FJ Software

I connect my phone (K610i) to MyPhoneExplorer via Bluetooth, in Windows 7 Home Premium. It is a Toshiba computer with built-in Toshiba Bluetooth.

I have noticed that when I move away from the computer with my phone, and the connection therefore is interrupted (due to the limited reach of Bluetooth), or when I simply turn off Bluetooth on my phone, MyPhoneExplorer seems to take the keyboard focus from other programs when trying to reconnect. MyPhoneExplorer does not come on top of other windows, but my active window is just made inactive from time to time so I cannot type into it without xxx on it with the mouse. And when I close MyPhoneExplorer, this doesn't happen anymore.

Unfortunately I cannot say exactly what happens, as not much is actually happening on the screen except for my active window is turning inactive (which can also be seen on the change of color of its title bar). But, as I said, it seems to coinside with MyPhoneExplorer trying to regain contact with the phone in the background.

Could it be true that when MyPhoneExplorer tries to reconnect in the background, it opens a window and partly activates that window, taking over the keyboard focus?

I have not noticed the usual flashing on my task bar (signifying a window trying to catch my attention). I only notice that the keyboard focus is taken away from my current (non-MyPhoneExplorer) window.

It would be really nice if this could be fixed, so I can actually move away from my computer with my phone and return, without being disturbed by the keyboard focus being taken away.

EDIT: I forgot to say that I use MyPhoneExplorer 1.8.4.

In general when you use Bluetooth then he will try to reconnect only in systray minimized state - and in this state the window is even not visible. Select "Disable automatic reconnect" in the settings and test again

Well, I actually don't use the minimize to system tray option, as I want MyPhoneExplorer to be visible in the task bar when it is running. Then it is easier for me to activate it – and close it when I don't need it.

And I don't really want to turn off the "reconnect" thing, as I really do want MyPhoneExplorer to reconnect when I come back from the kitchen with the phone. I do want it to connect with my phone when I am close to the computer with my phone. I just don't want the reconnect process to take the active window focus from whatever else I am doing on the computer.

Another symptom of the same focus stealing behaviour is that when I am video talking on Skype, with Skype as the topmost and active window, the bluetooth search from MyPhoneExplorer also steals focus from Skype, thus making the mini-video-window of the person I am talking to to come up, covering part of the normal Skype video conversation window; as you probably can guess, this is quite annoying. I have to click the big main Skype video conversation window to put the focus back to Skype and make the small video window go away.

Note that all the stealing of focus doesn't seem to give the focus to any other visible window. The focus seems to be stolen to an "invisible" window. No task bar flashing, no visible window coming up topmost. Just stealing of window and keyboard focus.

But are you saying that I perhaps can circumvent the problem by minimizing MyPhoneExplorer to the system tray?

I will try to see if that "solves" the focus stealing problem, even though I don't really like to have MyPhoneExplorer minimized to the system tray.

Its somehow strange cause when MyPhoneExplorer does the connection check then he does not use any window for this. It happens in background. Please post the logfile directly after it happened so i can verify that MyPhoneExplorer di only the "normal" connection check.

By the way: Which Bluetooth-Stack you are using on PC ? Windows, Widcomm, BlueSoleil, Toshiba ?

FJ hat geschrieben:Its somehow strange cause when MyPhoneExplorer does the connection check then he does not use any window for this. It happens in background. Please post the logfile directly after it happened so i can verify that MyPhoneExplorer di only the "normal" connection check.

Yes, I find it strange too.

I reproduced it now. I connected using Bluetooth (serial port), did a multi synchronization, and then when everything was calm and nothing special was happening in MyPhoneExplorer, I turned off Bluetooth on my phone (Sony Ericsson K610i).

The focus stealing happened at least twice. I didn't notice what the clock was the first time, but the last time was at 12:41:32 (I noticed the time at the computer clock when it happened). Here is the last part of the log including that specific time where it happened (the time is marked with bold):

12:39:06.86 [TX]: AT+CMGD=580
12:39:06.98 [RX]: AT+CMGD=580

12:39:06.98 [RX]: OK
12:39:06.98 [TX]: AT+CMGD=581
12:39:07.03 [RX]: AT+CMGD=581

12:39:07.03 [RX]: OK
12:39:07.04 [TX]: AT+CMGD=582
12:39:07.08 [RX]: AT+CMGD=582

12:39:07.08 [RX]: OK
12:39:07.08 SaveDatafile: SMS.dat (2507 Bytes)
12:39:07.08 SMS-Datenbank gespeichert. Dauer:15 SMS:14
12:39:07.08 Database saved, refreshing lists...
12:39:07.10 Lists refreshed
12:39:07.11 Unload fSMSProgress
12:39:07.61 Settimeout: RT=1500 WT=800
12:39:07.61 [TX]: AT+CBC
12:39:07.71 [RX]: AT+CBC

12:39:07.71 [RX]: +CBC: 0, 27
12:39:07.71 [RX]: OK
12:39:07.71 [TX]: AT+CIND?
12:39:07.75 [RX]: AT+CIND?

12:39:07.75 [RX]: +CIND: 1,0,0,0,5,0,2,0,0,0
12:39:07.75 [RX]: OK
12:39:17.75 [TX]: AT+CBC
12:39:17.84 [RX]: AT+CBC

12:39:17.84 [RX]: +CBC: 0, 27
12:39:17.85 [RX]: OK
12:39:17.85 [TX]: AT+CIND?
12:39:17.89 [RX]: AT+CIND?

