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Windows 11 File Explorer Bug Finally Fixed After More Than a Year

Some Windows 11 users were experiencing random File Explorer pop-ups that made them think they'd been hacked. A December patch update finally addresses the glitch.

 & Kegan Mooney Contributor

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Over a year after it was first reported, Microsoft has finally addressed a long-standing Windows 11 bug that saw File Explorer pop into the foreground unexpectedly,

As Windows Latest reports, the glitch has been a problem since at least October 2022, when hundreds of users reported via the Microsoft Feedback Hub that File Explorer was taking focus and disrupting ongoing tasks without warning.

Naturally, the random takeovers made some think their machines had been infected by malware and were being controlled by remote software, but that appears to not be the case.

A fix is rolling out in the latest Windows 11 update, designated as patch KB5033375. Microsoft's release notes specify: "This update addresses an issue that affects File Explorer windows. When you do not expect them, they appear in the foreground."

Some affected users experienced this disruptive behavior on an almost hourly basis, Windows Latest says. One user said via the Feedback Hub, “For crying out loud, it’s been over a year since people started complaining about this, and it is still happening.”

About Our Expert

Kegan Mooney

Kegan Mooney

Contributor

Kegan is a freelance writer based in Gloucester, UK. His work has been featured on MakeUseOf, How-To Geek, and Unboxed Reviews. He has a passion for everything tech-related and has been building PCs since a young age. If he’s not building PCs, he’s gaming on them.

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