Powertoys shortcuts only work with Powertoys window open and in focus

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### Microsoft PowerToys version

v0.100.0

### Installation method

GitHub

### Area(s) with issue?

General

### Steps to reproduce

Powertoys shortcuts used to work fine running in the background, sometime around the 0.93 or 0.94 update it stopped functioning and has not worked correctly since then.

1. Boot up PC, Powertoys is running in background in admin mode
2. Attempt to use any feature shortcuts (eg. Color Picker)
3. No response
4. Manually open Powertoys and keep it in focus
5. All shortcuts function
6. Minimize Powertoys or click away focus, all shortcuts stop working

### ✔️ Expected Behavior

Shortcuts work while Powertoys is running in the background

### ❌ Actual Behavior

Shortcuts do not work, Powertoys window has to be in focus

### Upload Bug Report ZIP-file

[PowerToysReport_2026-06-24-13-36-58.zip](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/29289372/PowerToysReport_2026-06-24-13-36-58.zip)

### Additional Information

Windows 10 Pro
Version 22H2
OS Build 19045.6466
English
Running as admin

### Other Software

_No response_

No source file, test, or entry point is identified in the report. Start by reproducing the shortcut failure on Windows 10 with PowerToys running in the background and compare behavior with the PowerToys window focused. Done means feature shortcuts work without the window focused or open.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.