Proof of Concept: MDIForm does not call MdiChildActivate event

Goodday,

I've got a strange problem! I've got a MDIForm which has form docked to it. The only thing this form does is to be the default background of my MDIForm (I realy don't know how to set the background of the MDIParent) I Don't want it to be clickable so I set the .Enabled propert to false.

Now everytime I make a new form and show it in the MDIParent and I'll close that same form the MdiChildActivate event isn't raised. If I set the .Enabled property of the (background) form to true then it will raise the MdiChildActivate event !!!

You can help me also by giving me a example how to set the background of an MDIParent. This background has to be visible around a form. The background has the color of a default form.

 thnx

proof of concept:

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.ComponentModel;

using System.Data;

using System.Drawing;

using System.Text;

using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace WindowsApplication2

public partial class MDIParent1 : Form

public MDIParent1()

private void newToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

Form form = new Form();

form.MdiParent = this;

form.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;

form.FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.None;

//form.Enabled = false;

private void newFormToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

Form form = new Form();

form.MdiParent = this;

form.Location = new Point(400, 400);

form.Size = new Size(500, 500);

form.BackColor = Color.Maroon;

private void MDIParent1_MdiChildActivate(object sender, EventArgs e)

MessageBox.Show("MdiChildActivate event raised");

/* I made this code in VS2005 Version 8.0.50727.42