How to fix laptop screen flickering in Windows 10 [FULL GUIDE]

1.2 Uninstall the display driver

1. Right-click Start.
2. Select Device Manager.
3. Expand Display adapters.
4. Right-click the listed adapter and select Uninstall device.
5. Choose the Delete the driver software for this device box.
6. Select Uninstall.
7. Reboot your computer

Windows can’t automatically find and download new drivers? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered

1.3 Update Windows 10

1. Click Start, choose Settings, then select Update & Security
2. Click on Windows Update, then click on Check for updates.

Note: If you’re having trouble updating your Windows 10, check out this guide that will help you solve them in no time.

1.4 Disable the added display adapters

1. Right-click the added adapter from Device Manager.
2. Select Disable and click Yes.
3. Turn off your computer.
4. Disconnect installation or recovery media (if using it).
5. Turn on your computer.

If this doesn’t fix the screen flickering, do the following:

1. Restart in Safe Mode
2. Re-enable the added display adapter
3. Disable the other adapter

Once you’re through and the screen flickering is sorted, exit safe mode so you can get your computer back to normal mode.

1.5 Exit Safe Mode

1. Right click Start button
2. Select Run.
3. Type msconfig.
4. Go to the Boot tab
5. Deselect or uncheck Safe Boot option box.
6. Restart your computer.

1.6 Use third party software to update the graphics driver

You can go through all those steps above or you can try using specialized software that can update the drivers and fix the existing ones automatically. We recommend DriverFix for this job as it’s very reliable and fast.

The first step is to download and install DriverFix. The tool will start automatically and search for issues or missing drivers and in a couple of seconds it will provide a report.

You will have to either hit the Update all button above or check the individual boxes for the drivers you want to update.

Table of Contents

DriverFix

DriverFix will solve the flickering issue with your laptop by updating your drivers automatically and fast.

2. Check Task Manager to fix screen flickering

1. Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC at the same time to open the Task Manager.
2. If the Task Manager isn’t flickering, then the problem could probably be caused by an app.
3. If the Task Manager is flickering, a display driver could be the cause.

If you can’t open Task Manager, we’ve got a great guide to help you fix this problem.

3. Update incompatible apps

There are three applications that have been known to cause screen flickering on Windows 10:

1. Norton Antivirus
2. iCloud
3. IDT Audio

Updating the incompatible application (or getting in touch with the manufacturer of the specific app to get an update) usually fixes the problem.

If the issue can be isolated on a certain individual app, it’s easy. This, of course, isn’t always the case so we can’t say with certainty whether it’s more of a general problem or just a rogue outdated app misbehaving.

Need additional info about msconfig and how it works? Find out more right here.

4. Disable Windows Desktop Manager

1. Type services.msc in the Search box and click on the Services app from results.
2. If prompted to provide a password or confirmation, click Continue.
3. Scroll down and locate Desktop Window Manager Session Manager.
4. Right-click on it and select Stop from the menu.
5. Right-click on the entry again and select Properties.
6. Under General Tab, change the startup type to Disabled.
7. Click OK or press Enter.

We’d love to hear from you whether any of these solutions worked. Let us know by dropping your response in the comments section below along with any other question you may have.

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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in October 2017 and was revamped and updated in January 2021 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.