microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys

Opening applications with Keyboard Manager not working

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Issue-Bug Needs-Triage Product-Keyboard Manager
Dominant language
C
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Description

### Microsoft PowerToys version

0.100.0

### Installation method

PowerToys auto-update

### Area(s) with issue?

Keyboard Manager

### Steps to reproduce

***Note:*** Since the new editor breaks, I had to switch to the old one to test it again, but this bug was already present in `v0.99.0`. Issue [#46842](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/46842) already reports the new editor not working on `v0.98.1`.

- Go to Keyboard Manager settings.
- Open the *old* editor (and switch to it if using the new (currently broken) editor).
- Open the shortcut remap editor by clicking on "Remap a shortcut".
- Add a remap to a **shortcut** to open an application (for example I have `Win (left)` + `Z` remapped to open `C:\Windows\notepad.exe`).
- Save the newly added remap by clicking "OK" at the top of the shortcut remap editor.

### ✔️ Expected Behavior

Pressing the chosen shortcut opens the application on the foreground focusing it.

### ❌ Actual Behavior

If no application or application is currently focused the chosen application opens normally (the one I added in the editor had `Visibility: Normal` and not `Hidden`).

If PowerToys is running as administrator and the remapped shortcut is pressed, the chosen application sometimes opens on top of every application, sometimes below the currently focused application, and sometimes below all applications (though not minimized).
Sometimes, if the chosen application opens below the currently focused application regardless of the focused application's privileges, closing the currently focused application will "move" the chosen application below the *next* application on the foreground (meaning the chosen application is once again below the newly focused application).

If PowerToys is not running as administrator, pressing the remapped shortcut opens the chosen application **always** below all other applications.

I have no idea why all of this happens, but I suppose it has to do with both the privileges that PowerToys is running with and the privileges of the currently focused application (that would also explain why on the desktop it always works).

### Upload Bug Report ZIP-file

[PowerToysReport_2026-06-11-11-56-13.zip](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/28833439/PowerToysReport_2026-06-11-11-56-13.zip)

### Additional Information

Windows 11 Pro 25H2
System language is English (US) and locale is `en-US`
PowerToys installed system-wide

### Other Software

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

No source files, tests, or code entry points are named. Start by reproducing the Keyboard Manager shortcut remap with PowerToys both elevated and non-elevated, then trace application activation and foreground behavior; done means the remapped application consistently opens in the foreground across the described privilege and focus states.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
desktop, operating-systems
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
52/100

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