How I Resolved a Long-Standing Flickering Issue in Windows 10 While Gaming

After years of frustration with an issue that disrupted my gaming experience, I am thrilled to share how I finally resolved the persistent flickering problem in Windows 10. If you’ve encountered similar challenges while gaming, my journey might help point you toward a solution.

The Flickering Nightmare

For as long as I can remember, every time I dove into my favorite games on my PC, I faced an incredibly irritating issue. My screen would sporadically flicker through other open programs and tabs, at times yanking me completely out of the game. This not only broke my immersion but also led to glitchy windows that were distracting and frustrating. In some extreme cases, entire games would crash, forcing me to restart and, on occasion, lose valuable progress.

The frequency of the flickering varied widely — from an occasional nuisance every few hours to a maddening occurrence multiple times within a single minute. It felt utterly random, happening independently of what I was doing, and curiously, it only happened during gaming activities.

Troubleshooting Attempts

In my quest for a solution, I tried numerous basic troubleshooting methods. I updated my graphics card drivers, experimented with different monitors and cables, toggled between fullscreen and windowed modes, and even closed various background programs. Unfortunately, none of these efforts yielded any positive results.

Feeling somewhat defeated, I turned to online resources and forums to seek advice. A few weeks ago, I had a breakthrough when I decided to investigate the Windows event log the next time the flickering happened. To my surprise, I discovered that a process called dwm.exe had crashed during these instances. Dwm.exe, the Desktop Window Manager, seemed to be directly linked to the issue.

Finding the Right Solution

In my search for answers, I stumbled upon a set of common troubleshooting tips, including suggestions as drastic as reinstalling Windows or swapping out hardware components. While these options felt excessive, I kept digging until I encountered a promising post that suggested outdated Xbox controller firmware might be the culprit.

This struck a chord with me since I frequently use my Xbox controller for gaming. Thinking back, I realized that the flickering often coincided with my controller inputs, which made the potential connection even more plausible.

The Final Fix

To resolve this, I downloaded the Xbox Accessories app from the Windows Store, which allowed me to update my controller’s firmware seamlessly. After completing the