Do Not Activate ArcGIS Pro Window While Loading if User has Switched Applications

[NathanHeickLACSD]

Well, I'm not versed in the proper terminology for this, but I hate it when I open ArcGIS Pro and start it loading up and then I switch to another app to do work in the mean time.  Routinely, it will reactivate ArcGIS Pro, what seems like multiple times.  If I switch from ArcGIS Pro to another app while it is loading, it should keep loading in the background and not reactivate itself. 

[Bud]

Related: ArcGIS Pro installation and license dialogs shouldn't pop up above virtual desktop

[TomMagdaleno]

Still having this problem at version 3.1.2. It steals it after I open the program and it steals it after it opens a project. I'l like it to just wait or flash.
1. Yes it is on a physical desktop computer
2. 2 monitors. It shifts from either monitor
3. Doesn't matter if maximized or small size
4. Doesn't matter which monitor
5. Add-Ins: I have Identify Window, ArcGIS Solutions Deployment Window,, and Crime Analysis add-ins. It says none can be loaded, they are pointing at versions 2.0 or 2.2. (I deleted these and same problem)

[bfindlay]

This is one of those annoying ArcGIS Pro behaviors we experience on our GIS team it would be nice to get this resolved. I check the registry settings suggested and my settings are good there (not set to 0).  We are are all on Window 10 Pro (22H2) PCs and Laptops. Here are my findings:

• Are you using Pro on a physical machine, a VM, or either a physical/VM through RDP?
• Physical machine, both a laptop and a desktop PC with ArcGIS Pro installed, the desktop sometimes accessed via RDP but not always.
• What version of Pro are you using & encountering this problem with?
• Currently using version 2.9.5 but recall experiencing this on all previous versions.
• Is this machine being used in a multi-monitor setup? If so:
  • Desktop – 2+ monitors
  • Laptop – laptop screen and second monitor but can replicate issue this using just the laptop without a second monitor.
  • Yes - Pro steals focus whether I am working in the main monitor where it is opening or if I am working in a secondary monitor, (i.e. steals focus from the application in my main monitor even if focus on an application in the secondary).
  • Both
• How many monitors?
• Does focus shift when Pro opens on your Main monitor (it should open there by default) and you're working within an application on a secondary/tertiary monitor;
• when Pro opens on your Main monitor and you're working within an application also on the Main monitor; or both?
• Does this issue only occur while Pro is launching in Full Screen mode, in Windowed mode, or both modes?
• Seems to happen in full screen mode and windowed mode, but occasionally in windowed mode the task bar icon will just flash like it should and it does not steal focus. This is intermittent and I can’t find a pattern to this behavior.
• Does this issue only occur while you're launching Pro standalone (i.e. searching for ArcGIS Pro in Start & launching it/double-clicking on the 'ArcGIS Pro' shortcut on your Desktop or Task Bar), when you're launching Pro via Opening a Project/aprx file, or both?
• Every way I launch it steals focus. Occurs when switching projects from the start screen, launching from the Start Menu, or when opening the .aprx file from Windows Explorer. 
• Do you have any custom configurations or admin settings that load while ArcGIS Pro is launching? If so, do any of these configurations modify the Home page that displays after Pro launches?
  • No custom configurations or admin settings
• For reference, Manage Application Settings: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/get-started/application-setting-management.htm
• Do you have any custom Add-Ins installed?
• No custom Add-ins installed
• Are there any observations you've made that don't fall into any of the questions above? If so, please include them. 
• Focus stealing happened as Pro starts to open initially then if focus shifts to another application Pro steals focus again a second time when the project is fully opened up.
• The focus stealing is somewhat intermittent but happens most of the time, perhaps less often if I last opened in window mode.
• When using dual monitors, it doesn’t seem to matter which start menu I choose (on either monitor – my display settings are set to extend the displays).

