Select the product you need help with

A web page may fail to get focus in Windows Internet Explorer 9

Article ID: 2600156 - View products that this article applies to.

SYMPTOMS

A web page or ActiveX control hosted in a web page can stop receiving focus intermittently when being viewed using Windows Internet Explorer 9. The controls may appear disabled, or the focus may end up in the address bar when a user clicks on the page to try to get focus. This issue can affect any UI element on the page that is able to receive focus.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

CAUSE

The problem happens because the Tab Window is detached from the Frame Window's Input Queue. Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows Internet Explorer 9 related to how the Hang Resistance feature works.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

RESOLUTION

The fix for this issue is available in IE Cumulative Update MS11-099 (KB 2618444) http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms11-099

(http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms11-099)

or any IE Cumulative Update onwards.

There are several ways to work around this problem:

1) Avoid making long running blocking calls or performing any synchronous work on a UI Thread that can potentially interfere with the thread's Message Pump.

2) Create the following Registry Key Value to disable the Hang Resistance feature:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\
Type: REG_DWORD
Name: HangRecovery
Value: 0

The Hang Resistance feature is enabled by default in Windows Internet Explorer 9. Setting the HangRecovery value to 0 disables this feature; setting it to 1 enables it.

3) Avoid calling AttachThreadInput or other APIs that can potentially result in changing the owner for the Tab window, since those API's affect the Tab Thread's Input Queue. An example of an API that can end up changing the Tab Thread's Input Queue is SetWindowLong.

Back to the top | Give Feedback

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about how Hang Resistance Feature works in Windows Internet Explorer 9, please refer to http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011/04/19/hang-resistance-in-ie9.aspx

(http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011/04/19/hang-resistance-in-ie9.aspx)

Back to the top | Give Feedback

Note This is a "FAST PUBLISH" article created directly from within the Microsoft support organization. The information contained herein is provided as-is in response to emerging issues. As a result of the speed in making it available, the materials may include typographical errors and may be revised at any time without notice. See Terms of Use

(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=151500)

for other considerations.

Back to the top | Give Feedback