Resolving the Annoying Flickering Problem in Windows 10 While Gaming

If you’ve ever faced the frustrating issue of your screen flickering and switching between open programs during gameplay on Windows 10, you’re certainly not alone. I recently tackled a problem that had plagued me for years, and I believe sharing my experience might help others facing the same challenge.

The Struggle

For quite some time, every time I fired up a game, my display would erratically flicker through other applications and tabs that were open. This glitchy behavior occasionally stole focus from my game, making for an incredibly disruptive experience. To make matters worse, some games would crash entirely as a result, forcing me to restart and sometimes losing precious in-game progress.

The frequency of this glitch varied widely. Some days I’d be lucky and go hours without it, while on other occasions, the issue could occur multiple times within just a minute. The randomness of it all, with no apparent trigger, left me at a loss. Frustratingly, the issue was confined exclusively to gaming, as I could use other applications without any problems.

Troubleshooting Attempts

Initially, I tried a range of typical fixes. I updated my graphics card drivers, experimented with different monitors and cables, switched between fullscreen and windowed modes, and even closed unnecessary background programs. Unfortunately, none of these solutions yielded any improvement.

The Breakthrough: Windows Event Log

After a recent bout of searching the web for answers, I decided to check the Windows Event Log when the flickering occurred. To my surprise, I discovered that the Desktop Window Manager (dwm.exe) had crashed right at the moment the issue manifested. A little research revealed that this was indeed significant; knowing which processes were involved was key to unraveling the mystery.

Although a wealth of suggested solutions popped up, including extreme measures like reinstalling Windows or swapping out hardware components, I suspected these were not the root of the issue.

The Solution: Update Your Xbox Controller Firmware

Ultimately, the lightbulb moment came from a forum post suggesting that outdated Xbox controller firmware could be the culprit. This resonated with me, as my gaming sessions always involved an Xbox controller. Reflecting on my recent experiences, I realized that most of the flickering incidents coincided with moments when I wasn’t using the mouse or keyboard but simply giving inputs through the controller.

To rectify the situation, I downloaded the Xbox Accessories app from the Microsoft Store, which enabled me