In Windows XP using TweakUI I could enable an option so that when my mouse goes over an inactive window, it makes that window the active window. There is also another separate option so that if the window becomes active, it automatically becomes the topmost window.
I like to enable the former but not the latter.
For Windows 7 I have not been able to find the same thing. What I found instead is an option inside windows that does something similar. If I move my mouse over an inactive window, I have to hover over it for a while before it becomes active. It is not instantaneous. The second problem is that once it does become active, it automatically makes itself the topmost window, covering other things I don't want covered.
In summary, this is what I want in Windows 7:
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When my mouse goes over an inactive window, it immediately makes it the active window.
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When it activates the window, it does not raise it above other windows.
Best Answer
Thanks Phoshi for your answer. Since I stumbled on this link from a google-search I'm going to fill in some of the information missing from here and give a complete step-by-step guide for it:
To get X-mouse working from a Vanilla Windows 7 install:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\UserPreferenceMask- change the first byte only, you need to subtract hexidecimal 40 from value that is there (egDFbecomes9F) - this disables Auto-raise on ActivateHKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ActiveWndTrkTimeout- change its value to something small. Lower values will make it more difficult to use floating temporary windows (such as the taskbar notification area widget) because they disappear of something else gets focus as you move to them, but lower values also improve responsiveness. You might start with 250ms and tweak it from there.Steps 1-4 were mentioned in passing in the question, but not enumerated.
Steps 5-8 are exactly what Phoshi said.