active windows deactivating

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Guest

Ever since I have installed Windows Service Pack 2, I have been having a
problem with the window I am currently working in automatically deactivating
even while I am typingin the window. I have to click back in to activate the
window again and continue typing. Does anyone have an idea of what's going
on and how I can stop it?
 
Ever since I have installed Windows Service Pack 2, I have been having a
problem with the window I am currently working in automatically deactivating
even while I am typingin the window. I have to click back in to activate the
window again and continue typing. Does anyone have an idea of what's going
on and how I can stop it?
Click to expand...

Is it possible that Alt+Tab are accidentally being pressed? Perhaps resting
on the Alt key while typing without realizing it or the Alt key is stuck?
Reason I ask is that Alt+Tab is the keyboard shortcut for cycling through
open windows.
 
No. My hands never rest on the keyboard (good old high school typing class).
Also, it happens when I'm not even close to either of those keys, and
sometimes it happens when I'm not typing.
 
No. My hands never rest on the keyboard (good old high school typing class).
Also, it happens when I'm not even close to either of those keys, and
sometimes it happens when I'm not typing.
Click to expand...

The only explanations I can come up with for this type of behavior are
1) unintended input causing a switch to other windows (already posted). To
expand further, may want to check if the mouse buttons are sticking or set
to sensitively. Also any conductive material that has worked its way under
the keys (snip of cellophane or a bit of hair) could cause incorrect input
signals. Also wouldn't hurt to check cables of hardware to be sure that
they are not damaged.

2) If using wireless, another nearby device is causing problem input.

3) Applications stealing focus. Example, clicking away from a slow loading
web page and doing something else. When the web page finally loads, it pops
to the top. TweakUI for XP has a setting for adjusting this. Personally, I
use the setting that blinks the taskbar button of a "ready" program instead
of allowing it to steal focus. TweakUI is one of the Power toys for XP. A
link to the download can be found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/default.mspx

Also related to the focus stealing... Check the system for spyware. It's
presence and operation may be interfering with your normal work.
 
Sorry, I don't think any of those are the problem.
1) no dirty or sticking keys
2) no wireless
3) happens even when the only thing open is my email
 
Sorry, I don't think any of those are the problem.
1) no dirty or sticking keys
2) no wireless
3) happens even when the only thing open is my email
Click to expand...

Sorry, out of ideas on this one.
 
rogerrochelle said:
Ever since I have installed Windows Service Pack 2, I have been having a
problem with the window I am currently working in automatically deactivating
even while I am typingin the window. I have to click back in to activate the
window again and continue typing.
Click to expand...

Do you have single click activated? (e.g. 'display as link')
Are you using a laptop with a touch pad?
 
Not sure what you mean by "single click activated? (e.g. 'display as link')"
No, working on a normal desktop, with mouse.
 
Did you try checking for spyware? This was a problem in another thread
"unexpected switch to desktop", and using Spybot helped to solve the problem.
I had the problem too and so for it seems that it worked for me also.
 
thanks everyone for all your suggestions. I have solved the problem. It was
msmsgs.exe. I had shut it down a long time ago and apparently installing SP2
started it up again unbeknownst to me until I did some deeper probing. I
shut it down and I don't have the described problem anymore.
 
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