Flickering Screen Task Manager, Etc

[rogxer12]

Greetings again! I have recently came across another issue, still on my HP Pavilion Gaming laptop. My new issue is that when I play games, the top upper portion (the white) has this weird flickering of black and white horizontal lines. However, this issue also persists in task manager. From microsofts website, they say to roll back some drivers in which I think could actually be way more harmful than other ways. Are there any other ways to fix this issue? I have already tried restarting my drivers, and updating my drivers. A really important piece of information is that this only happens when I have an application open such as the settings, or even some games. I have also noticed that when something is very bright (like the color white) the flickering gets really bad. Could this be a dying graphics card? Something with the thermal paste? Please let me know!

[rogxer12]

Hey guys, quick update for some new insight I found.

While trying to diagnose the issue still, the mcaffee live safe icon appeared on my task bar (looks like this for anyone wondering), it completely stopped the flickering. Could it be a faulty app instead of hardware issues? 

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @rogxer12,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP Pavilion Gaming laptop is experiencing flickering black and white horizontal lines, especially on bright areas and in certain apps or games. Let’s go through some steps to troubleshoot this.

Check for Software Conflicts

Some applications or background software (like antivirus programs) can cause display flickering.

Since you noticed that the flickering stopped when the McAfee LiveSafe icon appeared, try temporarily disabling or uninstalling it to see if the issue persists.

Update Graphics Drivers Properly

Ensure you have the latest graphics driver from either NVIDIA/AMD (for your GPU) or Intel (for integrated graphics).

Avoid automatic Windows updates for drivers if they are unstable—download directly from the official GPU website.

Check Display Refresh Rate

Right-click the desktop > Display settings > Advanced display settings > check the refresh rate.

Set it to the recommended value (usually 60 Hz or higher depending on your panel).

Test in Safe Mode / Clean Boot

Boot into Safe Mode to see if the flickering persists.

If the flickering disappears, the cause is likely software-related rather than hardware.

Monitor Temperature & Hardware

Overheating can cause flickering; monitor your CPU/GPU temps using HWMonitor or Intel Extreme Tuning Utility.

If temps are normal, thermal paste or GPU hardware issues are less likely.

Try Another Display

Connect your laptop to an external monitor.

If the flickering does not appear on the external display, it may indicate a laptop panel or ribbon cable issue.

Check for Windows or App-Specific Bugs

Some apps with bright UI elements can trigger flickering if they conflict with certain graphics drivers.

Try disabling hardware acceleration in apps or games where flickering occurs.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

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Best regards,

[rogxer12]

Hey there,

So I recently fixed this not to long ago. What temporaily fixed it was deleting my drivers and reinstalling them. It was fixed for say 2 or 3 days until it started to slowly happen again. Any other ideas on why this could be happening or how to fully fix this issue?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @rogxer12,

Thanks for the update! Since the flickering temporarily went away after reinstalling the drivers but returned after a few days, this suggests it might be software or driver-related rather than an immediate hardware failure, though hardware can’t be fully ruled out yet. Here’s a detailed approach to fully tackle it:

1. Perform a Clean Graphics Driver Installation

Use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to completely remove your GPU drivers (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel).

Reinstall the latest drivers directly from the GPU manufacturer’s website (not through Windows Update).

DDU ensures leftover files or corrupted driver components aren’t causing flickering.

2. Disable Fast Startup & Hardware Acceleration

Fast Startup can sometimes cause driver conflicts:

Settings → System → Power & sleep → Additional power settings → Choose what the power buttons do → Disable Turn on fast startup.

In apps like browsers or games, disable hardware acceleration in settings to see if flickering stops.

3. Check Refresh Rate & Resolution

Right-click Desktop → Display settings → Advanced display settings → Ensure your refresh rate is set to the panel’s native rate.

Flickering can worsen if the refresh rate is mismatched with your GPU output.

4. Test With a Clean Boot

Press Windows + R → msconfig → Selective startup → Disable startup items and non-Microsoft services.

Restart and check if flickering occurs. If it stops, a background program is likely causing the issue.

5. Monitor Temperatures & Throttling

Use HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner to check GPU and CPU temps while gaming.

Flickering can occur due to throttling or thermal spikes. If temps are normal, you can rule out thermal paste issues for now.

6. External Monitor Test

Connect your laptop to an external monitor:

If the flickering doesn’t appear externally, it may be the laptop display or ribbon cable.

If it does appear externally, it’s likely GPU or driver-related.

7. BIOS & Firmware Updates

Update BIOS and GPU firmware from the HP Support website for your exact Pavilion Gaming model.

Some flickering issues are fixed by firmware improvements for power delivery or display handling.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[rogxer12]

Could you please give me a link on where to get this DDU? I will try use it on my nvidia card 

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @rogxer12,

Great question, it’s important to use the official and safe source for Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU).

You can download the latest version from the developer’s official site:
🔗 https://www.wagnardsoft.com/
(Click “Download DDU” on the right-hand side of the page.)

A few important notes before you start:

Create a restore point
– Press Win + R → sysdm.cpl → System Protection → Create.
This is a safety step in case you want to roll back.

Boot into Safe Mode
– Press Shift while clicking Restart → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → Press 4 to enter Safe Mode.
DDU works best in Safe Mode because no GPU drivers are active.

Run DDU
– Open DDU → select your GPU vendor (NVIDIA in your case).
– Click “Clean and restart” to remove all driver components.

Install the fresh driver
– Download the latest Game-Ready or Studio driver directly from NVIDIA’s official website:
🔗 https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
– Run the installer → choose Custom → Clean installation.

Check Windows Update afterwards
– Sometimes Windows tries to overwrite the driver.
– If that happens, reinstall the NVIDIA driver again to ensure it’s the active one.

This process should give you the cleanest possible installation and help rule out lingering software issues that can cause flickering.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,