[SOLVED] Extra click after tabbing into a window

[Ethan_E]

I recently updated Windows to build 19042 and ever since then it has taken an extra click to be able to type or interact with a window. If I open my search bar I can't immediately type but instead have to click into the search bar to be able to type. Especially frustrating is using alt + tab because after tabbing into a window or game because I can't interact with it until clicking almost as though it isn't my active window. I can't find anyone else having this issue and it's extremely frustrating to deal with. Is there a way to fix this?

 

[rgd1101]

If I open my search bar I can't immediately type but instead have to click into the search bar to be able to type.

you mean the cursor is not on the search bar when you open it?

 

[Ethan_E]

you mean the cursor is not on the search bar when you open it?

In Chrome the cursor is flashing in the address bar as soon as I open it, it just doesn't allow me to type until I click into the box again. It isn't limited to that though, it seems like even when I'm focused on a window I need to click into it again for it to actually allow me to interact with it.

 

[Colif]

something is stealing focus

Try a clean boot and see if it changes anything - make sure to read instructions and make sure NOT to disable any microsoft services or windows won't load right - https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows

All it does is stops programs at startup, they still exist on PC. Easy enough to reverse.

if clean boot fixes it, it shows its likely a startup program. You should, over a number of startups. restart the programs you stopped to isolate the one that is to blame.

 

[Ethan_E]

The clean boot seemed to fix the issue with chrome but games still tab out after launching. Since I play CS:GO in a 4:3 stretched resolution it makes it impossible to tab back into the game once I tab out. I've also completely uninstalled Adobe Creative Cloud because in the past it has caused some issues but that didn't seem to work either. This current install of Windows is only a few weeks old, is it possible it's some setup option that I clicked that is causing this?

 

[rgd1101]

test in safe mode?
malware scan the system?
what tool/utility are you running on the background?

 

[Ethan_E]

Just scanned with Malwarebytes, had nothing detected.
I have Epic Games running (for Rocket League), Wallpaper Engine, Nvidia control panel, Malwarebytes, and Bakkesmod for Rocket League.
After restarting a few times while testing different services the problem with typing came back but disabling the service I enabled didn't help. Nothing I have installed is any different from my previous Windows installation and I never had this issue with that installation before.
Trying safe mode now.

Update:
Safe mode allowed me to use the chrome search bar and windows search bar as normal but I couldn't test games. I'm now updating my graphics driver and disabling Nvidia's overlay to see if that does anything.

 

[Ethan_E]

I completely removed Geforce Experience from my PC but it didn't change anything. Is there a way of telling what process has focus when this is happening?

 

[rgd1101]

could have task manger open and see if any process get a jump

 

[Ethan_E]

Could turning on enhanced virtualization cause this? I recently ran a VM for something but my issues with tabbing didn't start until a few days after that.

 

[Colif]

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-prevent-programs-from-stealing-focus-in-windows-2624453 << not helpful. they all start with uninsitalling app... um, we need to know its name first.

so clean boot only fixed some of it?
safe mode fixed more, so drivers?

Can you download and run Driverview - http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/driverview.html

All it does is looks at drivers installed; it won't install any (this is intentional as 3rd party driver updaters often get it wrong)

When you run it, go into view tab and set it to hide all Microsoft drivers, will make list shorter.

Now its up to you, you can look through the drivers and try to find old drivers, or you can take a screenshot from (and including)Driver name to (and including)Creation date.

upload it to an image sharing website and show link here

All I would do is look at driver versions (or dates if you lucky to have any) to see what might have newer versions.

 

[Ethan_E]

After updating a few driver it has seemed to fix the issue, thanks for the help!