ForegroundLockTimeout setting doesn't stick

[CrazyTim]

When using ASC Diagnose System | System Optimization | System Configuration, ASC recommends a setting of "0" for the registry key ForegroundLockTimeout. If I repair this item and then reboot, the Current Value reverts back to 10000 each time, and ASC ends up recommending to repair it again.

 

See the attached screen shot.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thx!

 

CT

[solbjerg]

Hi Tim

Does it change the value in the registry after the repair?

And then change it again after a reboot?

Have you at one time previously placed that setting (10000) in your ignore list?

Cheers

solbjerg

 

When using ASC Diagnose System | System Optimization | System Configuration, ASC recommends a setting of "0" for the registry key ForegroundLockTimeout. If I repair this item and then reboot, the Current Value reverts back to 10000 each time, and ASC ends up recommending to repair it again.

 

See the attached screen shot.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thx!

 

CT

[CrazyTim]

Does it change the value in the registry after the repair?

And then change it again after a reboot?

Have you at one time previously placed that setting (10000) in your ignore list?

 

>>Does it change the value in the registry after the repair?

 

Yes, solbjerg. I can close ASC, then immediately open it and rescan and the value must be changed to 0, as it doesn't come up as recommending a repair. I can physically check the registry with regedit if you want.

 

>>And then change it again after a reboot?

 

Yes. I do nothing more than the repair, close ASC, reboot, and open ASC and rescan and the recommended repair is there again.

 

>>Have you at one time previously placed that setting (10000) in your ignore list?

 

Nope. I think I've only got 4 items in my ignore list now, that is the most I've had there, and ForegroundLockTimeout was never in it.

 

If you do a scan, does the recommended repair appear in your list? Just curious.

 

OH yeah... XP Pro SP3 if you're wondering.

 

CT

[solbjerg]

Hi Tim

Yes I was wondering what it said in the registry if you looked manually.

And yes, the recommended repair is shown by me - if you mean under "problems".

Cheers

solbjerg

 

>>Does it change the value in the registry after the repair?

 

Yes, solbjerg. I can close ASC, then immediately open it and rescan and the value must be changed to 0, as it doesn't come up as recommending a repair. I can physically check the registry with regedit if you want.

 

>>And then change it again after a reboot?

 

Yes. I do nothing more than the repair, close ASC, reboot, and open ASC and rescan and the recommended repair is there again.

 

>>Have you at one time previously placed that setting (10000) in your ignore list?

 

Nope. I think I've only got 4 items in my ignore list now, that is the most I've had there, and ForegroundLockTimeout was never in it.

 

If you do a scan, does the recommended repair appear in your list? Just curious.

 

OH yeah... XP Pro SP3 if you're wondering.

 

CT

[CrazyTim]

Yes I was wondering what it said in the registry if you looked manually.

And yes, the recommended repair is shown by me - if you mean under "problems".

 

OK, before running ASC and repairing the ForegroundLockTimeout setting, I find these entries in my registry...

 

See screen shots.

 

Note that the first 1.JPG screen for the My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop entry has a ForegroundLockTimeout key value set to 10000.

 

The second 2.JPG screen shot is for the My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop entry and the ForegroundLockTimeout key is set to 200000. (One more zero there if you didn't notice.)

 

The third 3.JPG screen shot is for the My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\S-1-5-18\Control Panel\Desktop entry and the ForegroundLockTimeout key is set to 200000.

 

Then I have entries that read

 

My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\S-1-5-19\Control Panel\Desktop

 

My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\S-1-5-20\Control Panel\Desktop

 

that are both set to 200000, just like S-1-5-18 is.

 

Finally, the fourth 4.JPG screen shot. For My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\S-1-5-21-1275210071-1682526488-839522115-1003\Control Panel\Desktop the ForegroundLockTimeout key is set to 10000 again.

 

I would REALLY like to know why this last entry looks so different from the others. OK registry gurus, this is your entrance line in this drama. Jump in.

 

FWIW, this computer is set to having only one (1) user. ermmm... and the Administrator, I guess. I'm not saying that more users weren't created accidentally during network setup, though. It took me a while and a few tries to get that sorted.

 

Those are ALL the places where ForegroundLockTimeout is found in my registry.

