From Michelle Castle,
Your Guide to Focus on Windows.
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Definition: In Microsoft Windows, you can run more than one program at a time (aka, multitasking). Each of the programs may create more than window to allow you to enter commands or text.

When you have more than one window open, the currently selected window is called the active window. Windows XP indicates which window is the active window by changing the color of the active window's title bar. In the screen shot to the right, the Windows Calculator is the active window.