Screen flickering can range from a minor annoyance to something that makes the computer unusable. Fortunately, identifying the cause is easier than it might seem.

Step 1: Does the Task Bar Flicker Too?

Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc and watch whether the taskbar at the bottom of the screen flickers along with everything else.

  • If the taskbar flickers — the problem is almost certainly a display driver or hardware issue. Work through the driver steps below.
  • If the taskbar stays steady — a specific application is causing the flicker. Common culprits are antivirus software, iCloud, and IDT audio.

Fix: Update or Reinstall the Display Driver

  1. Right-click the Start button and open Device Manager.
  2. Expand Display adapters and right-click your GPU.
  3. Choose Update driver. If an update is available, let it install and restart.
  4. If updating makes things worse, go back into Device Manager, right-click the GPU, and choose Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver.

Fix: Check the Refresh Rate

Right-click the desktop and choose Display settings. Scroll to Advanced display settings and check the refresh rate. If it does not match what your monitor supports (usually 60 Hz, 75 Hz, or higher for gaming panels), change it to the correct value for your display.

Fix: Check the Cable and Connection

A loose or damaged display cable causes intermittent flickering that looks identical to a driver problem. Try a different cable, and try a different port if your monitor and PC support more than one. On a laptop, gently flex the screen hinge back and forth — if the flickering changes, the internal cable to the display may be partly damaged.

Fix: App-Specific Flickering

If a specific application causes flickering, try right-clicking its shortcut, choosing Properties > Compatibility, and enabling Override high DPI scaling behaviour. This resolves flickering in many older applications on high-resolution screens.

Persistent flickering that none of these steps resolves may indicate a failing display panel. Ask us with a description of when it flickers and on what type of screen.