windows opening behind windows

[Niall]

For some reason my system has started opening windows behind, say Firefox. I don't know if Firefox is the problem, or it's a setting that somehow has been altered on the PC.

This started happening this morning. I've no idea what I've done, but I've not deliberately altered anything and checking through the menus in Windows and in Firefox, I just cant see an option that keeps any program on top, rather than it's default setting. Searching google has got me nowhere either.

Anyone offer any ideas? I'm stumped (and getting more irritated as each email or msn message is received and hidden behind Firefox!)

[Glenn]

Is the box to open a new window as a tab ticked?

[Niall]

No, I mean windows7 windows opening behind Firefox. They'll sit there in the taskbar flashing that there's new email or messages on messenger, but clicking on them no longer brings them to the front so I can access them, where before it would do. The only way to see them is to minimise Firefox, read them, etc and then maximise Firefox again.

[Niall]

Well I've rebooted now and it's all working again. No idea what caused that. I've never seen that before. Probably an explorer quirk.

[pctech]

Seen that very occasionally myself, must be something gone strange with explorer.exe (the Windows User Interface process)

You can also always try killing the process in Task Manager as it will automatically restart.

[Technical Ben]

Might be a certain window got stuck in requesting "top" or something. IE, always active. I know things like Widgets and Temp monitors can be set to always be on top.
You can do little things like setting windows to work in strange ways, such as "always minimise new windows" or whatever. But no idea why they get set on/off at random times.
I blame the cat walking on the keyboard.

[pctech]

I've seen what he's talking about on a very few occasions on XP also.

Never quite sure what has caused the explorer screw up.