screen flickers when restart pc

[nutkat]

why the screen flicker after restarting windows? 

[Max3Aj]

@nutkat, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

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

Here's a breakdown of the most likely causes and how to fix them:

Common Causes of Screen Flickering After Restart

Graphics Driver Issues
A corrupted or incompatible display driver is the most frequent cause. Windows updates can sometimes install problematic versions.

Fast Startup Feature
Windows 11’s “Fast Startup” can cause flickering by not fully reinitializing drivers during boot.

Incompatible Apps
Some third-party apps (especially those that modify display settings or use hardware acceleration) can cause flickering.

Display Refresh Rate or Resolution Mismatch
Incorrect settings can cause instability in the display output.
 

Steps you can try,

Update or Roll Back Display Drivers

• Press Win + X → Device Manager
• Expand Display adapters
• Right-click your GPU (e.g., Intel, AMD, NVIDIA) → Update driver
• If the issue started recently, try Roll Back Driver

Turn Off Fast Startup

• Press Win + R, type control, press Enter
• Go to Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do
• Click Change settings that are currently unavailable
• Uncheck Turn on fast startup → Save changes → Restart

Boot into Safe Mode and Test

• Restart your PC while holding Shift → Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart
• Press F4 to boot into Safe Mode
• If flickering stops, it’s likely a driver or software issue

Check for Windows and Firmware Updates

• Go to Settings > Windows Update → Check for updates
• Install all available updates, including optional driver updates

Run System File Checker

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

Disable Hardware Acceleration in Apps

For browsers like Chrome or Edge:

• Go to Settings > System
• Toggle off Use hardware acceleration when available 

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. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[nutkat]

 I have tried these steps many times.. Did not work for me.. Windows in upto date.. Not having any graphics card..But I am not sure about Software issues... as antivirus is not detecting anything suspicious ..my windows office key is expired...anything related to that ?

[Max3Aj · Accepted solution]

@nutkat, Thank you for your response. 

Since you've already tried the common solutions and confirmed there's no dedicated graphics card, let's look into a few other possibilities:

Expired Microsoft Office Key – Is it Related?

No, an expired Office key wouldn’t cause screen flickering. That only affects your ability to edit Office documents. So we can rule that out.

Check for Background Apps Causing Flicker

Sometimes third-party apps that run in the background (like clipboard managers, screen recorders, or even old drivers for printers/scanners) can interfere with the display.

Please try this:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Check for any app with high GPU usage or anything unfamiliar running at startup.
• Go to the Startup tab and disable unnecessary apps.
• Restart the PC and see if the flickering persists.

Perform a Clean Boot

This helps identify whether a background service or app is causing the flickering.

Steps:

• Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
• Under the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
• Go to the Startup tab → Click Open Task Manager → Disable all startup items.
• Restart the PC.

If the flickering stops, it means one of the disabled apps or services is the culprit. You can re-enable them one by one to find the cause.
 

Try a Different User Profile

Sometimes user profile corruption can cause display issues.

Create a new user account:

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add account.
• Set it up as a local user.
• Log into the new account and check if flickering occurs.

I hope this helps!

If my response resolves your issue, please click “Accepted Solution” to help others find the answer. Also, don’t forget to click the “Yes” button to say thanks!

Take care and have a great day.

Max3Aj

HP Support

[nutkat]

Hi,

Thanks for these detailed steps...

I followed all the steps. It seems like the screen is no longer flickering..But it may take time to see the effect of each software when starting up..I will keep you posted..

Thank you once again 

[Max3Aj]

@nutkat, A huge thank you for marking this post as the 'Accepted Solution'! We're thrilled that we could help resolve your issue. 

If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help! 

Thanks again for your confirmation, and we wish you an amazing day ahead! 

Regards, 

Max3Aj