Active Windows disappear

10 Girl · 15 Apr 2016

Hello. I am extremely frustrated with my new laptop. When I click on a window to make it active, it buries itself instead. I have to try like 15 times to get Cortina to stay open and on top, as well as many other program windows. I try using Task view and for instance yesterday I was trying to look something up for someone I was on the phone with in Excel, and it just WOULD NOT stay up and open. When I am working in Publisher or Word, and I go to the view tab to switch windows to another file or tile the files, it WILL NOT WORK. When a dialogue box pops up that requires attention, like pressing the Allow button, I can'tell press it. Simply trying to touch it with the cursor makes the whole active window disappear and bury itself. When I try to get it back with Task view it doesn't work. I am extremely frustrated. I can'tell be productive and get work done!

dalchina · 16 Apr 2016

Hi, presumably you've upgraded from '7 to '10.

It sounds as though sthg may be conflicting with Windows normal operation.

Please try the following:

Create a System Restore point so you can reverse all changes easily (note: in Win 10 S Restore is disabled by default)

then

a. Do a clean boot:
Clean Boot - Perform in Windows 10 to Troubleshoot Software Conflicts - Windows 10 Forums

then if the symptom is still present after a clean boot and while still in a clean boot
b.
Download and install Shellexview (free- just search)
Install, run, hide all MS items. (Disabling them makes life hard).
Disable all others.
See if your symptom persists.
Note in x64 Windows, there is also a 32 bit option in Shellexview
Use that and disable more.
See if your symptom persists.

If at any stage your symptom disappears, progressively reverse the changes until you identify a cause.

Finally, noting the cause, and checking for any second cause for completeness, use your system restore point to get back to where yuo were originally.

If you have identified a cause, now take appropriate action (e.g. disable a shell extension, uninstall a program.....)

Good luck!

Martin Nowers · 08 Jun 2018

Hello 10 Girl, I am having the same prob. The only short-term solution I have found is to minimise (or close if you don't need to keep) the panes on top of your active pane. You can always bring back the panes you have minimised by clicking on the appropriate icon on your taskbar. It's a comfort to know I am not alone in facing this horrible problem, and I hope we can both find a solution before we become 100% doo-lally.

All ye best, Martin

raaldo · 12 Aug 2021

I may have found a solution. Uncheck "activate a window by hovering ..." in Ease of Access Center --> Make Mouse Easier to Use which you can access from the Control Panel.