Window stops receiving keyboard input after ctrl-alt-del

Steps to reproduce:
1. open any window that should take input (console, run dialog, notepad, ...)
2. WITHOUT TYPING ANYTHING, press ctrl-alt-del (or in the case of vmware, ctrl-alt-insert) with the editing control still in focus and active, to open the ctrl-alt-del screen
3. choose cancel or task manager to return to the normal desktop
4. try to type in the window, it will not register the key presses

NOTE: If you type anything before step 2, it will not happen.
NOTE 2: It ONLY happens to the active window.