python - win32gui.SetActiveWindow() ERROR : The specified procedure could not be found

Question

I get the active window like so:

window = win32gui.GetForegroundWindow()

which is an Int, say 1053634. And afterwards I try to set the foreground window back to the specified window:

win32gui.SetForegroundWindow(window)

And I get this error: win32gui.SetForegroundWindow(window) error: (127, 'SetForegroundWindow', 'The specified procedure could not be found.')

Sometimes when I do this in the interpreter, I get this error:

win32gui.SetForegroundWindow(1053634)
error: (0, 'SetForegroundWindow', 'No error message is available')

What do you think is the problem?

Thanks!

Answer 1

My program works fine on my desktop with Windows 7, but when I use my laptop with Windows Vista (even with UAC off), I get the error:

pywintypes.error: (0, 'SetForegroundWindow', 'No error message is available')

The program will flash in the taskbar, but no characters are sent.

I even tried sending 'notepad' SetForegroundWindow and get the same error.

Here is a link with a workaround that combines threads to get the computer to think they work together: http://www.shloemi.com/2012/09/solved-setforegroundwindow-win32-api-not-always-works/

This article has more information about the problem.

UPDATE: I'm sorry that link goes to a C program. I researched some more and found out it will let you SetForegroundWindow, if you send an alt key first.

For example:

import win32gui, win32com.client
shell = win32com.client.Dispatch("WScript.Shell")
shell.SendKeys('%')
win32gui.SetForegroundWindow(window)