screen started flashing when I turned it on this week. resets with every flash so unable to search h

I'm having a similar problem except the system doesn't reset. I get black lines across the screen. Has Microsoft found a solution for this. It started happening a couple months ago after an update, but I can't remember when. I don't want to restore to a previous update, because I'm afraid I'll lose information. Everywhere I've looked it seems to be a Microsoft issue and not a driver issue.

Hello Susan,

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

It sounds like you're dealing with a screen flashing issue that started after an update, and the system is also resetting with each flash. This could be related to several factors, including corrupted system files, driver issues, or even problems that occurred during the update installation. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you troubleshoot and hopefully resolve the problem:

1. Boot into Safe Mode

Since your system is resetting with every flash, it might be challenging to do anything in the normal Windows environment. Safe Mode can help you troubleshoot and prevent some of the problematic drivers or software from loading.

To boot into Safe Mode:

• Restart your PC and immediately start pressing the F8 key (or Shift + F8 on some systems) as it boots up. If that doesn't work, you can try the Windows Recovery Environment:
  1. Turn your PC on and off three times (hard shut down during boot) to trigger the recovery options.
  2. On the "Choose an Option" screen, click Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
  3. After the restart, choose 4 or F4 to start in Safe Mode.

Once you're in Safe Mode, you can proceed with the following steps.

2. Uninstall Recent Windows Updates

If the problem started after a recent update, it’s possible the update caused the issue. You can try uninstalling it in Safe Mode.

• Open Control Panel > Programs > View Installed Updates.
• Look for any updates installed around the time the issue started.
• Right-click the update and select Uninstall.

You can also roll back updates via the Settings app:

• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View Update History.
• Click Uninstall Updates and select the most recent update to remove.

3. Check for Display Driver Issues

Flashing screens are often related to display driver problems. In Safe Mode, you can try updating or rolling back the graphics driver.

• Open Device Manager (press Win + X, then select Device Manager).
• Expand the Display adapters section, right-click on your graphics card, and choose Update driver.
  • You can either search for updates automatically or go to the manufacturer’s website to download the latest driver.
• If updating the driver doesn’t help, you can try rolling back to a previous version of the driver. Right-click on your graphics card in Device Manager, select Properties, then go to the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver (if the option is available).

4. Check for Corrupted System Files

Corruption in system files could be causing the flashing and resets. In Safe Mode, run the SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool) commands to repair your system files. Follow the steps to run System File Checker:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Run the following commands one by one:
   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth 
   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth 
   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Run sfc /scannow and wait for the process to complete. Check if there are any detected errors.

5. Disable Automatic Restart on System Failure

If your system is resetting with every flash (which sounds like a crash or BSOD), you can disable the automatic restart to see if any specific error message or code is displayed.

• In Safe Mode, press Win + Pause/Break to open the System Properties window.
• Click Advanced system settings on the left.
• Under the Startup and Recovery section, click Settings.
• Uncheck Automatically restart under System failure.
• Click OK to save changes.

After disabling automatic restart, your PC should display an error message instead of resetting. If it’s a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death), note the error code—it could give clues to the underlying problem.

6. Perform a System Restore

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, you can try performing a System Restore to revert your computer to a state before the flashing began (before the update was installed).

• In Safe Mode, go to Control Panel > System and Security > System.
• Click on System Protection (on the left).
• Click on the System Restore button and follow the instructions to restore your system to a point before the flashing started.

7. Check for Hardware Issues

If the above software-related solutions don’t resolve the issue, there might be a hardware problem, especially with the graphics card or cable connections to your monitor:

• Try a different monitor or cable if possible to rule out a monitor issue.
• If you're using a discrete GPU, try using the integrated graphics (if available) to see if the issue is related to the GPU.

8. Reinstall Windows (Last Resort)

If the flashing continues and none of the above methods work, as a last resort, you may need to reinstall Windows. This will ensure that any corrupt system files or update issues are completely resolved. Before doing this, back up your important data, as this process will remove all installed programs and files.

To reinstall Windows:

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
2. Under Reset this PC, click Get Started and follow the instructions.

Summary of Steps:

1. Boot into Safe Mode.
2. Uninstall recent updates.
3. Update or roll back graphics drivers.
4. Run SFC and DISM to fix corrupted system files.
5. Disable automatic restart to capture error codes.
6. Perform a System Restore.
7. Check for hardware issues (GPU/monitor).
8. Reinstall Windows (if nothing else works).

Let me know how it goes or if you need further assistance with any of these steps!

Best Regards,

William.Y | Microsoft Community Support Specialist