 

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

 

Now I'll use ASC to Repair the ForegroundLockTimeout key.

 

Now the ForegroundLockTimeout key value for My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop has been changed to 0.

 

.DEFAULT is still set to 200000.

 

S-1-5-18 is still set to 200000.

 

S-1-5-19 is still set to 200000.

 

S-1-5-20 is still set to 200000.

 

and

 

S-1-5-21-1275210071-1682526488-839522115-1003 has been changed to 0.

 

 

OK, now I'll reboot and look at those values again in the registry. They should be changed back to how they were above the •••••• line. If they aren't, I'll let you know.

 

I'll also go into the the registry and manually change each value to 0, then reboot, and see if those changes stick. I'll let you know, either way.

 

Thx!

 

CT

 

BRB

[CrazyTim]

Heeeeump.

 

Well, as my good Chinese friend says, "This is vealy, vealy clazy!" http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/confused/confused0064.gif

 

Even with manually, hand editing the windows registry with regedit to set all those key values to 0, the two 10000 values, for the first and last entries listed in my message above, come back after a reboot. The others' key values, which were hand edited from 200000 to 0, stay at 0. This happens EVEN with Windows System Restore turned OFF. (I know. I know.) Weird behavior indeed. If fluffy ain't dead, Jimmy, he's certainly been in the catnip at least.

 

Now we're gonna' get real funky. I decided to http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sign/sign0012.gif and stated looking at Microsloth KB articles. See this Microsloth page http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886217, which has information about ForegroundLockTimeout. They themselves even suggest you hand edit it with regedit to set the value to 0. I wonder if Microsloth knows it doesn't work, or stick... at least not any longer?

 

I also have TweakUI, and tried what they talk about in the "Use the Tweak UI utility" section of that web page at the bottom. If I follow Microslouth's instructions, that is:

 

Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

 

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Powertoys for Windows XP, and then click Tweak UI.

2. Expand General, and then click Focus.

3. Click to clear the Prevent applications from stealing focus check box, and then click OK.

 

 

and uncheck the box in TweakUI that they talk about, i.e. "Prevent applications from stealing focus," that box ends up being checked again after a reboot, also. Yes, it rechecks itself... or is rechecked again when you open TweakUI right after the reboot.

 

I can even set the keys to 0 and do the TweakUI unchecking thing at the same time before rebooting, and they both/all revert. http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/confused/confused0024.gif

 

So, at this point I'm thinking Microsloth coded SP3 somewhere, or within some update, so that ForegroundLockTimeout will be reset to >10000 no matter what someone does. I'm guessing they had a problem with it set to 0.

 

Anyway, the problem isn't with ASC. However, if I were them, I would take the recommended setting out of their suggestion list, or make the suggestion 10000 -- in case someone is set to 200000

 

I'm gonna hand edit them all back to 10000, and then tell ASC to ignore it. I doubt I would ever notice much speed difference anyway, Though it is an interesting conundrum, I'm tired of working on it. My popcorn's gettin' cold.

 

http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sign/sign0008.gif

 

Thx,

 

CT

 

P.S. Concerning those other weird registry entries I couldn't identify. I think they either may have to do with System Restore point values; or settings for other computers on your peer-to-peer network -- perhaps permissions related; or default restore values. That is, if they aren't other users' info.

 

 

/me ties his hands behind his back to prevent himself from editing the registry any further, and shoves his head into a bucket of popcorn.

[solbjerg]

Hi Tim

I have 3 at 200000 and one at 0 (zero), and get no "problems" at all??

Cheers

solbjerg

 

Heeeeump.

 

Well, as my good Chinese friend says, "This is vealy, vealy clazy!" http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/confused/confused0064.gif

 

Even with manually, hand editing the windows registry with regedit to set all those key values to 0, the two 10000 values, for the first and last entries listed in my message above, come back after a reboot. The others' key values, which were hand edited from 200000 to 0, stay at 0. This happens EVEN with Windows System Restore turned OFF. (I know. I know.) Weird behavior indeed. If fluffy ain't dead, Jimmy, he's certainly been in the catnip at least.

