Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit Steals Focus

I've tried searching on-line for help with this problem and while there are literally hundreds of threads about this, no one seems to have the exact problem I am experiencing.

When I say Windows is stealing focus I mean exactly that - The explorer bar flashes before it appears regardless of what ever full screen program I am running - vlc, games, skygo, chrome, firefox, whatever.

Sometimes I can re-establish focus by clicking on whatever program I am running but it still continues to happen.

I've turned my antivirus onto silent/gaming mode, I've even tried disabling it for short periods to see if it is the culprit, I've culled all my services to the bare minimum, I don't leave my outlook on so it shouldn't be receiving anything, I've created a second profile on my laptop to see if it is a setting - I am at my wits end with what else I can do - any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated

PS I'm a relatively intermediate pc user but I may need instructions to be a little simple to follow oh and I've included as much info about my system in my profile but I'll answer any reasonable questions if I can

Disabling any services in Win7 is asking for unintended consequences. It is as lean as an OS can be.

What I'd do is start fresh to get a perfect install using the same steps for Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. You'll get and keep a perfect install to the exact extent you stick with the tools and methods given, based on countless thousands of installs we've helped with here.

If you're not ready for that then go over your install closely using these Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7 however if you've modified the OS or edited its Services too radically it's likely already compromised unless you have an available image or restore point to go back to before then.