Windows 10: My desktop is flickering every second, can't access any apps other than the Task Manager

For context: I tried to launch a game Valorant, which has the Vanguard anti-cheat system. The game did not boot correctly, so I restarted my PC.When I logged in after the restart, the desktop screen began flickering/flashing every second. It's as if I am logging back in every second. I can't click on the Windows menu or search for anything. There's a semi-permanent loading symbol next to the mouse icon.The screen does not flash when logging into my account or when I am in the Ctrl+Alt+Del menu.What I have already tried:Updating drivers as far as I can in Safe Mode, allowing Windows to find

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Screen flicker and hangup on desktop screen

The short term fix for me was to roll back to Windows 7. I did not have the time to work through the issues but will try again in a week or so. I had a call in to the Microsoft Answer Desk and got a call back after I rolled back. Pasted below are the suggestions
to attempt find the problem. In my case, I suspect Norton was the culprit since that was the common product on both my desktops and I was not seeing a flicker in Task Manager window.

From the Microsoft Answer Desk:

Here are the Steps for the Flickering issue.

If we see the screen flickering after sign-in there are two possible causes - apps causing Explorer to crash, or display driver issues.

To start, press this key combination: CTRL+SHIFT+ESC

If this opens Task Manager and that window is NOT flickering:The likely cause is Software Compatibility issue causing Explorer.exe to crash repeatedly.

• Use the File, Run option in Task Manager to open additional tools as-needed. Be sure to check the box to run tools as Administrator. These could include:
  
  appwiz.cpl: Opens Programs and Features
  
  compmgmt.msc: Opens Computer Management
  
  cmd.exe
• You can search for crash events in the Event Logs and find if any third party DLLs are the faulting module in the Explorer,.exe crashes Or uninstall software that is likely to include shell extensions.
  
• If removing software does not resolve the issue, use these commands to repair Windows:
  
  dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
  
  sfc /scannow

We have reports that removing these apps help resolve the issue:

• Norton Antivirus
• Other AV solutions
• iCloud
• IDT Audio (faulting module IDTNC64.cpl)

If Task Manager is flickering, or it didn't open, proceed with display driver troubleshooting:
The likely cause is a display driver or display hardware issue.

• Boot to Safe Mode with Networking.
• Use the same steps here as for Black Screen issues - if dual chipset, disable built-in graphics, if still flickers, try with only the other chipset enabled.
  
• If this does not work, or there is only a single chipset, uninstall the device and remove the driver software.
  
• Then boot into Windows and update the drivers to the latest from the manufacturer.
  

Here are the Steps for the Flickering issue.

If we see the screen flickering after sign-in there are two possible causes - apps causing Explorer to crash, or display driver issues.

 

Windows 10 update Flashing desktop(Need Help!)

Hello,

This issue can be caused by an incompatible app or display driver. Since you have uninstalled and installed the drivers but the issue persists, we suggest that you check to see if the Task Manager flickers to verify the cause of the issue. If it flickers,
a display driver is probably causing the issue and you need to update it. If it doesn't flicker, an incompatible app causes this.

To check if Task Manager flickers, follow the steps below:

• Right-click the Start button.
• Select Task Manager in the list.
• Check if it flickers.

Let us know what happened so we can further assist you.

 

Desktop items open Libreoffice; windows bugged and flickering

My mother's PC had the most bizarre bug I've ever seen this morning.

PC specs: Windows 10 Home 64bit
Version: 1903 when problem occurred (1909 now)

What happened:

• all desktop items, including folders, opened in Libreoffice Writer; once open it displayed a blank document then began flickering as if it had bugged while scrolling
• opened Task Manager from the task bar, selecting the second tab opened the final tab, which began flickering like Libreoffice
• problems stopped after a restart, then occurred again after another restart; then stopped after the PC ran for a short time
• no error popups or BSODs
• she said Candycrush reported an error earlier but it didn't occur when I looked at it; she said it mentioned "something about the desktop"

Steps I've taken:

• did a quick virus scan then reboot scan with Windows Defender; no problems found
• sfc /scannow; no problems found
• installed update KB4537572 and upgraded system to 1909; updates appear to have been successful, no other updates available

At the moment the problem has disappeared, but since it reoccurred previously I'm not sure it hasn't been fixed.

I'm out of ideas. What else can I check and what other tests can I run? Based on the given information could anyone suggest what the problem might be?