Hi,
who can help me on this ?

since months I'm facing a problem* with a web application (a CRM) when published as remoteApp
on IE11 on top of 2012 R2.

The problem* :  
- when user launches a modal window from within a main IE window/page, the Modal popup 
  gets hidden / focus is lost although I can see it on my client PC taskbar, nothing happens when I try
  to get focus back to it.

-------------------------------------------------------

The CRM :
- runs perfectly on IE11 / win7    PC
- runs perfectly on IE8  / 2008r2 Server (the IIS server itself)
   => though no remote desktop session host role installed there so not sure the latter is a relevant test scenario
- has following hardcoded <metahttp-equiv="X-UA-Compatible"content="IE=EmulateIE8"/>
   => causes Document Mode to be 5 (Quirks Mode) on my windows 7 / IE11
   => same thing on remoteApp session + added the site to Intranet Zone and Enterprise Mode
         XML file so IE 11 is running in Enterprise Mode Emulating IE8
          I admit this has made less probable the issue to happen

Note that I did the test in a full RDP session and the issue is as random as in remoteApp.
Tried following without succeeding to get focus on the child window :
- ALT+TAB
- ALT+TAB+ESC
- CTRL+Alt+END  play with the remoteApp's TaskManager minimize/maximize window ...
- Procexp.exe as remoteApp in same TS session then try BringTo Front / maximise / minimise etc
- NirSoft's winexp.exe with the focus options it provides... ... no success...
   (that was on a test VM so please I don't break things ..)
- registry keys ForegroundFlashCount and ForegroundLockTimeOut
- disabling language bar (remoteApp's session) that shows on client's taskBar seem to reduce probability of the issue to appear..  but is not a fix

- looked at the app's javascript responsible of popping the app ... but actually it runs ok on PCs ?! so for what good



RANDOM behavior sometimes OK sometimes KO
Although when IE11 developper tools is launched, the issue happen practically each time I test
wich keep me hoping this is not RDS/remoteApp related

I can see following existing KBs though for (2008 r2) but with similar issues
                The pop-up windows of a RemoteApp program may be hidden in Windows Server 2008 R2

                and in Windows 7

                 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2384602

                The pop-up windows are hidden and the TS RemoteApp application stops responding

                in Windows Vista, in Windows 7, in Windows Server 2008, and in Windows Server 2008 R2

                 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/983533

I tried to install this KB but it keep saying it is not applicable to this computer
 RemoteApp program pop-up window is hidden in Windows




Any Help would be much apreciated.
Thanks.

OK,
as there are some enhancement if not fix or should I say Workaround.
(Im still retrying making sure the following is the final statement)

=> let me share my case  

While moving a CRM client (CRM is using IE & ActiveXs...) from end of life Citrix farm 4.5 IE8
to RDS farm 2012 r2 IE11

I run through a window focus lost issue on RDS (both full RDS session or remoteApp).
In the beginning, launching the Modal Window from IE page would 80% of the times
cause the Modal Window to go behind the parent window and wouldn't let me get focus again

I even tried but without success this tool to get focus back  
(wich by the way is excellent and gave me ideas for other stuff...)

Adding the site to Compatibility View and or IE enterprise Mode has reduced the chance
for the Bug to happen but it did not disappeared and the issue became viciously random*

*could run 29 times OK / and then BUG at 30 attempt
  or run OK for numerous times then BUG right after you restarted IE
  + the BUGs happened each single time if IE developer Tools (F12) were Active !

Obviously, something was still missing

I noticed that on Citrix wich is a x64 server - IE8 running was the x86 one.
So I tried 'naively' to launch 'C:\prog...x86\Intern...lorer\iexplore.exe myCRMUrl...'
and noticed that whatever I did it was the x64 IE that runs IE x86 child(rens)...

After reading this article about Internet Explorers Process Model and Bitness 
I understood that what I was trying to run (only IE x86) was simply no more possible
but also that I had to test activating IE protected Mode on the Trusted Sites Zone
(zone containing my CRM FQDN) to get to a better Isolated instance of the x86 IE
thats running the whole site / activeXs and Modal Window inside the x64 Manager Process.

I did, and now not only the Modal Window runs OK on remoteApp/RDS but also and most importantly
I can launch it when IE developer tools are running wich by the way was also failing even on windows7/IEE11x86 and now working fine !


(As I said above, I'm still retrying / for now it still works although its quite enoying to launch
 a Modal Popup 2000 times a day ...)  

Hi,

Glad to hear that you have found a workaround and thank you for sharing with us!

Please feel free to let us know if there are any further requirements.

Best Regards,

Amy