How to Fix Screen Flickering on Windows 10 and 11

Quick answer: To fix screen flickering on Windows, open Task Manager and watch it. If Task Manager flickers with the screen, suspect the display driver. If it stays steady, suspect an app. Then update or roll back the driver, check the refresh rate, and test your cable and port.

You can fix screen flickering on Windows without special tools. A flickering screen is annoying, and the cause can be a driver, an app, a setting, or hardware. The trick is to find out which one before you change things at random.

This guide builds on Microsoft’s own guidance and covers Windows 11 and Windows 10. Work through the steps in order, and stop when the flicker goes away.

Step 1: Reset the graphics driver and restart

Start with the quickest fix. Press Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B. This resets the graphics driver. The screen may blink for a moment.

If the flicker continues, restart your PC and check again.

Step 2: Use Task Manager to fix screen flickering on Windows faster

This is the most useful test, and it takes one minute. Microsoft uses it to split display problems into two groups.

1. Open Task Manager. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. You can also press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose Task Manager.
2. Watch the window. Look at Task Manager while the rest of the screen flickers.
3. Read the result. Compare what you see with the list below.

• Task Manager flickers with the screen: A display driver is the likely cause. Go to Step 3.
• Task Manager stays steady: An incompatible app is the likely cause. Go to Step 4.

Add a solid color check

Here is an extra test most guides skip. Open the white screen tool in fullscreen, then try the black screen. A plain background makes flicker easy to see, and it shows whether the problem changes with the content.

This check narrows the cause. If the screen flickers on every color, think driver, settings, or hardware. If it flickers only inside one app, think app. Write down what you see.

Step 3: Fix screen flickering on Windows by repairing the display driver

The display driver tells Windows how to talk to your graphics hardware. A bad update or a damaged driver can cause flicker. The Device Manager steps below are the same idea on Windows 10 and Windows 11. You need administrator rights.

Roll back the driver

Use this if the flicker began after a recent update.

1. Open Device Manager. Search for device manager on the taskbar and open it.
2. Expand Display adapters. Click the arrow beside it.
3. Open Properties. Right-click your adapter and select Properties.
4. Choose Roll Back Driver. On the Driver tab, select Roll Back Driver, then Yes.
5. Restart. Restart the device and test again.

If Roll Back Driver is grayed out, Windows has no earlier driver saved for that adapter.

Update the driver

1. Open Device Manager and expand Display adapters.
2. Select Update driver. Right-click the adapter and choose Update driver.
3. Get the latest version. You may need to download the newest driver from your PC maker or the graphics maker, such as NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD.

Uninstall and reinstall the driver

1. Open the adapter properties. In Device Manager, right-click the adapter, then choose Properties and the Driver tab.
2. Select Uninstall Device. Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device, then select OK.
3. Restart. Windows reinstalls a driver when it starts.

If you do not see the checkbox, start the PC in Safe Mode first. If you cannot see the screen well enough to follow the steps, use Safe Mode too. On Windows 10, you can reach it from Settings, Update & Security, Recovery, then Advanced startup.

Step 4: Update or remove an incompatible app

If Task Manager stayed steady, an app is likely the cause. Common suspects include antivirus tools, desktop customization utilities, and software built for older versions of Windows.

Update the app first

• Microsoft Store apps: Check for updates in the Microsoft Store.
• Other apps: Check the maker’s website for a newer version.

Uninstall suspect apps

1. Open settings. Select Start, then Settings, then Apps. On Windows 11, choose Installed apps.
2. Pick the app. Select it, then select Uninstall and confirm.
3. Restart and test. Check whether the flicker has stopped.
4. Repeat if needed. Remove the next suspect, one at a time.

Remove one app per round. That way you know which one caused the problem. You can reinstall a Store app from Library in the Microsoft Store. For other apps, use the maker’s website.

Step 5: Check the refresh rate

A refresh rate that your monitor does not handle well can look like flicker. Try a different rate that your monitor supports.

1. Open Display settings. Select Start, then Settings, then System, then Display.
2. Open Advanced display. Select Advanced display.
3. Choose a refresh rate. Pick a rate next to Choose a refresh rate.

