Troubleshoot screen flickering in Windows
Applies To
Windows 10Screen flickering in Windows 11 is usually caused by a display driver issue or incompatible app. To determine whether a display 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 expand to show more information.
In some cases, pressing Windows logo Key + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset your graphics driver may fix your issue. If this does not work, see if restarting helps.
Press Ctrl + 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.
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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.
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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 with a flickering or scrambled screen on a 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 scrambling problem.
Roll back your display driver
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In the search box on the taskbar, enter device manager, and then select it from the list of results.
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Select the arrow to expand Display adapters.
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Under Display adapters, right-click the adapter, then select Properties.
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Select the Driver tab, and then select Roll Back Driver > Yes.
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Restart your device.
Notes:
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You must have administrator privileges to roll back or uninstall a device or driver package using Device Manager.
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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
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In the search box on the taskbar, enter device manager, and then select it from the list of results.
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Select the arrow to expand Display adapters.
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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
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In the search box on the taskbar, enter device manager, and then select it from the list of results.
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Select the arrow to expand Display adapters.
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Under Display adapters, right-click the adapter, then select Properties.
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Select the Driver tab, and then select Uninstall Device.
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Select the Attempt to remove the driver for this device check box, and then select OK.
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Restart your device and Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver.
Note: If you don't see the Attempt to remove the driver for this device check box, make you started your PC in safe mode.
Update an app
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If the app came from Microsoft Store, check updates for apps from Microsoft Store.
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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:
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Select the Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features. It'll take a moment for your apps to appear.
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Scroll down the list and find the app you want to uninstall.
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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
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Select the Microsoft Store from the start menu.
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Select Library.
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Select the app you want to reinstall, and then select Install.
If your app isn't in Microsoft Store, reinstall it from the manufacturer's site.
Support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025
After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Your PC will still work, but we recommend moving to Windows 11.
Screen flickering in Windows 10 is usually caused by a display driver issue or incompatible app. To determine whether a display 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 expand to show more information.
In some cases, pressing Windows logo Key + Ctrl + Shift + B may fix your issue. If this does not work, see if restarting helps.
Press Ctrl + 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 with a flickering or scrambled screen on a 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 scrambling problem.
Roll back your display driver
-
In the search box on the taskbar, type device 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 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.
-
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, type device 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, type device 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 then select Uninstall Device.
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Select the Delete the driver software for this device check box, and then select OK.
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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
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If the app came from Microsoft Store, check updates for apps from Microsoft Store.
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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 10 and can cause a flickering or scrambled screen. Try uninstalling the app, here's how:
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Select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features. It'll take a moment for your apps to appear.
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Scroll down the list and find the app you want to uninstall.
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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
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Select the Microsoft Store icon on the taskbar.
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Select Library.
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Select the app you want to reinstall, and then select Install.
If your app isn't in Microsoft Store, reinstall it from the manufacturer's site.
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