Windows 11 focus outline appears even when tab is not pressed.

Timur ‎ 0 Reputation points
2026-09-27T09:13:40.1966667+00:00

This problem occurs on every Windows version I've tried, all clean installs (23H2, 25H2, 26H2 Preview). My laptop is an ASUS TUF F16 FX608JHR-RV144, BIOS version 312. I've tried adjusting every Windows setting related to this and even tweaking the registry, but nothing has helped.

I also want to note that my keyboard is functioning normally and isn't the cause — KeyTest doesn't detect any phantom signals. The issue also occurs outside Windows itself, in browsers like Edge and Chrome (the address bar always gets highlighted when I open a new tab).

Important note: I didn't experience this issue on my previous laptop, a Lenovo LOQ 15ARP10E, even though I was running the exact same Windows build. It seems like the system is misinterpreting some input as coming from a keyboard (e.g., treating a mouse or touchpad click as a Tab-key press). I'd really appreciate any help diagnosing and solving this5231

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Windows for home | Windows 11 | Display and graphics
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  1. Timur ‎ 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-30T05:14:30.1266667+00:00

    Hello, I only use a wired mouse. As I said, I'm on a clean system right now. There are no drivers, so the touchpad is not working. That's why I wouldn't suspect it.The issue is still there, though. I tried diagnosing it with Claude, and it gave me a script that catches all the HID inputs. As expected, both mouse/touchpad and keyboard are working perfectly, and there are no hardware defects. The keyboard appears in the console only when I physically use it, and so does the mouse.One interesting observation is that when the outline appears, nothing suspicious appears in the log (only mouse position changes and mouse clicks, but they're physically executed and are supposed to be there, no phantom keyboard signals have been registered during the usage), confirming my assumption.

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  2. Norah-L 11,410 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-28T00:37:23.18+00:00

    Good day Timur,

    Since the focus outline appears without pressing Tab and remains across different Windows versions, another connected input device may be sending navigation commands.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    1. Disconnect all game controllers, joysticks, steering wheels, USB receivers, and Bluetooth input accessories.
    2. Restart the computer with only the laptop keyboard and touchpad connected, then check whether the outline still appears.
    3. If the issue continues, temporarily disable the touchpad in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad, connect a basic wired mouse, and test again.
    4. If the problem disappears, reconnect the disconnected devices one at a time and test after each one. This should help identify which device is triggering the behavior.

    Please let me know how it goes after trying these steps, and I'll be glad to continue looking into it with you.

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