12:39:17.89 [RX]: +CIND: 1,0,0,0,5,0,2,0,0,0
12:39:17.90 [RX]: OK
12:39:27.90 [TX]: AT+CBC
12:39:29.41 Port 40 wird geschlossen
12:39:29.51 Port wurde geschlossen
12:39:39.51 Neue COM-Bibliothek wird verwendet
12:39:39.51 SPort Properties set, opening COM40
12:39:47.21 After OpenPort
12:39:47.21 Settimeout: RT=2000 WT=500
12:39:47.71 Port 40 wurde geöffnet !
12:39:47.71 Settimeout: RT=1500 WT=500
12:39:47.71 [TX]: AT+CGSN
12:39:49.22 Port 40 wird geschlossen
12:39:49.32 Port wurde geschlossen
12:39:59.33 Neue COM-Bibliothek wird verwendet
12:39:59.33 SPort Properties set, opening COM40
12:40:07.03 After OpenPort
12:40:07.03 Settimeout: RT=2000 WT=500
12:40:07.53 Port 40 wurde geöffnet !
12:40:07.53 Settimeout: RT=1500 WT=500
12:40:07.53 [TX]: AT+CGSN
12:40:09.05 Port 40 wird geschlossen
12:40:09.15 Port wurde geschlossen
12:40:19.15 Neue COM-Bibliothek wird verwendet
12:40:19.15 SPort Properties set, opening COM40
12:40:26.86 After OpenPort
12:40:26.86 Settimeout: RT=2000 WT=500
12:40:27.36 Port 40 wurde geöffnet !
12:40:27.36 Settimeout: RT=1500 WT=500
12:40:27.36 [TX]: AT+CGSN
12:40:28.87 Port 40 wird geschlossen
12:40:28.97 Port wurde geschlossen
12:40:38.97 Neue COM-Bibliothek wird verwendet
12:40:38.97 SPort Properties set, opening COM40
12:40:46.67 After OpenPort
12:40:46.67 Settimeout: RT=2000 WT=500
12:40:47.17 Port 40 wurde geöffnet !
12:40:47.23 Settimeout: RT=1500 WT=500
12:40:47.24 [TX]: AT+CGSN
12:40:52.51 Refresh ComDescriptions...
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM10 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\10
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM11 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\11
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM12 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\12
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM13 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\13
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM14 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\14
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM20 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\20
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM21 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\21
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM22 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\22
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM40 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\40
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM6 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\6
12:40:52.51 PORT: COM7 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\7
12:41:21.58 Port 40 wird geschlossen
12:41:21.68 Port wurde geschlossen
12:41:31.68 Neue COM-Bibliothek wird verwendet
12:41:31.68 SPort Properties set, opening COM40
12:41:39.56 After OpenPort
12:41:39.56 Settimeout: RT=2000 WT=500
12:41:40.06 Port 40 wurde geöffnet !
12:41:40.15 Settimeout: RT=1500 WT=500
12:41:40.15 [TX]: AT+CGSN
12:41:41.65 Port 40 wird geschlossen
12:41:41.75 Port wurde geschlossen
12:41:59.28 Refresh ComDescriptions...
12:41:59.28 PORT: COM10 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\10
12:41:59.28 PORT: COM11 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\11
12:41:59.28 PORT: COM12 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\12
12:41:59.28 PORT: COM13 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\13
12:41:59.28 PORT: COM14 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\14
12:41:59.29 PORT: COM20 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\20
12:41:59.29 PORT: COM21 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\21
12:41:59.29 PORT: COM22 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\22
12:41:59.29 PORT: COM40 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\40
12:41:59.29 PORT: COM6 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\6
12:41:59.29 PORT: COM7 Enumerator=BLUETOOTH Displayed=BT Port InstanceID=BLUETOOTH\0004&0002\7

FJ hat geschrieben:By the way: Which Bluetooth-Stack you are using on PC ? Windows, Widcomm, BlueSoleil, Toshiba ?

I am using Toshiba ("Bluetooth Stack for Windows by Toshiba", "Version v9.00.00(T)", Bluetooth specifications "Version 4.0, 3.0, 2.1, 2.0, 1.2, 1.1")

I just tried minimizing MyPhoneExplorer to the system tray, and the focus stealing is still happening. And it seems to happen consistently every 20 seconds... which is quite annoying when you are writing something! You have to click the window you write in to get the focus back, or press Alt+Tab twice. Every 20 seconds!

Of course, in a normal situation, it will perhaps just happen a single time after I return with the phone from the kitchen (until the reconnection with the phone has been made), but it is still annoying.

And if I forget the phone in the kitchen, or if the phone is charging in the bedroom, which is just on the border of the Bluetooth range, the stealing of focus every 20 seconds could happen continuously.

Mostly I have just shut down MyPhoneExplorer completely when it happened to avoid the problem, but I would like to have it running all the time if it was possible...

The connection check is done without any interaction o any window. I think the issue happens in the toshiba stack. Please try if you can use the Microsoft Bluetooth Software (replace the driver of the Bluetooth stick with the generic Bluetooth driver from Bluetooth).

Did you test it when "Disable automatic connect/reconnect" ?

Thank you for following up on this.

I think you may be right that it is the Toshiba Bluetooth stack that steals the focus. I even found another person experiencing something similar with Toshiba Bluetooth, completely unrelated to MyPhoneExplorer, 6 years ago. I will look into that.

Thank you so much for your help, and sorry for taking your time with this. It simply never crossed my mind that the problem could be in the Bluetooth software.