Games lose focus on every click – Explorer.exe / MSCTFIME UI stealing focus (Win11 24H2 build 26100)

Question

Games lose focus on every click – Explorer.exe / MSCTFIME UI stealing focus (Win11 24H2 build 26100)

Gonzalo Caballero 30

System

Windows 11 Home/Pro 24H2 – Build 26100

GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 series (latest WHQL drivers installed)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5600X
Peripherals: SteelSeries keyboard, Logitech G203 mouse (also tested with basic USB HID devices)

Symptoms

In multiple games (CS2, Megabonk, etc), the game window loses focus on every mouse click.

A short flicker occurs, the taskbar briefly flashes on screen.

The foreground switches to Explorer.exe or MSCTFIME UI for a fraction of a second.

Each click causes a temporary FPS drop because the game loses and regains focus.

In exclusive fullscreen on some games (e.g., Valorant) the problem does not occur, however fullscreen doesn't seem to matter to other games.

In windowed or borderless fullscreen it happens consistently.

FocusLogger traces show the sequence:
- Game in foreground
- No foreground application
- Explorer.exe / MSCTFIME UI takes foreground Game regains foreground.

Troubleshooting attempts (unsuccessful)

Overlays

Disabled: Steam Overlay, Xbox Game Bar, Discord Overlay, NVIDIA Overlay.

Uninstalled NVIDIA App / GeForce Experience, Xbox widgets, Web Experience Pack.

Game configuration

Tested in windowed, borderless, and fullscreen modes.
Disabled fullscreen optimizations.
Windows services and components
Disabled Widgets and removed Windows Web Experience, disabled MsCtfMonitor scheduled task, disabled GameDVR and Xbox Game Monitoring via registry.

Registry tweak: DisableThreadInputManager=1 → no effect.

Attempted disabling Text Input Management Service → broke keyboard input.
Stopping ctfmon.exe / TextInputHost.exe → didn’t fix issue. Drivers & hardware

GPU drivers reinstalled clean (DDU). Tested with alternative mouse and keyboard (generic HID). Problem persists. Findings Problem reproducible across multiple titles → not game-specific.

Occurs on Windows 11 24H2 (build 26100).
Root cause seems to be MSCTFIME UI (Text Services Framework) stealing focus on everyclick.
Disabling the entire Text Input Management Service confirms the link but makes Windows unusable.
Community reports (ASUS/NVIDIA users) show the same behavior → appears to be a Windows 11 24H2 bug.

Questions

Is this a known issue with Windows 11 24H2 (build 26100)?
Is there a safe way to disable or limit MSCTFIME UI so it doesn’t steal focus, without breaking normal keyboard input?
Are there any official workarounds or patches available, or upcoming fixes in cumulative updates?

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Answer 1

Hendrix-V 14,075 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Gonzalo Caballero,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A Forum!

Thank you for sharing the details on the issue, you’ve done an excellent job troubleshooting and narrowing down the root cause. This issue is indeed linked to a Windows 11 24H2 regression in the Text Services Framework (MSCTFIME UI), which can steal focus from games in windowed or borderless modes. It’s frustrating, and I completely understand how disruptive this can be during gameplay.

Here are some solutions that you can kindly try, and I hope one of these works for you:

1 - Run SFC and DISM

These commands check and repair system files and the Windows image.
Run these commands on cmd.exe (run as Admin):

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

2 - Upgrade to Windows 11 25H2

This is the most promising step. Microsoft often includes fixes for 24H2 regressions in the next feature update.
Upgrading ensures you get the latest cumulative patches and stability improvements.

3 - Clean Install as a last resort

A clean install guarantees a fresh system without legacy issues.
Before proceeding, back up your data, export drivers, and confirm your Windows activation is linked to your Microsoft account.
Visit Microsoft official site to create installation media: Windows 11 Installation Media

This known issue is widely reported and tied to the input system in 24H2. Microsoft is actively rolling out fixes in cumulative updates, so upgrading or clean installing to the latest build is the most reliable long-term solution.

Let me know if the issue still persists or which solution works for you. Please keep me informed.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have additional questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Gonzalo Caballero 30 Reputation points

2025-10-06T06:39:10.4+00:00
Hello, thank you for your answer!

Regarding these commands:

sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

I had already tried them, but forgot to mention them (my bad!) and they did not work

Is there any way to upgrade to 25H2 on my own? I have been checking Windows Update daily but had no luck
Hendrix-V 14,075 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-10-08T06:59:48.34+00:00

Hi Gonzalo Caballero,

Thank you for updating on the issue!

