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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2020-07-17, 13:44

Started happening today.

Noticed my browser window was flickering every so often.

Pulled out my stopwatch app and timed it - happens every 10 seconds.

Googled to learn the appropriate description of the phenomenon is losing focus or stealing focus.

Some process is stealing focus so much that it pulls me out of an app for a moment.

Typing gets interrupted.

I have gone into my user profile in preferences and emptied all my login items.

Sitting in Activity Monitor I don't see anything that leaps out at me.

I ran a Python script in Terminal designed to look for processes that are grabbing focus.

The only one I can see that was doing something is from Office 2011, a sync agent.

Even after pulling that agent out of its folder to disable it and restarting, the focus continues.

I have scanned for viruses, and found some, but I can't imagine that's it...

Have not paid for the virus app to have the viruses removed.

So... I'm at a loss.

...

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
Captain Drew on Twitter
  quote
drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2020-07-17, 13:48

I zapped the PRAM and attempted to boot up in Safe Mode, although that didn't really work - the progress bar made it to the filled position and then just sat there.

Reset the SMC as well, no dice.

...

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
Captain Drew on Twitter
  quote
drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2020-07-17, 14:13

I am hesitantly going to say that I have solved the problem, as I am able to type this without waiting every 10 seconds to make sure that I didn't drop a letter while typing.

The solution appears to have been to rebuild the my Outlook database.


...

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
Captain Drew on Twitter
  quote
kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2020-07-17, 14:42

Don't know what is causing your problem, but if it's a Mac you do not have a virus. Malware, maybe. Adware, maybe. Anything telling you you have a virus is a scam. If you think there is actually a problem, download Malwarebytes and run that. Do not pay anyone for antivirus anything.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
  quote
drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2020-07-17, 17:54

Yep. Totally didn't think it was a virus. It truly was the Sync agent pinging. I went to try turning it off from inside Outlook 2011 and Outlook wouldn't launch. After rebuilding the database the focus issue stopped!


...
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