Taskbar buttons don't bring active window to the front

sekaye · External Since: Apr 17, 2006 Posts: 1

tibault.damman RemoveThis @gmail.com Wrote:
> Had the exact same problem guys, clicking on the taskbar buttons just
> wouldn't bring the windows back...
> But, unlike you, I found a solution Wink

>
> http://tinyurl.com/kz4x
>
>
> That one did the trick for me.
> I hope it works for you guys too,
>
> Tibault

I installed the fix recommended here, but it did not work. I am still
having the same problem.

--
sekaye

Mike Jamesson · External Since: Mar 22, 2006 Posts: 7

I found the problem on my machine. I'm running a little utility called
"FreeRAM XP Pro", and I have it set to run at startup. Sometimes (not
always, of course!) it opens up an invisible window that (evidently) wants
input, like system modal (which I thought had been removed from XP.
Anyway...) Since I can't see it, I don't know it's there, but Windows reacts
with the symptoms we've all seen. So how, you ask, if I can't see it, did I
figure out it's there? I used a utility that comes with (Borland) Delphi
(and probably CBuilder), at least the older versions (4, 5, 6, 7) called
"WinSight32" that lets you see all windows, invisible or otherwise, that are
running. I saw this window, associated with the FreeRAM process, and killed
it. Haven't had the problem since (and that was weeks ago).

Now if everybody in this thread is running FreeRAM XP Pro (I'd be surprised,
but not shocked, I guess), then there's your culprit. Otherwise, I'd say
it's something similar: a bug in something you're running that creates an
invisible window that wants input.

Anyway, hope that helps

Mike

"sekaye" wrote:

>
> tibault.damman.RemoveThis@gmail.com Wrote:
> > Had the exact same problem guys, clicking on the taskbar buttons just
> > wouldn't bring the windows back...
> > But, unlike you, I found a solution Wink

> >
> > http://tinyurl.com/kz4x
> >
> >
> > That one did the trick for me.
> > I hope it works for you guys too,
> >
> > Tibault
>
> I installed the fix recommended here, but it did not work. I am still
> having the same problem.
>
>
> --
> sekaye
>

Barry · External Since: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 47

Well, I installed the xp_taskbar_desktop_fixall.vbs fix two weeks ago, and I
haven't had any trouble since. I don't know what it did, but it worked.
"Hey Doc, I'm cured!"

BGD
--
(Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult)
---------
PSC Scanning, Inc. assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any statements
made by me. I''m entirely on my own.

"Barry" wrote:

> I installed the fix this morning. We'll see how things go this week. I'll
> let you know.
>
> BGC
> --
> (Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult)
> ---------
> PSC Scanning, Inc. assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any statements
> made by me. I''m entirely on my own.
>
>
> "tibault.damman@gmail.com" wrote:
>
> > Had the exact same problem guys, clicking on the taskbar buttons just
> > wouldn't bring the windows back...
> > But, unlike you, I found a solution Wink

> >
> > http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/xp_taskbar_desktop_fixall.vbs
> >
> >
> > That one did the trick for me.
> > I hope it works for you guys too,
> >
> > Tibault
> >
> >

Wesley Vogel · External Since: Feb 23, 2004 Posts: 17940

> I found the problem on my machine. I'm running a little utility called
> "FreeRAM XP Pro",

Why do you feel that you need this program at all?

Windows XP will use whatever ram it feels is necessary and does not need any
3rd party programs to help.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:D1B50391-378E-4AF9-AFD0-2C6CA1A645E1@microsoft.com,
Mike Jamesson <MikeJamesson DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> hunted and pecked:
> I found the problem on my machine. I'm running a little utility called
> "FreeRAM XP Pro", and I have it set to run at startup. Sometimes (not
> always, of course!) it opens up an invisible window that (evidently) wants
> input, like system modal (which I thought had been removed from XP.
> Anyway...) Since I can't see it, I don't know it's there, but Windows
> reacts with the symptoms we've all seen. So how, you ask, if I can't see
> it, did I figure out it's there? I used a utility that comes with
> (Borland) Delphi (and probably CBuilder), at least the older versions (4,
> 5, 6, 7) called "WinSight32" that lets you see all windows, invisible or
> otherwise, that are running. I saw this window, associated with the
> FreeRAM process, and killed it. Haven't had the problem since (and that
> was weeks ago).
>
> Now if everybody in this thread is running FreeRAM XP Pro (I'd be
> surprised, but not shocked, I guess), then there's your culprit.
> Otherwise, I'd say it's something similar: a bug in something you're
> running that creates an invisible window that wants input.
>
> Anyway, hope that helps
>
> Mike
>
> "sekaye" wrote:
>
>>
>> tibault.damman DeleteThis @gmail.com Wrote:
>>> Had the exact same problem guys, clicking on the taskbar buttons just
>>> wouldn't bring the windows back...
>>> But, unlike you, I found a solution Wink

