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Question
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Microsoft® Word for Mac 2011 steals focus when switching displays

Kyle Huston asked on
When switching displays on OS X Mavericks to a display where MS Word is open, Word steals focus. For example, if I'm working on display 1 and move to display 2, I have to click an app twice. The first time, MS Word steals focus. The second time, the app I wanted in the first place comes to the foreground. Is there a setting in MS Word to make it stop stealing focus whenever the display is switched?

This problem has also been described at: https://discussions.apple.com/message/24688038

Thanks,
Kyle
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The answered status icon Answer
Highestwater replied on

Here's the solution. Turn off displays have separate windows

System Preferences > Mission Control > UN check "Displays have separate windows". Then logoff and back in.

You loose the ability to run one window full screen in just one display and a few other innovations in Mavericks, but it works.


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A Makarfi replied on

Hello All, I think ive found the solution. It turns out it may not be a bug at all, but a setting.

The problem is that the application, "WORD" in this case has been set to appear in every Space. 

So Right click the application in the Dock,  choose Options, and then uncheck All Desktops under the Assign To options. 

If you wish to make an application appear on every space, just repeat the procedure.

Cheers

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Joe's answer replied on

By default there is no option in Microsoft Word 2011 for Mac to do this.


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LeeMoreau replied on

I have this same problem, it's not an option it's definitely some sort of bug.  I will have chrome open on both display, and word on one, with chrome on TOP of word.  I tab or click chrome on the other display, and word pops open on the other one on top of chrome instead of staying behind it like it's supposed to.  Excel does this same thing as well.  It's incredibly annoying.
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The window that gets focus is determined by Mac OS X. It seems to me that Mac OS isn’t remembering which window was on top. If you’re in the Apple developer program, this would be something to report to Apple.              
I do not work for Microsoft. If you get a good answer, consider answering a question in return.
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scguy16 replied on

I have a similar issue when I have windows from the same app (Firefox, Powerpoint, etc.) open simultaneously in both the full-screen mode and the non-full-screen mode (i.e. one PPT document floating over my desktop and another one in full-screen mode that I can four-finger-swipe to). It's extremely extremely annoying but like Jim said I don't think it's just Office, Mac OS X just seems to have some focus issues in general.
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Nyholm_ replied on

I think I got at fix to this. Try resetting your PRAM. 

  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command (⌘), Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
  3. Turn on the computer.
  4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys before the gray screen appears.
  5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
  6. Release the keys.

Source: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379?viewlocale=en_US

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Kyle Huston replied on

I reset PRAM, but the problem persists.
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Nathan Briggs replied on

I have the same issue and it is extremely annoying. As a result I use google documents instead of Microsoft Office whenever possible. When I must use Office, I often minimize windows to the dock when I want to change focus (interrupting my work flow). I appreciate that there is a possibility that an OS X bug may have a role in this behavior (and it has been reported to the apple support community, as stated in the question), but I have over 100 applications installed and I only have this problem with the Microsoft Office applications. None of my applications are in full screen mode, so my issue is the same as the original questioner but different from the issue reported by scguy16, which appears to affect non-office applications as well. This suggests to me that Office for Mac uses some non-standard programming practices, which interact with certain attributes of OSX on some machines to produce this bug. In this sort of situation, there is often some ambiguity in whether the practices used by the application or the attributes of the OS are "to blame" for the bug and whose responsibility it is to address it. But I think it's unhelpful to simply blame Mac OS in a Microsoft forum (or vice versa). Furthermore, because an operating system must support thousands of applications and an application is specifically written to support just one operating system (albeit several versions), I think that if a bug exists in just one application (or family of applications by a single company), the burden is on the application creator (in this case Microsoft) to show that an operating system bug is responsible.
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There is a difference between reporting bugs and assigning blame. Apple and Microsoft work together to try to fix bugs that affect each other’s software. This could be a Microsoft problem, an Apple problem, or something that needs to be addressed by both companies together, 

To report problems to Microsoft you can use Microsoft Support incidents if you have them, or use the Help menu in Word and choose the Send Feedback option to display the suggestion form. Use the form to submit the problem to Microsoft.

To report problems to Apple the best way is to use the developer program and use that channel to report the bug on Apple’s bug reporting form.

This appears to be a problem that will require cooperation between Apple and Microsoft. I don’t think blaming either company is in order. Just report the problem so that they can get it on their respective bug fix lists so the problem can get worked on.

I do not work for Microsoft. If you get a good answer, consider answering a question in return.
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Nathan Briggs replied on

Thanks Jim Gordon for your useful reply and clarification.
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The answered status icon Answer
Highestwater replied on

Here's the solution. Turn off displays have separate windows

System Preferences > Mission Control > UN check "Displays have separate windows". Then logoff and back in.

You loose the ability to run one window full screen in just one display and a few other innovations in Mavericks, but it works.


4 people found this helpful

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