Forums Bug Reports Window-focus every 30th minutes

I have an issue with the latest update of mIRC (or the last few updates - not entirely sure).
The problem is that the client forces Windows to focus to it. It doesn't maximize the client, it just unfocus my games I play while I have mIRC running every 30th minute like: 9 am, 9:30 am, 10 am, 10:30 am.
It doesn't focus like 9:23 AM, 9:53 AM etc., it's always xx:00 or xx:30.
I was thinking maybe one of my old scripts are causing some issues with later updates but I can't find anything in those scripts that would cause this.
How I know it's mIRC? When I get "alt+tabbed" out of a game and press alt+enter, mIRC will be the one that will be highlighted.
Also, closing mIRC will fix the problem.

It's probably one of your scripts. You should try a clean installation of mirc with no script installed, or you can try with your current install by disabling all your script by executing /remote off (/remote on to enable back). If you use the /remote way, make sure to restart mirc as it's most likely a timer doing it since it's periodic like that, in fact it's so periodic that only a timer can be responsible of it, you can check current running timers with /timer*

I have no timers active.

I'll give the /remote off a go and I'll reply later after testing!

I've checked the timers and there is none.
I also tried /remote off and it still focuses every 30th minute, really strange.
I wonder if there is an application targeting mIRC for whatever reason so I'll dump my tasklist, maybe someone can see something I don't 🤔

https://pastebin.com/pPQb4p3i

I have also checked task scheduler for any culprits and I have found none executing every 30th minute and I also checked "Last Run Time". There's so many scheduling tasks so I ran a powershell script after "Last Run Time" and none stood out.
I've tried to find a tool that would allow me to see if any application changes focus to another application but no luck. There's only focus logging applications and that wouldn't be very helpful and event viewer doesn't give much either.
I noticed that the focus isn't exactly every 30th minute, this time it was a around 5 seconds late.
I really don't want to switch IRC client. I've used mIRC since late 90's and I've loved it since (and written tons of scripts - none executing timers every 30th minute though 😆) but this is just purely annoying. I don't know if it's something conflicting with my installed applications I have running but I've used the same applications for like, forever... I also can't understand why mIRC is getting focus even if it would have been from a third party software.

I did update the client not long ago and it was after that the problem started so that kind of gives me the impression that the newer version(s) gave me problems.
I guess I could revert to older versions and give it a try and give feedback though. I guess I can do a "debug" when I do have time though.

mIRC does not have any timers that specifically trigger every thirty minutes.

mRC does use the SetForegroundWindow() API call, which allows an application to take focus from other applications, in specific contexts, such as menus popping up, desktop windows being created, the mIRC tray icon being clicked, and so on.

But for this issue to happen at precisely every thirty minutes... that's really specific. It is very likely that another application or graphics/sound/other driver is doing this.

When the focus switches, did something happen in mIRC, such as joining a channel, opening a window, popping up a dialog?

Normally, with a bug report, I would ask a user to install a clean copy of mIRC, using the Portable option in the installer, into a new, empty folder (such as a Documents/mIRC folder), with no scripts, settings, etc. and to run mIRC from there with default settings. If you run this copy of mIRC, and leave it open on the desktop, or minimize it to the tray/taskbar, does it still get focus every thirty minutes?

To give you an update:
I have tried /remote off and there are no timers active and I agree that the 30th minute is screaming a timer.
If I use /remote off and relaunch the client without connecting to a server, it will not focus every 30th minute.
I've tried connecting to a single server (Quakenet at first and after that EsperNet) and both triggered a window focus.
I do have perform settings for each server but they mostly contain /msg or something similar but there are no timers and they only execute at connect.
I don't think it's a script issue if the problem still persist after a /remote off + restart and only happens if it's connected to a server.
But I will definitely try a portal install and see what would happen. I'll be in touch!

Just a quick update: rob444 was kind enough to test out a beta and, at this point, it looks like another application/driver is the cause of the window-switching issue. If you track down the cause, please let us know :-)