Windows 11 · Windows
Fix screen flickering in Windows 11
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Reset the graphics driver, check whether Task Manager flickers, then update, roll back, or uninstall the display driver or incompatible app indicated by that test.
Confirm the symptom and protect the current Windows state
Record the Windows build, affected app or device, exact message, and the last change before the symptom began. Save open work, keep installers and recovery credentials, and create a current backup or restore point when the supported recovery may change apps, drivers, partitions, or system files. Test one supported change at a time so a useful result can be attributed and reversed.
Start with the supported check
Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset the graphics driver, then restart if needed.
Apply the current setting
Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc and observe whether it flickers too.
Test the result
If Task Manager flickers, update or roll back the display driver. If it does not, update or uninstall the incompatible app.
Separate an app problem from a display-driver problem
Open Task Manager while the screen flickers. If Task Manager flickers too, focus on the display driver; if it stays stable while another app flickers, update, repair or remove only the affected app.
Verify the intended result before broader recovery
Repeat the exact task described by “Fix screen flickering in Windows 11” with a harmless test. Confirm the affected app, account, device, file or setting now matches the Answer, then recheck it after one fresh session or restart when that is part of the supported workflow. Keep the original data and recorded starting state until the result is stable; if only one component still fails, keep further recovery limited to that component.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If flicker affects Task Manager too, preserve the display adapter and driver version and follow Microsoft's driver rollback or update path. If only one app flickers, repair that app instead; do not change refresh rates, cables and drivers together or install generic display packages.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows.
Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform update.