[RTPL_AU]

Currently, if you click away from Pro to do something useful while it is launching or opening a project, it will retake the focus from whatever application you were in.  This can happen multiple times. 
Workaround - Wait for Pro to finish starting up or opening a project while doing nothing else on that computer.

Please stop this. 
If I click away from Pro it is for a reason and retaking focus can cause typing errors or worst case, lost data in another application.

Expected behaviour:

1. Click to Open Pro
2. Click on another application and do something
3. When ready and happy, go back to the now open Pro instance and do something.

or 

1. Click to Open an existing project in an existing Pro session
2. Click on another application and do something
3. When ready and happy go back to the now open Pro project and do something.

[RTPL_AU]

@BradleyThompson1  @KoryKramer We've all now had instances where Esri staff cannot replicate what appears to me and others as "it has always been like that" behaviours.

All I can think is that Esri is using an SOE that changes the default Windows behaviour in such a way that it does not accurately reflect what many users have. 
The focus stealing behaviour of Pro, in my case (since starting to use Pro what feels like a decade ago...),  has been on multiple custom and branded computers using vanilla Win Professional 7, 10, 11 and local & domain accounts. I mostly only have Microsoft's AV solution active.
Data, templates, styles are stored on a network drive, usually on non-Microsoft SMB mounted to letter shares.

Is it possible for you to list some of the deviations from OOB that you run at Esri? Don't become a cyber risk but give us something we can work with contextually.
How locked down are your user accounts?
Are you running full and restrictive endpoint security tools? Some AV tools prevent focus stealing (used to back in the day, don't know about today).
Are your Pro installs done manually or pushed down from a device management system? Are they stock or have some options set globally?

Can you access a bare metal contemporary spec PC and do a vanilla Windows + Pro install on it and then do testing? 

Are your Windows installs full updated (MS Defaults) or do you cherry-pick updates centrally?

Understanding what your limitations are will allow us to better frame our ideas. What I've been doing in some cases is using Desktop Hyper-V and installing from a Microsoft sourced ISO + Esri Pro ISO without connecting  it to the internet at all except for grabbing a Pro license. This should be reproduceable for anyone with a modern PC/Laptop and Windows 11 Pro.

Maybe you can document a "Standard Idea Loading and Limiting Investigation Environment" using Hyper-V and Pro so that we are all on the same page and eliminate the "we can't replicate it" conversations that I have an aversion to.

[DougFenske]

I am not having this problem anymore. Apparently, something changed in my system that eliminated the behavior. I'm currently running W11 on an Azure virtual machine and using Pro 3.4.0.

If anyone wants to ask about something, feel free. I might be able to answer, but I'm behind a firewall so I might not be able to give out an answer.

[TomMagdaleno]

I'm not having the problem either but I just got a new computer with a fresh install and thought that was the reason.  If it is indeed permanently fixed I am very thankful.  No more half-typed passwords getting cut off by the interruption from Pro.   

[BillyBuerger]

Well, I just went to test this on my Win11 laptop running Pro 3.4.2.  First thing is that since 3.4.3 is available, the fact that I clicked off to test this caused the "update available" box to pop up over my other apps even though I can't even see Pro.  Just some ghost of a pop up unrelated to what I'm looking at.  Slightly unrelated but just another thing popping up over other things.  I don't see why this isn't just a message in the app instead of a pop-up.  In fact, now that it's gone away, there's nothing in Pro that specifically points out that there is an update.  It would be more helpful to me to have it display in the home screen where I pick my project instead of doing a pop-up.

Back on topic, when I open Pro directly, I'm not getting it pop up over my other apps.  But if I'm debugging with Visual Studio, it does on startup twice.  Once for the splash screen and then again for when the main application opens up.  But it's not doing it after opening the project like I've seen before.  The overall point is that it seems a bit on the random side and probably has a lot of Windows related items that could be leading to this that may or may not be directly Pro related.  But it still is something that I only really ever see with Pro.