to see if their own app had focus before popping up dialog windows, there comes the risk of an endless pile of programs all waiting for focus because the user clicked on the open desktop.

This is not a problem to be solved by programmers in WinApi... it is one to be arbitrated by the Shell's ZOrder manager...

 

[logicearth]

And where in WinApi is there ANYTHING.....

You just listed the very registry entries that govern said API. The applications in question do not honor it. If the applications honored it, they would not popup and steal focus while the user is actively typing.

BTW, the default values for ForegroundFlashCount, ForegroundLockTimeout in Windows 7 are: 7 and 200,000.

 

[CommonTater]

And where in WinApi is there ANYTHING.....

You just listed the very registry entries that govern said API. The applications in question do not honor it. If the applications honored it, they would not popup and steal focus while the user is actively typing.

OK... I'm not going to get into it with you.
I write Windows Api code in C for a living... I'm into the Api and it's documentation every single day ... so what could I possibly know?

 

[logicearth]

OK... I'm not going to get into it with you.
I write Windows Api code in C for a living... I'm into the Api and it's documentation every single day ... so what could I possibly know?

Application sets, ForegroundLockTimeout to zero (is the simplest, non-fully-fool-proof method), and does whatever opening a new windows that takes focus.

 

[CommonTater]

OK... I'm not going to get into it with you.
I write Windows Api code in C for a living... I'm into the Api and it's documentation every single day ... so what could I possibly know?

Application sets, ForegroundLockTimeout to zero (is the simplest, non-fully-fool-proof method), and does whatever opening a new windows that takes focus.

I see... Thing is user settings are loaded by the shell, once on log-in and not re-loaded until the next login. For the very reasons you cite, they are not available to change on the drop of a hat.

Ever noticed how many programs say you need to reboot or you need to log out then back in ... This is why... Rebooting is to reload changes in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE branch and log out-in is to reload changes in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch... because the programmer has no direct access to the live settings, in memory.

 

[too]

How can I just prevent from any window jump in front of whatever I'm doing and just blink on the task bar waiting for me to decide what to do, instead of interrupt me?
The DWORD ForegroundLockTimerout == 10000 just sets time but it will pop eventually right?

Thanks!

 

[chrysalis]

interesting on my main rig ForegroundLockTimeout is set to 0 but I dont remember setting it to that and now knowing what it does I cant see why I would set it to that, so an app set it without telling me?

 

[too]

What I would really like is to be able to have the warnings of what ever on the task bar only, nothing, absolutly nothing poping on my face interrupting me, no mater what.