You can manually upgrade to 25H2 by using Windows 11 Installation Assistant from Microsoft offial site: Windows 11 Installation Assistant

(This downloads a fresh copy of Windows 11 25H2, please run it and perform an in-place upgrade)
Gonzalo Caballero 30 Reputation points

2025-10-08T09:18:35.3233333+00:00

Hello @Hendrix-V

I have already updated to Windows 11 25H2 and installed cumulative updates but I still have the same problem

Current OS Version: 26200.6725
Current experience version: 1000.26100.253.0

Latest cumulative update: 2025-09 Actualización acumulativa de .NET Framework 3.5 y 4.8.1 para Windows 11, version 25H2 para x64 (2025-09 cumulative update .NET Framework 3.5 & 4.8.1 for Windows 11 Version 25H2 for x64)
Gonzalo Caballero 30 Reputation points

2025-10-09T09:14:20.53+00:00

I have encountered another program stealing focus:

When I end the explorer.exe task, another "program"? is stealing focus: CiceroUIWndFrame

Any idea what that is about or if that is the actual culprit?
Hendrix-V 14,075 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-10-10T06:35:22.97+00:00
Hi Gonzalo Caballero,

Thank you for the update and for your persistence in troubleshooting this issue!

I'm sorry that you still have to experience focus-stealing even after upgrading to Windows 11 25H2 (build 26200.6725) and applying the latest cumulative updates. You’ve done everything right so far, and your observation about CiceroUIWndFrame is an important clue.

CiceroUIWndFrame is part of the Text Services Framework (TSF), the same system behind MSCTFIME UI. TSF manages advanced text input, IMEs, and language switching. When Explorer.exe is terminated, CiceroUIWndFrame becomes the fallback UI for input handling, which explains that the root cause is still the TSF/IME subsystem.

Here are some mitigation steps you can try to fix the issue:

1 - Keep Only One Keyboard Layout

Remove extra languages and IMEs to reduce TSF activity.

2 - Disable MsCtfMonitor Task

In Task Scheduler → TextServicesFramework → disable MsCtfMonitor. This limits IME hooks without breaking input.

3 - Turn Off Advanced Input Features

Settings → Time & Language → Typing → disable multilingual suggestions, handwriting, and speech input.

I know this is not the outcome that we all expected. Microsoft is actively working on TSF stability. A permanent fix is expected in future cumulative updates or possibly in Windows 11 26H2. Keeping Windows Update enabled is the best way to receive these improvements.

Thank you so much for your patience and technical expertise!

Feel free to keep me updated on the issue in the "Comment" section. Let me know if my steps above work, if these really helped, please click "Accept Answer" so that others who have the same situation can find good solutions.
Gonzalo Caballero 30 Reputation points

2025-10-10T07:40:29.1066667+00:00

Hi @Hendrix-V ,

I have accepted your answer as requested in hopes that it might help someone else.

I had already tried the possible three last solutions that you have listed to no avail, I hope Windows can truly solve this issue in future updates because this bug does not seem to have any kind of "patch" on the user's end
Gonzalo Caballero 30 Reputation points

2025-10-15T07:34:05.3366667+00:00

Ok, just in case anyone finds this helpful: If anyone is having the same trouble as me while gaming (taskbar showing on every click thus lowering FPS and maybe causing crashes), I could get rid of the taskbar showing up by doing an in-place upgrade/install. I could NOT however fix the focus issue, but at least I can play now, hope this helps!
Scott S 6 Reputation points

2026-02-17T15:44:16.9166667+00:00

5 mo + major OS update later and this is still a problem. MS 'actively' working on a fix... Really? I would hate to see how long a non-active fix takes.
Andre Soares 0 Reputation points

2026-03-01T19:52:47.3533333+00:00

Hello @Hendrix-V

I'm currently on Windows 11 25H2 and have installed cumulative updates, but I still have the same problem.

Current OS Version: 26200.7922 Current experience version: 1000.26100.7922

Latest cumulative update: 2026-01 .NET Framework 3.5 y 4.8.1 .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1 for Windows 11, version 25H2. I would like to know if this is a common issue for the future or if things will change eventually.
Putheapiseth Kean 0 Reputation points

2026-03-29T20:15:44.0666667+00:00

I also had this problem while CS2 and RDR2 on Borderless and also my Rockstar Games Launcher. My solution is i did an in-place upgrade like Gonzalo said it fixes everything for me. Hope this helps someone in the future.

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Games lose focus on every click – Explorer.exe / MSCTFIME UI stealing focus (Win11 24H2 build 26100)

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