*** [FIXED] *** "Steam keeps deselecting active windows"

[Yinitzu]

This has been going on for about a month or so.

Basically the problem is, that Steam is deselecting my active window, regardless if it's linked to Steam or not.
If I turn on Steam, it does it for example in Google Chrome, Discord, Steam itself, on games on any platform (Origin, Steam, uPlay, although this only occurs if the games are not on fullscreen).

It has started doing this about a month ago and it's still going on.
I've tried changing my keyboard and mouse, reinstalling all possible drivers, shutting down every background program and clearing my temp folders etc. and even reinstalling Steam itself.
None of them have worked at all. It still keeps doing this. Writing this thread was a nightmare and I'd need to have Steam open while playing games like Unturned, which only support fullscreen borderless. Besides I like to play games with that setting, so I'd like to get this working.

And before pointing out any obvious things like the keyboard problems or interfering programs... No it's impossible, as this problem only occurs when I open Steam. The second I shut it down, it stops doing that.

I also can't open Steam in-game browser, look at people's profiles on the client, or access anything else, but my Library. It just gives me a black screen!


EDIT:

The problem has been fixed
Marked Washell's answer as the topic answer. You should follow their instructions, as this is what I consider the most likely issue.

-imprv

[ReBoot]

What do you mean? "Deselecting active windows" I don't understand.

[Yinitzu]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

What do you mean? "Deselecting active windows" I don't understand.

Basically whenever I have a window active (I'm doing something) such as Google Chrome, it deselects it, just like I would click somewhere outside the window. Then it take a about a second and the window turns back active for 5 seconds again.

[ReBoot]

And when exactly does it happen?

[Yinitzu]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

And when exactly does it happen?

Like I said, every time I have steam on this happens!

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by improvibatur:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

And when exactly does it happen?

Like I said, every time I have steam on this happens!

"When I have Steam on" means that as long as Steam is running, you can't select any other window.

[Yinitzu]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by improvibatur:

Like I said, every time I have steam on this happens!

"When I have Steam on" means that as long as Steam is running, you can't select any other window.

No offense but did you even read my problem?

It keeps DESELECTING ACTIVE WINDOWS!

Meaning that when I have an active window such as Chrome (that I am using currently for example) I can use it fine for 5 seconds. Then for 1 second it goes inactive and after that I can use it fine for another 5 seconds.

You can get a hang of it, if you use your web browser while opening something on the background. It might go inactive, as it tries to select some other window, or load something.

For me, it isn't opening or loading anything. It just goes inactive every 5 seconds.

But yes as long as Steam is running, I have this issue. The second I shut Steam down, the problem doesn't happen anymore. I can try to do a video capture out of this to show you what it does if you didn't get it.

[ReBoot]

Does Steam push iself into foreground or does the current window just become, well, blocked?

[Washell]

It's called stealing focus: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-prevent-programs-from-stealing-focus-in-windows-2624453

Steam, as shipped by Valve, does not do this. These forums would be absolutely flooded with complaints if it did. The steam client in itself though is 10% client and 90% browser, which means there's plenty of potential for malicious software both in- and outside the Steam folder to hi-jack things.

The simplest way to fix this is to backup your data, taking care to exclude scripts, executables and documents with potential scripts you got from the internet, and then re-install the PC.

The more complex way would be to use AV/antimalware tools to see if you can track down the actual culprit, or a tool like the windows focus logger[www.adminscope.com] to see if it identifies to process working through steam.exe.

I wouldn't actually do a workaround like the above article unless you're 100% sure it isn't malware but just a weird glitch specific to your PC. Getting a bill in the mail for a maxed out credit card is even less fun when you're not the one who spent the money.

[Yinitzu]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Does Steam push iself into foreground or does the current window just become, well, blocked?

The current window just gets inactive. I can click and activate it again, or wait for 1 second and then it does it by itself.

[Ceylia]

I have the same problem since yesterday. Can you please tell me how you fixed it?

[76561198336489928]

Originally posted by Yinitzu:

This has been going on for about a month or so.

Basically the problem is, that Steam is deselecting my active window, regardless if it's linked to Steam or not.
If I turn on Steam, it does it for example in Google Chrome, Discord, Steam itself, on games on any platform (Origin, Steam, uPlay, although this only occurs if the games are not on fullscreen).

It has started doing this about a month ago and it's still going on.
I've tried changing my keyboard and mouse, reinstalling all possible drivers, shutting down every background program and clearing my temp folders etc. and even reinstalling Steam itself.
None of them have worked at all. It still keeps doing this. Writing this thread was a nightmare and I'd need to have Steam open while playing games like Unturned, which only support fullscreen borderless. Besides I like to play games with that setting, so I'd like to get this working.

And before pointing out any obvious things like the keyboard problems or interfering programs... No it's impossible, as this problem only occurs when I open Steam. The second I shut it down, it stops doing that.

So I'd like to get a solution for this!

EDIT:

I also can't open Steam in-game browser, look at people's profiles on the client, or access anything else, but my Library. It just gives me a black screen!

-imprv

still facing this problem ffs
its exactly the same !!

[Yinitzu]

Originally posted by Titan:

Originally posted by Yinitzu:

This has been going on for about a month or so.

Basically the problem is, that Steam is deselecting my active window, regardless if it's linked to Steam or not.
If I turn on Steam, it does it for example in Google Chrome, Discord, Steam itself, on games on any platform (Origin, Steam, uPlay, although this only occurs if the games are not on fullscreen).

It has started doing this about a month ago and it's still going on.
I've tried changing my keyboard and mouse, reinstalling all possible drivers, shutting down every background program and clearing my temp folders etc. and even reinstalling Steam itself.
None of them have worked at all. It still keeps doing this. Writing this thread was a nightmare and I'd need to have Steam open while playing games like Unturned, which only support fullscreen borderless. Besides I like to play games with that setting, so I'd like to get this working.

And before pointing out any obvious things like the keyboard problems or interfering programs... No it's impossible, as this problem only occurs when I open Steam. The second I shut it down, it stops doing that.

So I'd like to get a solution for this!

EDIT:

I also can't open Steam in-game browser, look at people's profiles on the client, or access anything else, but my Library. It just gives me a black screen!

-imprv

still facing this problem ffs
its exactly the same !!

I believe it was a malware for me, although the malware was mostly affecting my browser (Google Chrome). I marked Washell's answer as the topic answer, because those are the things that come to my mind. I believe the problem originally fixed itself but I did later reinstall Google Chrome to get rid of the problems with it. After that I've had no problems like this at all.