How to fix desktop icons from blinking

Jason Oliver 60 Reputation points
2025-10-21T23:28:03.9266667+00:00

I have noticed that over the last two days the icons on my Windows 11 desktop computer will blink or flash as if they are being refreshed (about every 30-40 seconds). This doesn't seem to have any affect the operations of the computer but it is an annoyance. I have tried several suggestions to fix this, such as deleting storage and using the command prompt, but nothing seems to help.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Desktop, Start, and personalization | Desktop
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Lester Bernard Reyes 84,725 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-10-22T03:52:01.62+00:00

Hi, thank you for replying. It can be a permanent solution. To find out the main issue, try to enable each service to point out what is causing the problem, so that you can either reinstall the app or service that is causing the issue, or uninstall it.

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Lester Bernard Reyes 84,725 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-10-22T00:03:47.0933333+00:00

Hi, I'm Bernard, a fellow Windows user. I'm happy to help!

This issue occurs when there are unnecessary services running in the background or there is a miscalibration with the drivers. To sort out the issue, kindly follow the steps below:

Method 1. Do a clean boot:

A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, so that you can determine whether a background program is interfering with your game or program.

  • In the search box on the taskbar, type msconfig and select System Configuration from the results.
  • On the Services tab of System Configuration, select Hide all Microsoft services, and then select Disable all.
  • On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select Open Task Manager.
  • Under Startup in Task Manager, for each startup item, select the item and then select Disable.
  • Close Task Manager.
  • On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select OK. When you restart the computer, it's in a clean boot environment.

Troubleshooting reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows

Note: If the issue persists, please check the System logs on the PC so I can further examine the root cause of the issue.

 

To share the System logs, please follow the steps in the link below:

 

Press the Windows key + X, then select "Event Viewer"

Click the drop-down of "Windows logs"

Right-click System > click Filter Current logs > Check: Critical, Warning, and Error > Hit OK

On the right pane, click "Save Filtered Log File As..."

Save the System logs file to your desktop and share it by following the steps from the link:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/share-onedrive-files-and-folders-9fcc2f7d-de0c-4cec-93b0-a82024800c07

 

Note: You can also use your preferred cloud storage to upload and share the logs.

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