Reconstructing Cache Metadata - Black Screen Flicker

[Voldermort]

My Win11 laptop has recently started doing the following:

1. Power on as normal.
2. From the Home screen. the screen starts to flicker to black and makes the laptop unusable.
3. Only solution is to hold down the power button for a hard shutdown.
4. When powering back on, a message referencing "Reconstructing Cache Metadata" is displayed - see screenshot attached.
5. Once booted, the screen flicker issue is resolved, but this process needs to be repeated for each log on.

All drivers are up-to-date and Win11 too.

I have run the HP hardware diagnostic and everything is OK according to that.

Any ideas?

[Raj_05]

Hi @Voldermort, 

Welcome to HP Support Community. 

 
Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It seems like you're experiencing an issue with an HP Pavilion 14 laptop where you're encountering a "Reconstructing Cache Metadata" message along with black screen flickering. This could potentially be related to hardware or software problems. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue.

• Restart the Laptop: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve temporary glitches. Try restarting the laptop and see if the issue persists.
• Update Graphics Drivers: Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can cause display issues. Visit the official HP website or the graphics card manufacturer's website to download and install the latest graphics drivers for your laptop model.
• Windows Updates: Ensure that your operating system is up to date with the latest Windows updates. These updates can include bug fixes and improvements that might resolve the issue.
• Check for Malware: Malware or viruses can cause unexpected behavior. Perform a thorough scan of your laptop using a reputable antivirus program.
• Safe Mode: Boot your laptop into Safe Mode to see if the issue persists. If the problem doesn't occur in Safe Mode, it could indicate that a third-party software or driver is causing the problem.
• Hardware Diagnostics: HP laptops often have built-in hardware diagnostics tools. Access these tools to check for any hardware issues, especially related to the hard drive or memory.
• BIOS Update: If the issue continues, check if there's a BIOS update available for your laptop model on the HP website. Updating the BIOS might resolve compatibility or stability issues.
• Monitor Refresh Rate: Incorrect monitor refresh rates can cause flickering. Make sure the monitor refresh rate is set to a compatible value for your display.
• External Devices: If you have any external devices connected, try disconnecting them to see if they are causing the issue.
• System Restore: If the problem started after a recent software installation or update, consider performing a System Restore to a point before the issue occurred.
• Hardware Issues: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it's possible that there's a hardware problem. This could be related to the display, the graphics card, or other internal components.

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

[Voldermort]

Thanks for the response Alden4.

• Restart the Laptop: Have tried that and it doesn't help. Issue present on every start up that is not preceeded by a hard shut-down.
  
• Update Graphics Drivers: All drivers (graphics and otherwise) have been updated from the HP site.
  
• Windows Updates: I'm running the very latest Win11 patch.
  
• Check for Malware: Nothing found with a full Microsoft scan.
  
• Safe Mode: That didn't help.
  
• Hardware Diagnostics: I have run the various diagnositcs in the HP Support Assistant App and that's all fine, except for the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI v7.6.2.0 test. Message: Your system does not allow to launch UEFI diagnostics from windows. You can run  HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI by Shutting down your system, Power On and press ESC Key followed by F2 key at the Boot Up Menu. But this didn't seem to do anything.
  
• BIOS Update: BIOS is up-to-date.
  
• Monitor Refresh Rate: Tried this but didn't help. The flickering is only a problem when the laptop is started withouth a hard shut-down being dne immediately prior. Plus the flickering is irregular but renders the laptop unusuable, rather than being merely an optical issue.
  
• External Devices: Only thing connected was a bluetooth mouse but even with that disconnected, the issue persists.
  
• System Restore: Not sure I want to go down that route (not sure I know how to either) as I'm sur to lose work, without exploring other diagnostics first. See my next comment.
  
• Hardware Issues: I'm hoping not! It doesn't sound like it is though because the laptop will work BUT ONLY if you do a hard reset before starting it up again. That suggests to me that the issue is with how the laptop shuts down from its previous session (the good one that began with a hard reset). Does that sound like a familar problem? Is there a way to diagnose the shut down process or the boot up process?
  

[Voldermort]

In case this helps.....

OS Name	Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Version	10.0.22621 Build 22621
Other OS Description	Not Available
OS Manufacturer	Microsoft Corporation
System Name	LAPTOP-HT2B2P80
System Manufacturer	HP
System Model	HP Pavilion Laptop 14-ce3xxx
System Type	x64-based PC
System SKU	8FE41EA#ABU
Processor	Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1035G1 CPU @ 1.00GHz, 1190 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date	Insyde F.19, 14/04/2023
SMBIOS Version	3.2
Embedded Controller Version	95.36
BIOS Mode	UEFI
BaseBoard Manufacturer	HP
BaseBoard Product	86AA
BaseBoard Version	95.36
Platform Role	Mobile
Secure Boot State	On
PCR7 Configuration	Elevation Required to View
Windows Directory	C:\WINDOWS
System Directory	C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device	\Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale	United Kingdom
Hardware Abstraction Layer	Version = "10.0.22621.1413"
Username	LAPTOP-HT2B2P80\lewis
Time Zone	GMT Summer Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM)	8.00 GB
Total Physical Memory	7.78 GB
Available Physical Memory	1.75 GB
Total Virtual Memory	16.3 GB
Available Virtual Memory	9.37 GB
Page File Space	8.50 GB
Page File	C:\pagefile.sys
Kernel DMA Protection	Off
Virtualisation-based security	Running
Virtualisation-based security required security properties
Virtualisation-based security available security properties	Base Virtualisation Support, Secure Boot, DMA Protection, UEFI Code Readonly, SMM Security Mitigations 1.0, Mode Based Execution Control, APIC Virtualisation
Virtualisation-based security services configured	Hypervisor enforced Code Integrity
Virtualisation-based security services running	Hypervisor enforced Code Integrity
Windows Defender Application Control policy	Enforced
Windows Defender Application Control user mode policy	Off
Device Encryption Support	Elevation Required to View
A hypervisor has been detected. Features required for Hyper-V will not be displayed.

[Raj_05]

Hi @Voldermort,

Thank you for your response, 

Due to limited support, I would request you contact our HP Support and our Support Engineers should be able to sort this out. HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link.

https://www.hp.com/contacthp/

Please feel free to contact us here anytime you need any further assistance.

Have a great day!

Alden4
HP Support 

[Voldermort · Accepted solution]

I managed to resolve the issue by downgrading my Intel Driver to the one below.

The issue started when an HP update bumped my display driver up to .....226.

Anyone experiencing the same issue can click on ROLL BACK DRIVER on the screen below and it should work.

The issue may reoccur if the HP device is updated again.