Stop starting apps popping up in front

Question

Level 1

2 points

Stop starting apps popping up in front

Sometimes I am working in – let's say – Mail and I decide I am going to need – let's say – Word a bit later. Then I click the Word icon in the Dock and continue working in Mail.

The problem is, that various Word screens keep popping up in front of Mail, which means I have to keep switching back to Mail. I use command-tab to get back to Mail, which is easy enough, but I just do not want apps to get in my way.

It's not only Word which does this, by the way.

Is there a way to make sure that applications, after having been launched, do not pop up in front, but just start up in the background?

MBP 1.83 - 15" - 1 GB, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jan 26, 2009 1:36 AM

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Answer 1

Bart_G Author

Level 1

2 points

Jan 26, 2009 11:41 AM in response to Simon Teale

I recognise this behaviour, so this must happen too sometimes. So it 's not always a problem, but I was hoping to make sure that windows never get in my way again.

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Answer 2

Struct

Level 1

8 points

Apr 22, 2009 3:29 AM in response to Bart_G

Six years later and people still want to know. There must be a Terminal command that stops this irritating behaviour of windows.

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Answer 3

Jan 26, 2009 2:08 AM in response to Bart_G

It's normal for opening applications to come to the front: Word is obviously opening a number of windows sequentially, and so keeps hogging the screen. AFAIK there is no way of changing this behaviour; though you could think about using Spaces - you would switch to a new space to open Word and then switch back; that ought to do it though I can't offer any guarantees, not having Word to experiment with.

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Answer 4

Bart_G Author

Level 1

2 points

Jan 26, 2009 2:57 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks for your reply, Roger.

I know, this behaviour is for some reason considered default. But I don't think it should be. In Firefox for instance, when I command-click a link, the page is opened in a new tab, but this new tab is not activated. That's the way it should be: asking your browser to open a page should be separated from actually viewing that page.

I wish I could separate starting and actually using apps in OS X.

I 'll have a look at the Spaces suggestion. It might be like what I want.

Message was edited by: Bart_G

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Answer 5

Jan 26, 2009 7:18 AM in response to Bart_G

Although I understand that you want to change the default behaviour, when I want to quickly start another app, I click the Dock icon for it and then click the dock icon for the app I was working in previously.

Then when the pop-up appears for Word (or Entourage for me) I just get the bouncing dock icon, which CAN be just as annoying.

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Answer 6

Feb 10, 2009 3:15 PM in response to Bart_G

I have experienced this problem and it is annoying. Another manifestation is this: I finish working with an Illustrator file and I tell it to save, because the save will take a minute, I start working in another program. Then when the save is finished, I am forced back into illustrator. It doesn't matter if I am in Spaces or what I am doing. I could be writing a sentence in Mail and and just like that I have switched to Illustrator. This forced application switching needs top be turned off.

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Answer 7

Bart_G Author

Level 1

2 points

Feb 11, 2009 3:09 AM in response to randydollins

This forced application switching needs top be turned off.

Absolutely. It's definitely the wrong default.

I love browsers like Safari and Firefox for opening new tabs in the background. Likewise, one should be able to make applications launch in the background, without interrupting anything.

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Answer 8

Apr 8, 2009 7:56 AM in response to Bart_G

YES AAAAAAAAAH THIS IS A REAL AGRESSION TO THE NERVES ! ! !
I need to meet the dude who decided "hey wouldn't it be a great idea if we had the applications bothering you all the time as soon as they need your attention, instead of just letting you get to them whenever you feel like it ? now where's my promotion ? ^^"

WHERE IS THIS MORON AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

does anyone know of a 3rd party software that would keep each app where it is whatever happens to it ?
🙂
dammit

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Answer 9

Apr 15, 2009 12:12 PM in response to Leberger Jacob

so ? sorry to bring this up again, but i'm sure a lot of people would be happy to know !!

is there a way to prevent a background and/or hidden app from popping up in front of the screen when it needs you, and just make them all stay where they are until the USER decides to switch to the app and take care of it ? or maybe a 3rd party app would do that ?

thanx !!
dammit

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