The VideoLAN Forums

When opening videos, VLC loses focus (goes to the background) and forces me to click on it (via the taskbar) just to regain focus. (This occurs on every video, with the exception of the first.)

Any fix/suggestions?

OS: Windows 7

Anyone?

You use default QT4 interface?

Yes, I believe so, everything is default. I've also tried uninstalling/reinstalling (while deleting prefs)

To be more specific:

Step 1: I browse for a video I want to watch through Windows Explorer.
Step 2: I open a video, VLC plays it.
Step 3. I open a different video to watch through Windows Explorer.
Step 4. VLC does not regain focus and it just plays the new video in the background. The only way I can see it again is to click on VLC in the taskbar...

(This didn't happen in XP.)

Running VLC 1.03 Goldeneye on Windows 7 Pro (Just using the basic Aero theme.)

Step 3. I open a different video to watch through Windows Explorer.

You double click file or right click and select certain option?

Double click

Thanks. The issue must be in --started-from-file and one instance settings.

What needs to be changed? The only setting I found that sounds familiar to what you mentioned was "One instance when started from file". If I uncheck this, then there are multiple instances of VLC (1 per video) and I'd like to keep it down to 1 instance to open all my videos. This worked before in XP, I'm not sure why it isn't in 7. My VLC is a clean install with all default settings.

I don't think you can change anything (this requires VLC code changes).

Is it just me, or is this a problem among other Windows 7 users as well?

It's a problem for all Win 7 users at the moment.

Are there any plans to have this fixed soon? I truly hope so because if it effects all Windows 7 users then this will become a very time consuming and troubling issue on a larger scale.

If anyone has clue what has changed in Windows 7 focus behavior and shares the info to us, I could maybe fix this. I didn't find any clue why would window lose focus on Windows 7, but not on other Windows versions.

Pleeeeeeeease fix this.. I've been using WMP as a temporary solution but I really want to go back to using VLC as my main video player but I can't with this particular issue

Can we please raise this issue higher on the list to be resolved? (By the way, problem still exists in 1.0.5 Goldeneye)

Can we please raise this issue higher on the list to be resolved?

There isn't any common priority list. Devs mostly do what they want or can.

i have a specific lost focus issue in vista - maybe there is a fix via preferences for this:-

VLC is default MP3 player. I open a data folder, double click a file, VLC plays it and focus shifts to VLC - all good.

but if I return to the file folder and click another file, while the 1st one is still palyingVlc starts to play that, as it should , but focus remains with the data folder. I want it to always shift to VLC.
I try to duplicate the issue in XP, make VLC the default for MP3, play a file as before - OK - click on another file while that is playing - , now not only do I lose focus but VLC minimises itself to task bar.
help please. both PCs have same VLC preferences - allow only 1 instance. play immediately wehen added to playlist...

so - no joy on resolving this. looks like my "fix" will be to change default MP3 player from VLC to Zoom - no focus issues when using that!

because I need to select & control audio files via a remote control + intelliremote interface when teaching, the focus issue is a showstopper - I lose control of the VLC window, unless I program extra next/prev windows task buttons on my remote, in order to get back there, which is an unwanted annoyance.