Child window opens behind main window

[horst engel]

Since a few weeks quite often (but not always!) when I click on a button
which creates a child window (like selection of a file in a directory,
or an alert etc) nothing apparently happens except that I cannot do
anything on the main window.
Actually the child window has opened, but stays behind the main window!
So I have 3 choices: press Alt-F4 (which doesn't always work) or
minimize all windows and then reopen them again (which does'nt always
work either). The 3rd choice is to kill the program!
This may happen in nearly all programs.
I tried to solve this problem with Tweak UI (Prevent application from
stealing focus) but it didn't work.
Any suggestion?
Thanks
Horst

 

[Robbie Hatley]

Re: Child window opens behind main window


"horst engel" wrote:

> Since a few weeks quite often (but not always!) when I click on a
> button which creates a child window (like selection of a file in
> a directory, or an alert etc) nothing apparently happens except
> that I cannot do anything on the main window.

Hmmm. Sounds like a fault in the DLL files controlling windowing.
A modal-child window should always be on TOP of the locked-out
parent window. Even if you click the background parent window,
removing focus from the child, the child should STILL be on top.

Now, some programs do spawn NON-modal child windows, and those CAN
be behind the parent; but they don't lock-out the controls of the
parent like modal windows do.

> Actually the child window has opened, but stays behind the main window!
> So I have 3 choices: press Alt-F4 (which doesn't always work) or
> minimize all windows and then reopen them again (which does'nt always
> work either). The 3rd choice is to kill the program!

Have you tried Alt-Tab? While holding down the left Alt key with
your left thumb, repeatedly tap the Tab key with your left
forefinger. That brings up a box with all your running programs,
and allows you to select the program you want to switch to.
Sometimes child windows show up as separate programs, sometimes
not.

> This may happen in nearly all programs. I tried to solve this
> problem with Tweak UI (Prevent application from stealing focus)
> but it didn't work. Any suggestion?

Sounds to me like some system file (user32.dll, maybe) is
damaged. But others here may have other knowledge.


--
Cheers,
Robbie Hatley
lonewolf aatt well dott com
www dott well dott com slant user slant lonewolf slant