A rate marked with an asterisk does not support your current resolution. If you pick it, Windows also changes your resolution.

Windows 11 dynamic refresh rate

Windows 11 can adjust the refresh rate automatically based on what you do. This is called Dynamic Refresh Rate. It needs a display that supports variable refresh rate and runs at 120 Hz or higher. You can turn it off with the Dynamic refresh rate toggle on the same Advanced display page. Microsoft notes it can lower the top refresh rate of some games.

Step 6: Check cables, ports, and the monitor

Hardware causes are easy to miss. Test them before you assume the worst.

• Reseat both ends. Push the HDMI, DisplayPort, or VGA cable in firmly at the PC and at the monitor.
• Swap the cable. Try a cable you know works.
• Change the port. Use a different port on the PC or monitor if available.
• Try another PC. If the monitor flickers there too, the monitor is the likely cause.
• Try another monitor. If a different display flickers on your PC, suspect the graphics driver or card.
• Think about laptops. A loose internal display cable, often from opening and closing the lid many times, can cause flicker. That repair needs a technician.

If you also see tiny dots that never change, that is a pixel fault and not flicker. Read our guide to dead pixels on a laptop screen.

Step 7: Turn off hardware acceleration in your browser

If the flicker shows up only in a web browser, try turning off graphics acceleration in that browser. A browser-based fullscreen color page also runs inside the browser, so this is a useful test too.

In Microsoft Edge

1. Open Settings. Select the three-dot menu, then Settings.
2. Go to System and performance. Select it in the left panel.
3. Switch off the toggle. Under System, turn off Use graphics acceleration when available.
4. Restart the browser. Select Restart when it appears.

In Google Chrome

1. Open Settings. Select the three-dot menu, then Settings.
2. Open System. Select System in the left sidebar.
3. Switch off the toggle. Turn off Use graphics acceleration when available.
4. Relaunch. Select Relaunch to apply the change.

If the toggle is grayed out, a policy from your organization controls it.

Step 8: Try display settings like HDR and resolution

If the flicker is still there, try turning off HDR, or set the resolution back to the recommended value. Some troubleshooting guides suggest this, and it costs nothing to test.

Change one setting at a time and test after each change.

If nothing works

You have now checked drivers, apps, refresh rate, cables, and browser settings. If the screen still flickers on other computers or on every color, the monitor or the graphics hardware may need repair.

For a driver reinstall, Windows Update optional driver updates or the maker’s site (NVIDIA, Intel, or AMD) are the places to look. As a last resort, some people install an older driver and pause driver updates so Windows does not replace it. Only do that if you are comfortable with the risk.

For Microsoft’s full walkthrough, see Fix screen flickering in Windows on Microsoft Support.

Quick checklist for recurring screen flickering

Screen flickering often returns after a Windows update or a driver change. Keep this short checklist handy so you can stop screen flickering fast.

• Test first: Open Task Manager to learn whether the screen flickering comes from a driver or an app.
• Update the driver: A fresh graphics driver fixes most cases of screen flickering on Windows 10 and 11.
• Check the basics: Confirm the refresh rate, then reseat the cable if the screen flickering continues.
• Remove suspects: Uninstall apps that started right before the screen flickering began.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my screen flicker on Windows 11 or Windows 10?

The usual causes are a display driver problem or an incompatible app. A wrong refresh rate or a faulty cable can also cause it. Task Manager is the fastest way to tell the first two apart.

How do I know if it is the driver or an app?

Open Task Manager and watch it. If it flickers with the rest of the screen, suspect the driver. If it stays steady, suspect an app.

What does Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B do?

It resets the graphics driver. It is a quick first step that Microsoft recommends before you restart.

Can a bad cable cause screen flicker?

Yes. A loose or damaged HDMI, DisplayPort, or VGA cable can cause flicker. Reseat both ends and try another cable or port.

Should I fix screen flickering in Windows by reinstalling Windows?

Not as a first step. Work through the driver, app, refresh rate, and cable checks first. If those fail on every test, hardware is the more likely cause.