 

Now we're gonna' get real funky. I decided to http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sign/sign0012.gif and stated looking at Microsloth KB articles. See this Microsloth page http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886217, which has information about ForegroundLockTimeout. They themselves even suggest you hand edit it with regedit to set the value to 0. I wonder if Microsloth knows it doesn't work, or stick... at least not any longer?

 

I also have TweakUI, and tried what they talk about in the "Use the Tweak UI utility" section of that web page at the bottom. If I follow Microslouth's instructions, that is:

 

Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

 

 

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Powertoys for Windows XP, and then click Tweak UI.

 

2. Expand General, and then click Focus.

 

3. Click to clear the Prevent applications from stealing focus check box, and then click OK.

 

and uncheck the box in TweakUI that they talk about, i.e. "Prevent applications from stealing focus," that box ends up being checked again after a reboot, also. Yes, it rechecks itself... or is rechecked again when you open TweakUI right after the reboot.

 

I can even set the keys to 0 and do the TweakUI unchecking thing at the same time before rebooting, and they both/all revert. http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/confused/confused0024.gif

 

So, at this point I'm thinking Microsloth coded SP3 somewhere, or within some update, so that ForegroundLockTimeout will be reset to >10000 no matter what someone does. I'm guessing they had a problem with it set to 0.

 

Anyway, the problem isn't with ASC. However, if I were them, I would take the recommended setting out of their suggestion list, or make the suggestion 10000 -- in case someone is set to 200000

 

I'm gonna hand edit them all back to 10000, and then tell ASC to ignore it. I doubt I would ever notice much speed difference anyway, Though it is an interesting conundrum, I'm tired of working on it. My popcorn's gettin' cold.

 

http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sign/sign0008.gif

 

Thx,

 

CT

 

P.S. Concerning those other weird registry entries I couldn't identify. I think they either may have to do with System Restore point values; or settings for other computers on your peer-to-peer network -- perhaps permissions related; or default restore values. That is, if they aren't other users' info.

 

 

/me ties his hands behind his back to prevent himself from editing the registry any further, and shoves his head into a bucket of popcorn.

[CrazyTim]

solbjerg,

 

What O/S?

[solbjerg]

:-)

Hi Tim

XP sp3

Cheers

solbjerg

p.s. by the way - when I only searched for "foreground-" one time, only the instance with the value 0 was found, but if I made further searches it found those with the value 200000 which should be the default setting. They were found in the same address, if I searched several times. If I then closed the registry - waited a bit - and then tried again it only found the value 0.

What is your transparacy setting - recommended?

 

solbjerg,

 

What O/S?

[CrazyTim]

:-)

Hi Tim

XP sp3

Cheers

solbjerg

p.s. by the way - when I only searched for "foreground-" one time, only the instance with the value 0 was found, but if I made further searches it found those with the value 200000 which should be the default setting. They were found in the same address, if I searched several times. If I then closed the registry - waited a bit - and then tried again it only found the value 0.

What is your transparacy setting - recommended?

 

Thx. XP sp3 here, too.

 

(I can't believe I typed all that stuff, made the screen shots and cropped them, then forgot to attach them, and have now deleted them! Idiot!!! Sheese.)

 

That's odd behavior for the searching. I can search for just "foreground" and find the all the "foregroundlocktimeout" keys. Did you mean to type "foreground-," with the "-" at the end? You didn't accidentally have a space at the end, did you? That can screw up searches in the registry.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "transparency setting," solbjerg. What area are you talking about where I would find that?

 

CT

[solbjerg]

Hi Tim

I wrote precisely foregroundLock in search in the registry, with the described behaviour. I haven't yet found out why it behaved like that.

But in a normal search for it, the only result if only done once is value of 0 (zero), but as I said I do not yet know why :-)

The transparancy setting is an option in ASC/Options/User Interface

Cheers

solbjerg

 

 

Thx. XP sp3 here, too.

 

(I can't believe I typed all that stuff, made the screen shots and cropped them, then forgot to attach them, and have now deleted them! Idiot!!! Sheese.)

 

That's odd behavior for the searching. I can search for just "foreground" and find the all the "foregroundlocktimeout" keys. Did you mean to type "foreground-," with the "-" at the end? You didn't accidentally have a space at the end, did you? That can screw up searches in the registry.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "transparency setting," solbjerg. What area are you talking about where I would find that?

