<p>ToolStripItems show Active highlighting when you mouse over them, even if the form they are in is not in focus.   They do not, however, show their tooltips, unless the form is  focused.   I have seen the <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/rickbrew/archive/2006/01/09/511003.aspx" rel="noreferrer">ToolStrip 'click-though' hack</a>.  Anyone know how to make a ToolStripButton show its tooltip when its parent form is not in focus?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

Perhaps one of the two approaches in this code will kick you off in the right direction...
```
```
public Form1()
{
    InitializeComponent();

    tooltip = new ToolTip();
    tooltip.ShowAlways = true;
}

private ToolTip tooltip;
private void toolStripButton_MouseHover(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if (!this.Focused)
    {
        ToolStripItem tsi = (ToolStripItem)sender;
        tooltip.SetToolTip(toolStrip1, tsi.AutoToolTip ? tsi.ToolTipText : tsi.Text);
        /*tooltip.Show(tsi.AutoToolTip ? tsi.ToolTipText : tsi.Text, this, 
            new Point(toolStrip1.Left, toolStrip1.Bottom));*/
    }
}

private void toolStripButton_MouseLeave(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    tooltip.RemoveAll();
}
```
```
The problem with the first is you can't set it to the button directly, it doesn't inherit from Control, and the tooltip won't show up unless you're over the strip but not over a button.
The problem with the second (commented out way) is it doesn't display at all. Not quite sure why, but maybe you can debug it out.