PowerToys has detected an app... Always On Top message

[TheAssurer2009]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.77.0

Installation method

PowerToys auto-update

Running as admin

Yes

Area(s) with issue?

Always on Top

Steps to reproduce

Boot PC and then log into Windows 11 Pro, as an administrator.

✔️ Expected Behavior

I expect to be told WHAT particular application is running with "Always On Top."

❌ Actual Behavior

When I log into Windows 11 Pro (as an administrator), the message about an app detected with Always On Top appears twice in the notification tray; WITHOUT telling me which app is involved.

Other Software

None.

[stefansjfw]

The message should be We've detected an application running with administrator privileges. This will prevent certain interactions with these applications, with Always on top title. Is that the one you're seeing?

So, it's not about some window is running with Always on top active, but it's running elevated and AoT is not. So AoT won't be able to affect that window.

Do you find this message confusing? Maybe some rephrasing would be good here... /needinfo

[TheAssurer2009]

[image: image.png] But *which* application was detected???

…

On Tue, Jan 16, 2024 at 4:50 AM Stefan Markovic ***@***.***> wrote: The message should be We've detected an application running with administrator privileges. This will prevent certain interactions with these applications, with Always on top title. Is that the one you're seeing? So, it's not about some window is running with Always on top active, but it's running elevated and AoT is not. So AoT won't be able to affect that window. Do you find this message confusing? Maybe some rephrasing would be good here... /needinfo — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#30973 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/A32BGSHMYTSRVBUH3LKH2GDYOZZSLAVCNFSM6AAAAABB34YHLKVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTQOJTGY3TQNRSGQ> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

-- The Assurer: Internet, Information Assurance/Security/Privacy/Investigations and Systems Engineering; Consulting & Services. Follow The Assurer at: https://Twitter.com/TheAssurer *Caution:* This message may contain information not intended for public disclosure. Please do not disseminate this message, without the permission of the individual originating this message. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender by reply email, and then delete it.

[glen-84]

• We need to know which application.
• We need a way to ignore that application.
• We need a way to disable this notification entirely (and specifically).

[runfaj]

I have the same issue here. Logging in literally just gives the message "we've detected a program that is always on top" with no details on what is actually causing this.

[Patrickode]

Landed in this thread by looking up if there is a way to make this notification stop happening, or make it silent. It's good info, but I don't need to know that same info every time I open an app with admin, such as the task manager with Ctrl+Alt+Delete (which I imagine is a rather common thing for power users to do).

For the record, I don't get the message on startup, because I don't think I boot Windows itself as administrator like the top post says, But implementing the suggestions here would still reduce a little bit of annoyance for me, and I imagine others.

[Diogo-Rossi]

We need to know which application.

I'm particularly interested in this.

I would like to know which application is running as administrator. This could help to solve some security issues.

[four2theizz0]

Just wondering if there are any updates. I am having the same issue as well, and would like to know the program. If I click on the notification, the counter just goes down.

Thank you!

[AndyDragon666]

Nope, not a thing. What I was told is that whilst there is a flag, there's nothing that allows the app to be identified. Grrr. I suspect that it'll need to be a clever clog's programmer to do it it. Sent from Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>

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[TyreReviews]

I too would love to know what app is causing the notification. If, for example it's some sort of virus, that would be extra useful.

[FullBleed]

I too would love to know what app is causing the notification. If, for example it's some sort of virus, that would be extra useful.

Yeah, I'm randomly seeing this "notification" lately and not knowing what's causing it is concerning.