Bundles/Applications Launch Open Behind the NALWIN Window and do not take focus

  • Document ID:7012330
  • Creation Date:26-Apr-2013
  • Modified Date:08-Oct-2014
    • Micro Focus Products:
      ZENworks Configuration Management

Environment

Novell ZENworks Configuration Management

Situation

When an application is launched from the NAL Window, it does not take focus from NALWIN.

Resolution

Ensure "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ForeGroundLockTimeout" has a REGDWORD value of 0.

Cause

ForeGroundLockTimeout is a Windows setting designed to prevent newly launched applications from taking focus from applications currently in focus.

Additional Information

The issue with apps launching behind others is related to the "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\ForeGroundLockTimeout" which is a Windows setting designed to prevent applications from stealing Focus.
ZCM will lower this value to Zero as part of the User Refresh, but changes to this setting are not effective until a login/logout.
Hence a new user logging into a device may not have an effective setting of zero until they logon to Windows again, despite the value appearing to be zero

However it is possible to edit the "Default User Profile" so the value is set as desired initially upon new profile creation.
In environments that use Volatile DLU Profiles or users frequently use different computers this is of increased value.
This is done by loading the NTUSER.DAT from the Default User's profile and editing it with the desired value.
 
Below are an XP and Windows 7 version of batch files to update the default value so that new users are created with the desired value of 0.
These Scripts are examples only, please be sure to test and verify any actual scripts used in a production environment.
(Note: The reason the scripts are different is to account for the different locations of the default user profiles ntuser.dat file)
 
Windows XP Batch File
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reg load HKLM\newuser "C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\ntuser.dat"
reg add "HKLM\newuser\control panel\desktop" /v ForeGroundLockTimeout /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg unload HKLM\newuser


Windows 7 Batch File
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reg load HKLM\newuser c:\users\default\ntuser.dat
reg add "HKLM\newuser\control panel\desktop" /v ForeGroundLockTimeout /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg unload HKLM\newuser


Combo Version w/Limited Testing (Will Try both paths so the good one loads and then writes the changes.)
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reg load HKLM\newuser c:\users\default\ntuser.dat
reg load HKLM\newuser "C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\ntuser.dat"
reg add "HKLM\newuser\control panel\desktop" /v ForeGroundLockTimeout /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg unload HKLM\newuser


Note: HKEY_USER\.Default is NOT the Default User Profile and editing this does NOT impact newly created users.
This is the key for the SYSTEM account as well as used prior to anyone being logged into the device.
I only note this fact since this key is often confused with th Default User profile used for newly created accounts.

Note: It is unlikely this setting will cause applications to steal focus from NALWIN 100% of the time, but should cause it to happen a large preponderance of the time.