A screen glitch or monitor flicker is a common annoyance often found in PCs and laptops. The constant flashes can turn an enjoyable movie, a productive workday, or an intense gaming experience into a frustrating headache.
This article will walk you through the process of troubleshooting and fixing flickering display issues on a Windows 10 or 11 device.
Why is my monitor flickering?
There are several reasons your display or monitor may flicker.
- An incompatible driver
- An incompatible application
- A hardware problem that may require repair
You can do a Task Manager test to determine whether a display driver or app is causing the problem. If the task manager test shows you have a driver incompatibility issue, you will need to update, rollback, or uninstall your display driver or update or uninstall the app.
The Task Manager test
Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete or right-click your taskbar and select Task Manager to open Task Manager. Once the Task Manager is open, watch the screen for any flickers.
- If Task Manager flickers, then the problem may be caused by a faulty display driver or a hardware issue.
- If everything except the Task Manager flickers, the issue is likely because of an incompatible application.
If you encounter issue 1, please see "How to fix your display driver" for solutions. If you encounter issue 2, please see "Update or uninstall an incompatible app."
How to fix your display driver
You can troubleshoot a display driver issue using any of the three methods below.
Roll back your display driver
- Press the Windows ⊞ + X keys and select Device Manager.
- Select the arrow to expand Display Adapters.
- Under Display Adapters, right-click the adapter, then select Properties.
- Select the Driver tab, and then select Roll Back Driver and click Yes.
- Restart your device.
Update your display driver
- Press the Windows ⊞ + X keys and select Device Manager.
- Select the arrow to expand Display Adapters.
- Under Display Adapters, right-click the adapter, then select Update.
Uninstall your display driver
- Press the Windows ⊞ + X keys and select Device Manager.
- Select the arrow to expand Display adapters.
- Under Display Adapters, right-click the adapter, then select Properties.
- Select the Delete the driver software for this device check box, and then select OK.
- Restart your device, and Windows should automatically reinstall the driver.
Update or uninstall an incompatible app
The Task Manager test can help you determine if an incompatible app is causing your computer screen to flicker, but it does not tell you which app is causing the screen glitches. A good rule of thumb is to inspect your most recently downloaded and updated apps.
To check your most recently installed or updated app:
- Press the Windows ⊞ + I keys to open Settings.
- Click Apps and select Apps & features
- Click Sort by and choose Installation date.
Update the app
- If the app came from Microsoft Store, check the app store for updates.
- If the app didn't come from Microsoft Store, check the application's site for updates.
Uninstall the app
- Press the Windows ⊞ + I keys to open Settings.
- Click Apps and select Apps & features
- Select the app you want to uninstall and click Uninstall.
After uninstalling or updating an app, restart your device and check if the screen glitch is fixed. If not, keep uninstalling or updating each app one by one until the problem is resolved.
Cables and monitors
Outside of display driver and application issues, faulty or broken hardware can also cause screens to glitch or flicker. Check all the cable connections from your monitor to the computer to ensure the cables are secure.
If you have spare monitor cables, you can try replacing your current cables with the spare to see if it stops the glitch screen.
If you have a second monitor, you can plug that into your laptop or desktop to see if the built-in-display or primary monitor is causing the issue. If the problem is resolved, you know the display is the issue.
Schedule a hardware repair
If troubleshooting did not resolve your display issues, it is possible there is a hardware problem that requires repair. Please contact Acer Support for additional assistance troubleshooting this issue.