 

CT

[CrazyTim]

Hi Tim

I wrote precisely foregroundLock in search in the registry, with the described behaviour. I haven't yet found out why it behaved like that.

But in a normal search for it, the only result if only done once is value of 0 (zero), but as I said I do not yet know why :-)

 

Weird. I get the same hits with Find in the registry with foregroundLock as I get with foregroundlocktimeout. I know this is rudimentary and I know you aren't a simpleton, but are you sure you started that search from the beginning of the registry with the My Computer words at the top selected? You didn't perchance have the "Match whole strings only" checkbox checked within the Find box, did you. Forgive me for asking about such basic settings, but that search behavior baffles me.

 

The transparancy setting is an option in ASC/Options/User Interface

Cheers

solbjerg

 

Doh! I thought you meant a transparency key value in the Windows registry, or a setting within the Window user interface.

 

Yes, I believe it's at default for ASC. The sliders are both all the way to the left, and the theme is white. Why do you ask that?

 

Thx!

 

CT

[solbjerg]

Hi Tim

I usually start at the top, but now I think I must have forgotten to move the focus/marking some of the times - sorry!

Hkey current user desktop value 0

Hkey users default desktop value 200000

S-1-5-18 desktop value 200000

S-1-5-19 desktop value 200000

S-1-5-20 desktop value 200000

S-1-5-21 desktop value 0

 

I didn't write all of it out fully - hope that's ok? :-)

 

Sorry for my hasty check the previous time!!

Cheers

solbjerg

 

 

Weird. I get the same hits with Find in the registry with foregroundLock as I get with foregroundlocktimeout. I know this is rudimentary and I know you aren't a simpleton, but are you sure you started that search from the beginning of the registry with the My Computer words at the top selected? You didn't perchance have the "Match whole strings only" checkbox checked within the Find box, did you. Forgive me for asking about such basic settings, but that search behavior baffles me.

 

 

 

Doh! I thought you meant a transparency key value in the Windows registry, or a setting within the Window user interface.

 

Yes, I believe it's at default for ASC. The sliders are both all the way to the left, and the theme is white. Why do you ask that?

 

Thx!

 

CT

[CrazyTim]

I didn't write all of it out fully - hope that's ok? :-)

 

LOL. I'm so familiar with it at this point that I think you could have sent a couple smoke signals and I would have known what you meant. heehee

 

I wonder how you can set it to 0 and I can't? I also wonder, from what I was reading in the Google searches for the key, why some people a few years ago were trying to set it higher than 0 and couldn't get that to stick.

 

I bet I have some piece of software that is running at boot that is changing the value back somehow. I can't imagine what it would be, though. I don't have that many startup things going.

 

I have:

 

Avast antivirus

WinPatrol: Watches for changes to your computer, like startup software being installed.

Carbonite: Off site, over the web HDD backup software.

WinDates: A very old (one of the files is from 1997) calendar reminder program.

EVEMon: An EVE Online game monitoring application.

ScanDisk software: Which monitors their memory card reader for card insertion.

APC UPS software: Power backup software for battery backup.

Logitech WebCam drivers.

Logitech mouse software and macro mouse-button remapping.

 

and

 

ASC Smart RAM -- but I just added it this morning -- AFTER the point in time when I noticed that the key value wouldn't stick.

 

Guess that looks like a lot, but compared to what might be there if I just let every program keep running what it wanted to, it minute.

 

Other than Intel drivers, soundcard and printer drivers, or Microsloth stuff, and DLA drivers to write to to a CD/DVD drive like a normal drive (like with drag & drop), I think that's about it.

 

I don't allow hardly any installed software to run in the background in order to check for updates, like so many apps are prone to do these days. For instance, I don't allow Adobe Acrobat to monitor for updates or have the quick PDA file loading portion of the software to run all the time; or DVD launcher software; or the Palm PDA hot sync stuff. I try to keep very clean in that area.

 

I just can't figure out what's happening with that value not sticking after bootup. Damn! It's funny, cause I don't even care about the value being set to 0 any longer. I just want to know why I can't do it.

 

>>Sorry for my hasty check the previous time!!

 

NP. :smile:

 

Thx!

 

CT