navigator object will be locked into the new microsoft input method conposition window when inputting.

[vgjh2005]

Steps to reproduce:

1. Press win+spacebar to switch input method to microsoft input method.
2. Please be insure that options "caret moves review cursor " and option "focus moves navigator object" is off at the same time.
3. Use numpad keyboard to put the navigator object to "this computer" icon on the desktop.
4. Open notepad.
5. Press any letter to make some Chinese input.
6. Press numpad key to navigate on the desktop.

Actual behavior:

Only contents of the conposition window can be navigated.

Expected behavior:

Navigator object is not followed the composition input window and it is still at the "this computer" icon.

System configuration

NVDA installed/portable/running from source:installed

NVDA version:2020.4

Windows version:Windows version: Windows 10 20H2 (64-bit) build 19042.928

Name and version of other software in use when reproducing the issue:no

Other information about your system:

CPU:I5 10500
dram:64gb
drivers:2tb ssd + 3tb Mechanical hard disk and a 4tb Mechanical hard disk

Other questions

Does the issue still occur after restarting your computer?yes

Have you tried any other versions of NVDA? If so, please report their behaviors.

2020.3.Yes. They are the same.

If add-ons are disabled, is your problem still occurring?

Yes.

Does the issue still occur after you run the COM Registration Fixing Tool in NVDA's tools menu?

Yes.
Thanks!

[josephsl]

CC @michaelDCurran, and I’m keeping an eye on this. Thanks.

[vgjh2005]

@josephsl @michaelDCurran I am sorry for my bad memory. Please re-review this issue. Sorry again.

[cary-rowen]

Yes, it confuses me, sometimes I use object navigation to read and use system focus to write book notes at the same time, but the new version of Microsoft Pinyin breaks that.
This will only be affected for languages with input composition windows. E.g, Chinese.

[cary-rowen]

Do you understand the causes of this problem?
Could you please investigate this?
Thank you!
@josephsl

@michaelDCurran
@feerrenrut

[lijianwei2019]

@seanbudd

[josephsl]

Hi, this is partly caused by system focus not moving to what you were working on when you close IME window. It might be possible to detect this by checking for UIA off-screen property on top-level IME window and moving focus, but it means NVDA won’t announce things such as “emoji panel is closed”, something Narrator does at the moment. Thanks.

[cary-rowen]

Sorry! I may not fully understand what you are trying to express. Is there any other solution for this issue?
This problem does not occur when using the compatible old version option of the Microsoft Pinyin input method.
@josephsl

[josephsl]

Hi, I know, it is a bit hard to understand all this… I think a simple way to look at this is a conflict between what NVDA thinks system focus is versus what Windows says where the cursor is. Hope this helps a lot.

[josephsl]

Hi,

April 2022 update: it is highly unlikely that this will be fixed in Windows 10 if Version 22H2 turns out to be coming from vibranium branch, and on Windows 11, focus manipulation workaround may need to be employed (part of Windows App Essentials at the moment).

Thanks.

[josephsl]

Hi,

March 2024 update: as Windows 10 will be declared end of life in October 2025, I vote to keep this issue open until then. The situatino is better in Windows 11 although focus movemenet may need to be employed (Windows App Essentials add-on implements a fix for this issue).

Thanks.

[XLTechie]

March 2024 update: as Windows 10 will be declared end of life in October 2025, I vote to keep this issue open until then. The situatino is better in Windows 11 although focus movemenet may need to be employed (Windows App Essentials add-on implements a fix for this issue).

Will you contribute it?

[josephsl]

Hi,

Based on brief testing, this is no longer the case in Windows 11 (the focus object issue is seen with emoji panel and clipboard history).

For folks who have reported this issue, if you don't mind, can you test it with Windows 11 (if possible) and see if that resolves the focus/navigator object problem? If yes, then the solution I noted isn't applicable to this issue as IME window in Windows 11 will move system focus to itself when it opens, then return you to where you were when it closes (confirmed with Korean IME). If it does turn out to be a Windows 10 issue and there's not an easy way to resolve this, then I vote to leave this open until late 2025.

Thanks.

[CyrilleB79]

If it's a Windows 10 only issue, and if no solution is implemented in NVDA, this issue should remain until NVDA decides to drops Windows 10 support, no matter Windows 10 end of life date. The same way, we have closed Windows 7 only issues with NVDA 2024.1, not in 2020 when Windows 7 was end of life.

Though, I acknowledge that when Windows 10 is end of life, this issue becomes low priority and is very unlikely to be fixed.

[cary-rowen]

The Microsoft Pinyin input method of Windows 11 is not within the repair scope of ime expressive. For Chinese users, this issue may not be well tested.
I plan to do some preliminary code polishing on ime_expressive, and then invite some experienced NVDA contributors to do some code reviews.