>>>
>>> http://tinyurl.com/kz4x
>>>
>>>
>>> That one did the trick for me.
>>> I hope it works for you guys too,
>>>
>>> Tibault
>>
>> I installed the fix recommended here, but it did not work. I am still
>> having the same problem.
>>
>>
>> --
>> sekaye

kurtesq · External Since: May 01, 2006 Posts: 1

I am no computer expert, but I tried this fix AND it stopped the
taskbar buttons problem BUT deleted all of my "startup notifications"
on my taskbar - which may not have been such a big deal, but I have to
access the DLInk button to "rescan" and activate my wireless
connection. I tried to activate DLink from the program file and
created a desktop shortcut - but was unable to activate.

I ended up having to system restore - it was during this restore that
I noticed that on April 17th Microsoft "Software Distribution Service
2.0" was apparently automatically installed. It was also around this
time that I encountered the taskbar button problem.

I restored to the system checkpoint immediately preceding April 17th
AND was able to restore my notifications AND it eliminated the taskbar
button problem.

I also found this link that discusses more problems created by "SDS
2.0":

http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/132337.html

Barry · External Since: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 47

Now that you mention it, the fix did cause a side effect on the task bar. My
startup notifications were unaffected, but my quick launch task bar was
turned off. It was easy to turn it back on from the Toolbar option of the
task bar pop-up menu.

Regards,

Barry

--
(Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult)
---------
PSC Scanning, Inc. assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any statements
made by me. I''m entirely on my own.

"kurtesq@yahoo.com" wrote:

> I am no computer expert, but I tried this fix AND it stopped the
> taskbar buttons problem BUT deleted all of my "startup notifications"
> on my taskbar - which may not have been such a big deal, but I have to
> access the DLInk button to "rescan" and activate my wireless
> connection. I tried to activate DLink from the program file and
> created a desktop shortcut - but was unable to activate.
>
> I ended up having to system restore - it was during this restore that
> I noticed that on April 17th Microsoft "Software Distribution Service
> 2.0" was apparently automatically installed. It was also around this
> time that I encountered the taskbar button problem.
>
> I restored to the system checkpoint immediately preceding April 17th
> AND was able to restore my notifications AND it eliminated the taskbar
> button problem.
>
> I also found this link that discusses more problems created by "SDS
> 2.0":
>
> http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/132337.html
>
>

Barry · External Since: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 47

Hello again:

After several months of use with the fix in place, it turns out that my
problem still crops up, but not as often. I've also been able to identify
some of the parameters effect the behavior:
1. The OS must be up for several days. I turn this system on & login
every
Monday morning and dont power it off until Friday afternoon. The
problem
has never occured before Wednesday afternoon.
2. The number of active windows. I keep a lot of applications running at
once,
many with multiple windows active. The problem has never occured when
less than 20 windows were active.
3. The number of windows displayed. The problem occurs when I try to
bring a
window to the front of an already large stack of displayed windows,
say 10
or more. (I don't know if this is a requirement or not. as I nearly
always have
that many windows displayed at a time.)

One brute force method of clearing the problem is to minimize every
displayed window and then restore them one by one as needed. This is
annoying but, since the problem now shows up less than once a month, I can
live with it.

If anyone finds a way of permanently curing this condition, please post it
here. Thanks.

--
Barry Carroll

(Cleverly disguised as a trained SW engineer.)
---------
PSC Scanning, Inc. assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any statements
made by me. I''''m entirely on my own.

"Barry" wrote:

> I installed the fix this morning. We'll see how things go this week. I'll
> let you know.
>
> BGC
> --
> (Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult)
> ---------
> PSC Scanning, Inc. assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any statements
> made by me. I''m entirely on my own.
>
>
> "tibault.damman@gmail.com" wrote:
>
> > Had the exact same problem guys, clicking on the taskbar buttons just
> > wouldn't bring the windows back...
> > But, unlike you, I found a solution Wink

> >
> > http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/xp_taskbar_desktop_fixall.vbs
> >
> >
> > That one did the trick for me.
> > I hope it works for you guys too,
> >
> > Tibault
> >
> >

Jørgen_Thomsen · External Since: Dec 15, 2006 Posts: 2

I solved the problem of flashing orange buttons on the taskbar and windows not
getting to the front by changing the
HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\ForegroundLockTimeout to 10 and loggged off / on
It had somehow been set to zero and not the default value of 200000

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/re...try/551

However, something is setting it back to zero after it has been read at logon, so
next time you logon, the problem is back Sad

- Jørgen

- Jørgen