Artifacts sometimes before login screen

Question

Artifacts sometimes before login screen

Jesse 0

Hello, every now and then on computer startup bios loads normally and looks fine, but then before movin to login screen i get many artifacts on screen, screen is flashing and then "computer has ran into a problem and couldn’t be repaired". Then i use a 3-5 day old restore point and it works for a week, i can play games for 30 hours and then same problem. I have reinstalled win 11 from usb month ago. Ssd health 93%. After restore point i have paused win updates for 2weeks then installed updates.

I use atm a nvidia graphics driver from 2025 because game scum doesnt work with newest, i used ddu

I7 8700k

Gtx 1080ti

Z390 a pro

Ddr4 2400mhz

250gb nvme ssd and 1tb hdd

Win 11 pro

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Answer 1

DaveM121 891K Independent Advisor

The artifacts, if they do not appear when your system is posting on the manufacturers logo screen usually indicates a problem with the graphics drivers.

On your system you have dual graphics, the Nvidia card and on the Intel i7 8700k processor you have Intel UHD Graphics 630, is that correct?

If so, the best option would be to go to the support page for your Z390 A Pro motherboard on the MSI website to download and install the version of Intel graphics drivers they provide.

If that does not resolve the problem, go to the Intel website to download the Intel Driver and Support Assistant and use that utility to update all your Intel drivers.

Jesse 0 Reputation points

2026-06-11T17:47:44.8266667+00:00

Hey, yes i have integrated graphics but i dont have that on from bios, should i still update it? Edit. I updated the driver but kept that disabled. Got the problem still
DaveM121 891K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-12T05:21:34.1766667+00:00

Sorry, I was offline.

In that case, the best option is to completely remove the current Nvidia device driver using the widely available free DDU utility, then restart your PC and go to the Nvidia website to download and install a couple of slightly older versions of the Nvidia device driver to try to find a version that is stable on your system.
Jesse 0 Reputation points

2026-06-12T06:10:47.4066667+00:00

Thanks, i already did that, but the problem went back. Do you think the gpu is dying? Odd that i can play for hours.. I will try with a different DP cable
DaveM121 891K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-12T06:17:06.8366667+00:00

No, I see no indication your GPU is dying, if replacing the drivers did not resolve the problem, and the artifacts only appear on startup, that may just indicate some corruption in the Windows startup process.

The best option may be to perform an in-place repair with the Windows 11 ISO.

Please ensure you download the ISO in the same language as you use for the Windows UI, follow the steps, this is then not like re-installing Windows, it is just like an update and your personal files, settings and installed software will not be affected.

Click this link:

https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

to download the Windows 11 ISO

When the ISO file completes downloading

Disconnect from the Internet

Disconnect all external devices with the exception of a mouse or keyboard.

Temporarily disable any 3rd party Anti-virus you may have installed

Then, in Windows File Explorer, double click the ISO and then run Setup.exe and select the Install option.

Very Important - ensure you select the option to keep your files and apps.
Jesse 0 Reputation points

2026-06-14T16:08:33.32+00:00

I did reinstall windows from updare, and it still does this when starting the computer. Today i could play for serveral hours before this artifacts on startup. I have tried everything, very strange issue. Maybe the gpu is really dying. But i dont understand why it works when i restore it from a restore point :D my computer restored itself this was now like 5th time. Nothing seems to work :O. Now i can game for like 20 hours then it does it on a random startup.

Edit. I saw couple posts where people noticed hdr on it caused these issues, ill try to disable that

Answer 2

The symptoms (artifacts before the Windows login screen, flashing, then “your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart/couldn’t be repaired”, temporarily fixed by a restore point but recurring) point to a likely graphics driver or GPU-related issue, possibly combined with other driver or system corruption.

Follow these steps in order:

Basic Windows stop error troubleshooting
Shut down and remove any recently added hardware (if any) and test again.
Boot into Safe Mode so only minimal drivers load:
- See Start your PC in safe mode in Windows 11 from the stop‑error article.
In Safe Mode, open Device Manager (right‑click Start > Device Manager) and check for devices with a yellow exclamation mark:
- For any such device, choose Update driver.
- If updating does not help, disable or uninstall the device.
Ensure there is at least 10–15% free space on the system drive so Windows can create swap files and perform updates.
Install all pending Windows Updates: Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.
If the issue started recently and persists, use a system restore point or other recovery option from Recovery options in Windows 11.

Relevant guidance: Troubleshooting Windows unexpected restarts and stop code errors.

Focus on GPU/driver (artifacts + pre‑login failures) Because there are visible artifacts and failures before the login screen, focus on the graphics stack:
Reset the graphics driver when the screen flickers or artifacts appear (if Windows is partially responsive):
- Press Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B. If successful, the screen should briefly flicker or a beep may be heard.
Check whether Task Manager flickers when the issue occurs (when you can get into Windows):
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then open Task Manager.
- If Task Manager flickers along with the rest of the screen, the display driver is likely at fault.
- If only other parts of the screen flicker, an app may be causing it.
- Then follow the “Fix your display driver” or “Update or uninstall an incompatible app” guidance from the screen‑flicker article.
Update or reinstall the NVIDIA driver for the GTX 1080 Ti:
- In Safe Mode, uninstall the current display adapter from Device Manager.
- Reboot and install the latest stable driver for the 1080 Ti.
If a VIDEO_TDR or similar GPU bug check appears in the blue‑screen stop code details, follow the VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED guidance:
- If a specific driver is named in the bug check, disable it or update it.
- Ensure DirectX/OpenGL and any graphics‑intensive games are fully patched.
- Confirm the GPU is compatible with the installed Windows version.
- Use Safe Mode to isolate the issue if normal boot is unstable.

Relevant guidance:

If Windows fails to start (“couldn’t be repaired”) When the system fails to boot and shows automatic repair/“couldn’t be repaired”:
Use Startup Repair from Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE):
- Access Windows RE.
- Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair > Restart.
- Let Startup Repair scan and attempt to fix boot‑related issues (missing/damaged system files, BCD corruption, incompatible drivers, etc.).
If Startup Repair cannot fix it and the problem keeps returning, use a recovery option:
- System Restore to a known good point (as already done).
- If the pattern repeats frequently, consider Reset this PC (keep files) from Recovery options in Windows 11.

Relevant guidance:

Check for blank/black‑screen behavior If at any point the system shows a blank/black screen with or without a cursor:
Verify monitor and cable connections and that the GPU is firmly seated.
Use Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset the graphics driver.
Use Windows + P to cycle display modes in case output is going to the wrong display.
Use Ctrl + Alt + Delete and restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager if the shell is hung.
If the system is frozen, hold the power button for ~20 seconds to force a restart.

Relevant guidance: Troubleshooting blank screens in Windows

If the issue persists If artifacts continue even:

Before Windows loads,
In BIOS or during manufacturer logo,
Or across multiple clean driver installs and Windows reinstall,

then the problem is likely hardware (GPU, PSU, or motherboard/PCIe slot). In that case:

Test with another GPU if available, or test the 1080 Ti in another system.
If artifacts follow the card, the GPU is likely failing.

References:

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Artifacts sometimes before login screen

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