Windows Key + PowerToys Run focus issue

[KarimNekzad]

Microsoft PowerToys version

"0.61.1"

Running as admin

• [X] Yes

Area(s) with issue?

PowerToys Run

Steps to reproduce

Press the windows key to bring up the main OS search menu. Press the default key bind shortcut for PowerToys Run, Alt + Spacebar, and try to input any search term.

✔️ Expected Behavior

PowerToys Run should be given focus priority.

❌ Actual Behavior

Focus is given to the main menu search rather than PowerToys Run. Even if the user presses esc to close the main menu, Run is still not given focus.

Other Software

No response

[Aaron-Junker]

I can repro this.

@jaimecbernardo Is this something we can fix?

[marvin-te]

Got the same issue.

Don't even have to have the Start Menu open for this.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open the Windows start menu by clicking on it with your mouse
2. Close the start menu again by clicking on the start button with your mouse
   • In most cases you will notice that the window you have been using previously will not be higlighted in the taskbar anymore
   • The issue only appears when this is the case. If it's not, repeat from step 1
3. Open PowerToys Run using the familiar shortcut and start typing
4. No text will be entered in PT Run; Esc key won't close it; clicking into the background won't close it; you need to click into its search box to interact with it

Tested while writing this on Windows 10 22H2 with PowerToys v0.66.0 but remember to have similar expierences on my Windows 11 machine.

Would love to see this fixed because I ever too often run into the scenario of searching sth using the start menu (old habits) not finding what I need or the search just taking ages (esp. in win11). Then I just close out of the start menu and open PT Run instead, but cannot type in it.

[SteffanDonal]

+1 to this issue.

This appears to be a problem specifically occurring when:

• The mouse cursor is over the taskbar.
• The foreground window loses focus to the taskbar after invoking the start menu.

You may also reproduce this reliably by following these steps:

1. Ensure you have a window focused, and your mouse rests on the taskbar.
2. Open the start menu by clicking or pressing the windows key.
3. Close the start menu by clicking or pressing the windows key, or clicking the taskbar directly.
4. If your focused window remains focused, click the taskbar. Otherwise, continue.
5. Notice that there is now no active window on the taskbar.
6. Invoke the Run shortcut.
7. It will not have keyboard focus. There is no way to dismiss it unless you click the run window itself or open/close the start menu again.

I have observed this behaviour in other cases on my system, and I am using administrator mode with the centralised keyboard hook.

[Jay-o-Way]

Is this still an issue with the latest version? /needinfo

[marvin-te]

@Jay-o-Way

Is this still an issue with the latest version?

Yep, still is. (just updated to v0.80.1 and tried it)

[microsoft-github-policy-service[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 5 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 5 days of this comment.

[microsoft-github-policy-service[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 5 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 5 days of this comment.

[marvin-te]

Here are two things, that came to my mind and might or might not be relevant to why you cannot reproduce the issue:

1. I last checked this on my work laptop, which runs Win10. I haven't checked back on it on Win11, yet.
2. I remapped the shortcut from (iirc the default was) Alt+Space to Win+Space

Hope this helps so far. Will check on Win11 as soon as I am on my personal PC again.

[Jay-o-Way]

Can reproduce now, with different hotkeys.

[ScottWilliamAnderson]

Here are two things, that came to my mind and might or might not be relevant to why you cannot reproduce the issue:

1. I last checked this on my work laptop, which runs Win10. I haven't checked back on it on Win11, yet.

2. I remapped the shortcut from (iirc the default was) `Alt+Space` to `Win+Space`

Hope this helps so far. Will check on Win11 as soon as I am on my personal PC again.

I have the same issue, reproducible on Windows 11