To fix screen flickering in Windows 10, you need to narrow down the cause and then either update or replace the driver or app that’s giving you trouble or set the correct refresh rate for your monitor.
Screen Flickering in Windows 10
When a Windows 10 computer suffers from a screen flickering problem, it manifests by the display rapidly flashing or flickering. The entire screen may flicker as if the display is turning on and off rapidly, or specific elements of Windows 10 like the desktop, taskbar, and application windows may flicker.
What Causes the Screen to Flicker in Windows 10?
Windows 10 screen flickering problems can be caused by a few different things, including a bad display adapter driver, a problematic application, and incorrect display refresh settings. Bad graphics drivers and incorrect display refresh settings result in the entire display flickering, while problematic apps usually only cause specific elements to flicker. When the entire screen appears to shut off and turn back on rapidly, it’s usually caused by a bad graphics driver. The graphics driver controls the display’s operation, so an outdated or corrupt driver can prevent it from working correctly. This can manifest in some graphical glitches, including a flickering screen. If your monitor refresh rate is set to the wrong value, that can also cause the entire display to flicker. The refresh rate, given in hertz, refers to how many times per second the display refreshes with a new image. A higher refresh rate translates to smoother movement when watching videos and playing games, but you can’t just set any refresh rate you want. Every display has a maximum refresh rate it’s designed to work with. When only certain elements on your screen flicker, that’s usually caused by a problematic app. This isn’t very common, but some apps have caused this issue in the past. To fix this problem, you can uninstall the problematic app or update it if an update is available.
How to Fix Screen Flickering Problems in Windows 10
Since screen flickering problems in Windows 10 can be narrowed down into two general categories, you will need to check your computer and see exactly what it looks like when the screen flickers. Once you’ve done that, follow these troubleshooting steps in order:
How to Fix Screen Flickering Caused By Problem Apps in Windows 10
If you were able to determine that Task Manager doesn’t flicker along with the rest of your screen, then you might have a problematic app. The most common culprits include antivirus apps and apps originally designed to work with earlier versions of Windows. If the Task Manager flickers along with the rest of the display, proceed to the next step. If the Task Manager doesn’t flicker along with the rest of the display, skip to the next section. Here’s how to fix screen flickering caused by an app:
