Troubleshoot screen flickering in Windows (2024)

Windows 11Windows 10

Screen flickering in Windows 11 is usually caused by a display driver issue or incompatible app. To determine whether adisplay driver or app is causing the problem, check to see if Task Manager flickers.Then, based on that information, you'll need to update, rollback, or uninstall your display driver or update or uninstall the app.

For more, select any of the following headings, and it'll open to show more info:

PressCtrl + Alt + Delete to open Task Manager. If you don’t see Task Manager after pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

If Task Manager flickers along with everything else on the screen, a display driver is probably causing the problem. In this scenario, see the Fix your display driver section.
If Task Manager doesn't flicker while the rest of the screen is flickering, an incompatible app is probably causing the problem. In this scenario, see the Update or uninstall an incompatible app section.

Note:For help witha flickering or scrambled screen ona Surface Pro 4, see What to try if your Surface screen is flickering, distorted, or has other display issues.

If you're having trouble seeing your screen properly, you may need to start your PC in safe mode to follow the steps below.

If Windows Update recently made updates to your device, roll back your display driver. Otherwise, try updating or uninstalling your display driver to fix the flickering or scramblingproblem.

Roll back your display driver

In the search box on the taskbar, enterdevice manager, and then select it from the list of results.
Select the arrow to expand Display adapters.
Under Display adapters, right-click the adapter, thenselect Properties.
Select the Driver tab, and then select Roll Back Driver > Yes.
Restart your device.

Notes:

You must have administrator privileges to roll back or uninstall a device or driver package using Device Manager.
See Also
Finding and fixing bugs with deep learning - Microsoft Research Fix sound or audio problems in Windows FAQs - Report an issue and submission guidelines Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft AI
If the Roll Back Driver option is unavailable, Windows doesn't have a previous driver to roll back to and won't be able to complete this process.

Update your display driver

In the search box on the taskbar, enterdevice manager, and then select it from the list of results.
Select the arrow to expand Display adapters.
Under Display Adapters, right-click the adapter, then select Update driver.

Note:You may need to contact your PC or display adapter manufacturer to download the most recent driver for your system.

Uninstall your display driver

In the search box on the taskbar, enterdevice manager, and then select it from the list of results.
Select the arrow to expand Display adapters.
Under Display adapters, right-click the adapter, then select Properties.
Select the Driver tab, and thenselect Uninstall Device.
Select the Delete the driver software for this device check box, and then select OK.
Restart your device and Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver.

Note:If you don't see Delete the driver software for this device check box, make you started your PC in safe mode.

Update an app

If the app came from Microsoft Store, check updates for apps from Microsoft Store.
If the app didn't come from Microsoft Store, check the manufacturer's site for updates.

Uninstall an app

Some apps may not be compatible with Windows 11 and can cause a flickering or scrambled screen. Try uninstalling the app, here's how:

Select the Start>Settings> Apps > Apps & features. It'll take a moment for your apps to appear.
Scroll down the list and find the app you want to uninstall.
Select the app, and then select Uninstall > Uninstall. If you're asked to confirm your choice, select Yes.

After you uninstall the first app, restart your device and check if the screen flickering or scrambled issue is resolved or not. If it's not, uninstall each app one by one until the issue is resolved.

Reinstall an app

Select the Microsoft Store from the start menu.
Select Library.
Select the app you want to reinstall, and then select Install.

If yourapp isn't in Microsoft Store, reinstall it from the manufacturer's site.

Screen flickering in Windows 10 is usually caused by a display driver issue or incompatible app. To determine whether adisplay driver or app is causing the problem, check to see if Task Manager flickers.Then, based on that information, you'll need to update, rollback, or uninstall your display driver or update or uninstall the app.