Screen flickering issue is mainly caused by third-party software and drivers. It has nothing to do with your computer’s hardware. To determine if this is indeed the case, we’ll go through several diagnostic procedures in this article.
Solution 1: Check If Issue Occurs With Task Manager
The users of Norton Antivirus, IDT Audio and iCloud for Windows have long reported the problem of screen flickering. To determine if the issue is restricted to only third-party applications, open the Task Manager and check if the screen flickering occurs or not. Since Task Manager is an integral part and component of the Windows operating system, it shouldn’t flicker your screen.
To open Task Manager in Windows 10, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete simultaneously. Click on Open Task Manager.
Does the issue occurs?
- If yes, it has nothing to do with any third-party software and you can jump over to the Solution 3.
- If it doesn’t, the issue is certainly caused by a third-party software or driver, cache corruption, and other known issues. You’ll want to uninstall, repair or update such application(s). Continue following the Solution 2 below.
Solution 2: Uninstall, Repair Or Update Incompatible Application
Now that you’ve determined the problematic application, it is safe to reinstall or repair it. If the problem persists, try searching for the most recent, updated version of the software as most manufacturers release new updates to fix potential bugs and other known issues.
Repairing faulty application:
- Click on Start, select Settings.
- Click on Apps.
- Under Apps & Features page, you’d be able to search for apps, and uninstall/ repair them.
- Select the faulty application and click on the Modify button.
- The Modify Setup wizard would come up with three options, viz. Repair, Uninstall and Close.
- Select Repair and follow the on-screen instructions.
Updating faulty application:
- Open the application that causes your screen to flicker.
- Click on the Help menu, and choose Check for Updates or similar option.
If no such options are displayed, you’ll want to go to the software publisher’s website and obtain a newer version manually. Remember to exit any open windows during the installation.
Uninstall faulty application:
- Follow the Steps # 1-3 under Repairing faulty installation section.
- Select the Uninstall option.
Solution 3: Repair System Cache
Your computer uses the cache to store most frequently used files to speed up your system’s performance. Like any other technology, caching mechanism has its own drawbacks. For instance, power failure, application crashes and other issues might result into corruption of the cache contents, and therefore, screen flickering.
Download a reliable cache cleaner software such as STCleaner, and delete all sorts of temporary files including caches, Internet downloaded files. This should fix your issue.
Solution 4: Update Graphics/ Video Driver
Another common reason behind flickering in Windows 10 is an obsolete video driver. Try updating your video driver to the newer version through one of the steps given below:
Automatically update your driver:
- Press Windows Key + X.
- Select Device Manager.
- Look for the Display Adapter.
- Right-click and select Update driver software.
- When you are prompted to select one of the ways to update, choose the first option. This will automatically update your drivers online with no need to find it your own.
Manually update your driver:
If Windows fails to find any newer driver updates, you might want to visit the computer manufacturer’s website. The steps are given below:
- Visit the website of your computer or graphics card manufacturer. Use one of the following links depending on the graphics card that you use:
- Go to the Drivers & Downloads section.
- Look up for the latest video driver version compatible with your graphics card. (Refer the Note section below to get information about your computer’s hardware)
- After downloading your driver, launch Device Manager > Driver Update wizard again. (Refer Steps # 1 to 4 above).
- Use the second option to manually browse and locate your drivers.
- In the subsequent page, check-up the box Include subfolders and then click on the Browse button.
- Choose the folder that contains your downloaded driver file (such as, Downloads) and then click on OK. Driver files are easily recognizable with the (.INF) file extension.
- Click on Next and the installation should start automatically.
- Do not forget to restart your computer after successful driver installation.
Note: If you’re unable to determine the type of your system (32/ 64-bit) and other hardware-specific information, use the in-house System Information tool. To open it, type SysInfo in the Search Box, and locate System Information. Expand the System Summary > Hardware Resources node on the left.
Solution 5: Download Latest Windows Updates
Microsoft recommends users to keep their system up-to-date with the latest Windows updates to avoid potential issues.
Microsoft keeps track of different problems encountered by Windows users and releases new updates to automatically resolve them. Downloading latest updates might help troubleshoot your issue.
- Click the Start button.
- Open Settings.
- Click on Update & Security.
- Click on Check for Updates.
Solution 6: Perform Clean Startup
Clean startup is said to be a diagnostic measure to fix various issues caused by malfunction of the startup items.
It may be difficult to determine exactly which startup item is causing the flickering issue. Therefore, we will disable all the startup items on the go just to examine if that solves the issue. If it does, you will want to enable one item at a time until the problematic startup entry is identified. It is also advisable to uninstall faulty apps to keep your computer run smoothly.
- Open the Task Manager and click on More Details.
- Select the Startup tab, and disable all the items. (Select an item > Click on Disable button at bottom)
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
