Screen is continuosly turning off and on, when i use any type of USB it's working fine

[khubaib89]

Hi, I'm having an issue with my laptop, Screen in turning off and on continuously something fast and sometimes with a delay, it's random.

But when i connect any type of Usb device (flash drive, 2.4 ghz dongle, wifi adaptor) it's working fine no blinking and flickering.

I tried literally everything i can BIOS, Firmware, Drivers even install new OS nothing works.

BTW i can't see it's serial number, even the support software couldn't get any model name or serial number or any information of this laptop. It's unusual.

[Max3Aj]

@khubaib89, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

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

It sounds like your HP laptop screen flickers or turns off and on randomly unless a USB device is connected, which is quite unusual. You've already tried BIOS updates, firmware, drivers, and even a fresh OS install, great troubleshooting steps so far.

Here’s a breakdown of what might be happening and what you can try next:

Possible Causes

Power Management or Grounding Issue:

• USB devices can slightly alter power distribution or grounding, which might stabilize a faulty component.

Embedded Controller (EC) or Motherboard Fault:

• If the EC or a power rail on the motherboard is unstable, connecting a USB device might be inadvertently stabilizing it.

Display Cable or Connector Issue:

• A loose or damaged internal display cable might be affected by slight voltage changes when USB devices are connected.

Recommended Steps

Reset Embedded Controller (EC):

• Shut down the laptop.
• Disconnect the charger and remove the battery (if removable).
• Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds.
• Reconnect power and boot up.

Check in Safe Mode:

• Boot into Safe Mode and observe if the flickering persists without USB devices. This helps isolate driver vs. hardware issues.

Run HP UEFI Diagnostics:

• Power off the laptop.
• Press Esc repeatedly, then F2 to enter diagnostics.
• Run the Display Test and System Board Test.

Check Device Manager for Unknown Devices:

• If the system can’t detect its own model, there might be a hardware communication issue. Look for any yellow exclamation marks.

Inspect Internals (if comfortable):

• Check the display cable connection to the motherboard.
• Look for signs of damage or corrosion.

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 

[khubaib89]

I just booted into safe mode, it works perfectly fine.

But what's causing this issue then.

It's updated, no any data except windows files.

[Max3Aj]

Thank you for your response @khubaib89. 
And, thanks for confirming that the screen works perfectly fine in Safe Mode, that’s a very helpful detail. Since the issue disappears in Safe Mode, we can rule out hardware faults and focus on a software-level cause. Here’s what’s likely happening and the next steps to resolve it:

In Safe Mode, Windows runs with minimal drivers and disables background services. Since your screen is stable there, the flickering is most likely caused by:

• A corrupted or incompatible display driver
• A background service or startup program interfering with display output
• GPU switching or power settings behaving erratically in normal mode
• Also, USB devices altering the behavior suggests a power management or driver-related quirk.

Please try the steps below, in order:

Roll Back or Reinstall the Display Driver

• Right-click Start > Device Manager > Display adapters
• Right-click your display device > Uninstall device
• (Check the box to delete driver software, if prompted)
• Reboot your laptop — Windows will load a basic driver.
• Observe if the flickering stops 

Perform a Clean Boot
This disables background apps that could be interfering:

• Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
• Under Services, check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all
• Go to Startup > Open Task Manager, and disable all items
• Reboot normally and test

Check Display Settings

Right-click the desktop > Display settings > Advanced display settings

Confirm your refresh rate is correctly set (typically 60Hz)

Run System Repair Commands
Open Command Prompt as Administrator, and run:

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

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