Windows 11 makes all my windowed/ borderless programs flicker to desktop

Resolving Window Flickering Issues in Windows 11 with AMD Hardware: A Troubleshooting Guide

Introduction

Many Windows 11 users with AMD hardware configurations are reporting a perplexing issue: applications exhibit flickering, revealing the desktop intermittently. Whether running in windowed or borderless modes, programs such as Minecraft and Photoshop experience visual disruptions, impacting user experience and productivity. This article aims to explore potential causes and solutions for this problem, providing a comprehensive troubleshooting guide for affected users.

Understanding the Issue

The core problem involves visual flickering or flashing that exposes the desktop background when launching or operating certain applications. Notably, this occurs across various applications—some even in fullscreen mode—like:

• Minecraft
• Adobe Photoshop

This issue appears to be specific to systems equipped with AMD graphics cards, particularly models like the RX 5500XT, paired with Ryzen processors such as the Ryzen 5 5600 and 16GB of RAM on a B650M motherboard.

Possible Causes

Several factors could contribute to these visual anomalies:

1. Graphics Driver Conflicts or Bugs: Even with updated drivers, compatibility issues may persist, especially if previous driver versions were rolled back for stability.
2. Display Settings Conflicts: Misconfigured display settings, such as refresh rates or resolution mismatches, might induce flickering.
3. Hardware Acceleration: Certain applications use hardware acceleration features that might conflict with existing graphics settings.
4. Windows 11 Compatibility: As a relatively newer OS, Windows 11 may have unresolved bugs affecting graphics rendering or window management.
5. Background Processes: Conflicts from background applications or overlays can interfere with rendering.

Recommended Troubleshooting Steps

If you are experiencing similar flickering issues, consider the following steps to diagnose and resolve the problem:

1. Update Graphics Drivers
2. Ensure you have the latest AMD Radeon drivers compatible with your GPU.
3. Visit the official AMD website to download and install the most recent stable drivers.
4. Reset Display Settings
5. Verify that your display resolution and refresh rate are correctly configured via Windows Settings.
6. Experiment with different refresh rates to see if flickering improves.
7. Disable Hardware Acceleration
8. In problematic applications (like Photoshop), disable hardware acceleration within the application’s settings.
9. Check for Windows Updates
10. Install any pending Windows 11 updates that may address known graphics issues.
11. Adjust Compatibility Settings