PRB: Dialog Box and Parent Window Disabled

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows versions 3.0 and 3.1
• Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) included with:

      - Microsoft Windows NT versions 3.5 and 3.51
      - Microsoft Windows 95 version 4.0
  

SYMPTOMS

When an application uses one of the DialogBox family of functions to create a modal dialog box, both the parent window and the dialog box are disabled (unable to accept keyboard or mouse input).

CAUSE

In the application's resource file, the dialog box resource has the WS_CHILD style.

RESOLUTION

To avoid this problem, use the WS_POPUP style instead of the WS_CHILD style.

MORE INFORMATION

When an application creates a modal dialog box using one of the DialogBox family of functions, Windows disables the dialog box's parent window. If the parent window has any child windows, the child windows are also disabled.

An application can use the WS_CHILD style for dialog boxes created by one of the CreateDialog family of functions. However, problems and inconsistencies arise if the application uses the IsDialogMessage function to process dialog box input for either the parent or the child.