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- HP Community
- Notebooks
- Notebook Boot and Lockup
- Laptop freezing and flickering

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01-18-2025 10:07 PM
My laptop will keep freezing no matter how many times it gets hard rebooted. Sometimes it goes to the blue troubleshoot screen but it won’t let me reset or troubleshoot anything. It also sometimes pops up a CMOS restart screen but doesn’t let me click on anything. Every time it starts up windows(11) it either doesn’t let me type anything, or it lets me type in the password and brings me to the desktop, but doesn’t let me click anything. It also won’t let me go to setting's and the screen jitters and flicker's. The task bar and the start menu also get’s frozen and goes black. Is there an explanation for this? If so how can I fix it?
01-21-2025 06:11 AM
Hi @GoTurboFlight,
Welcome to HP Support Community.
Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.
The issues you’re experiencing suggest potential hardware or software-related problems. Below are the possible explanations and steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.
Potential Causes:
- Corrupted Operating System: Critical Windows files may be damaged, causing the freezing and flickering.
- Driver Conflicts: Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers or other essential drivers.
- CMOS/BIOS Issues: The appearance of the CMOS restart screen indicates possible BIOS or CMOS corruption.
- Hardware Malfunction: A failing GPU, RAM, or storage device could lead to these symptoms.
- Overheating or Power Issues: Overheating components or a faulty power supply can also cause system instability.
Troubleshooting Steps:
Check Hardware Connections
- Disconnect all peripherals (USB devices, external monitors) and try starting the laptop again.
- Perform a hard reset by removing any power source, holding the power button for 10-15 seconds, and reconnecting only the charger.
Access Safe Mode
- Steps:
- Turn off the laptop.
- Turn it on and repeatedly press the F8 or Shift + F8 key (may vary) until the Advanced Startup Options appear.
- Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- Choose Enable Safe Mode.
If you can access Safe Mode:
- Update Drivers: Update your graphics and chipset drivers via the Device Manager.
- Check for Corrupt Files: Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
sfc /scannow
- and
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
HP Support Community Moderator
01-21-2025 06:12 AM
Perform a CMOS Reset
- Disconnect the charger and remove the laptop's battery (if removable).
- Hold the power button for 30 seconds to discharge static electricity.
- Reconnect the battery and charger, then boot the system.
Update BIOS
- If the CMOS issue persists, update your BIOS. Visit the OMEN by HP support page and download the latest BIOS update for your model.
- Follow the instructions carefully to install the update.
Test Hardware
If the issue continues, you might have a hardware problem. Perform these checks:
Run HP Hardware Diagnostics:
- Turn off the laptop.
- Turn it on and repeatedly press F2 to access the diagnostic menu.
- Run tests for memory, storage, and graphics.
Check Storage Device Health: Use tools like CrystalDiskInfo in Safe Mode (if possible) to check for errors.
Reinstall Windows
If software corruption is suspected:
- Back up data using an external bootable USB.
- Perform a clean installation of Windows 11 using a bootable USB created via the Windows Media Creation Tool.
I hope this helps.
Take care and have a good day.
Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
Alden4
HP Support
HP Support Community Moderator