[Why&Fixes] How to Fix Screen Flickering on Windows 11?

If your screen flickering on Windows 11, especially after updates, you can follow the methods in this post. Let’s learn how to fix screen flicker now.

Posted by @Irene July 24, 2024 Updated By @Irene April 1, 2024

User case: My screen flickering on Windows 11 after the latest 2 updates

 

Since these 2 updates: 1. 2023-09 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8.1 for Windows 11, version 22H2 for x64 (KB5031217); 2. 2023-09 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5030219)

My screen began to flicker. I can be browsing Edge, watching movies, be on YouTube, or playing any one of my many games and it flickers now. I had no graphics updates at all nor installed anything since the 2 updates. Please help.

- Question from Reddit

While Windows 11 screen flickering is not a severe problem, the rapid and repetitive changes in brightness or color on the display can cause general discomfort, no matter in physical or mental. In this article, we will offer practical solutions and detailed troubleshooting steps to help you effectively address screen flickering on Windows 11.

Why is my computer screen flickering on Windows 11?

Knowing the root causes is also beneficial to better solving problems of screen flickering on Windows 11. You can read the listed reasons and then move the next part to learn how to fix screen flicker.

The reasons behind the flickering can vary widely, but some can be concluded as below:
Outdated or incompatible drivers
Corrupted or outdated hard drive
Incorrect power settings
Hardware issues (faulty cable, failing backlight, or other hardware problem)
Incompatible or poorly installed software
Loose or faulty connection between your PC and monitor
Recent hardware changes (some new components won’t fully compatible with your current setup, such as graphics card or other hardware)

How to fix screen flicker on Windows 11?

If your Windows 11 screen is flickering, first ensure that the cables connecting your computer and monitor are securely fastened. You can do this by unplugging and reattaching the cable to the monitor. If the flickering persists even after changing a new cable, maybe you need to take more professional measures like the following methods.

Method 1. Transfer your OS to a new drive

If you conjecture the Windows 11 screen flickering issue is due to a faulty or outdated hard drive, you can transfer your operating system to a new drive. This might help if the current drive is not compatible with Windows 11 with display problems. To do so, we strongly recommend you to use AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.

Its "Migrate OS" feature allows you to create an exact copy of your current operating system and all the programs installed on your boot drive (typically the C: drive) onto a different drive. With it, you can safely transfer your OS with saving time and efforts.

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Step 1. Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Click Migrate OS under Clone.

Step 2. Choose an unallocated space on the target hard drive and click Next.

Step 3. In this window, you can change the size of the system partition.

Step 4. Attend to Note about how to change boot drive, which might be helpful after migration.

Step 5. In this screen, you can review the result. Click Apply and Proceed after confirmation.

★Tips:
Before you migrate Windows 10 to GPT hard drive, make sure that the motherboard supports EFI/UEFI boot; otherwise, you’ll be unable to boot the computer from the destination hard drive.
In fact, it is featured with various other useful functions, helping you to solve many issues. For example, when you have accidentally deleted a partition on Windows, its Partition Recovery Wizard enables you to recover the deleted partition easily.

After you transfer Windows from the original hard drive to another one, you can check out how to boot from the new drive when you keep two hard drives simultaneously. 

Method 2. Update display driver in Safe Mode

Screen flicker in Windows 11 are generally because of display driver issues. To resolve this, you can update your display driver by booting your PC in safe mode,and uninsall or reinstall your current display adapter. Don't forget to check for driver updates then. Here are the detailed steps to follow:

Step 1. Boot into Safe Mode. Then select Device Manager from the options that appear.

Step 2. In the Device Manager, locate and expand the Display adapters section. Once you've found the listed adapter, select and hold (or right-click) it, then choose Uninstall device from the menu.

Step 3. In the uninstallation process, select the option "Attempt to remove the driver for this device." After that, select Uninstall and proceed to restart your PC.

Step 4. After your PC has restarted, press the Windows logo key + I on your keyboard to open the Settings menu. If this shortcut doesn't work, you can alternatively select Start > Settings.

Step 5. In the Settings menu, find and select Windows Update. Then, select Check for updates, and install any available updates that show up. This step will help you update your display driver to the latest version.

Method 3. End the Dwm.exe task in Task Manager

The Desktop Window Manager (dwm.exe) is the process accountable for providing visual enhancements on your Windows 11 desktop. Some users have encountered problems with this process, causing the screen to flicker on Windows 11. To address this issue, you can attempt to turn off dwm.exe via the Task Manager.

Step 1. Simultaneously press Ctrl + Shift + ESC keys to open Task Manager. Then select More details.

Step 2. In the Processes tab, right-click Desktop Window Manager and select End task. Then you can refer to the steps to end other conflicting processes.

Method 4. Lower the monitor refresh rate

Occasionally, a high refresh rate can also cause screen flickering or flashing on Windows 11. At this time, you could try reducing the refresh rate. Here's how to do it:

Step 1. Press the Win + I keys to launch the Settings app, then go to System on the left-hand side and select Display on the right-hand side.

Step 2. Click on Advanced display under the Related settings section.

Step 3. Go to the Choose a refresh rate section, click on the drop-down menu next to it, and select a lower refresh rate from the available options.

Finally, restart your computer and check if the screen flicker in Windows 11 has been resolved.

Method 5. Uninstall the problematic application

Any problematic application might be causing your Windows 11 screen to flicker. If you've recently installed any new software, try uninstalling it to see if the problem persists. This may help in resolving the Windows 11 screen flickering issue.

Step 1. Open the Settings window, and then go to Apps from the left pane and select Apps & features.

Step 2. Locate the problematic program, and then click on the three-dot icon next to it and select Uninstall.

Step 3. Click on Uninstall in the pop-up confirmation window. Then you can uninstall other conflicting apps until the screen flickering issue gets fixed.

If you cannot confirm which programs possibly cause your computer screen flickering in Windows 11, you can also try to do a system restore.

Summary

With the reasons on screen flickering on Windows 11 and targeted solutions, the problem can be easy to fixed. If you are planning to change a new hard drive for OS migration as we explain before, you can also try its Clone Disk function. If you want to increase drive space, convert disk between MBR/GPT, or manage partitions, you can also rely on this powerful software. For Windows Server users, please choose the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server edition.