video keeps intermittently flashing, every few seconds

Question

video keeps intermittently flashing, every few seconds

Answer 1

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

1. May I please know if the screen flashes or flickers across the entire Windows desktop, or only when using a specific app or watching videos?
2. Does the flickering also happen when you connect the PC to another monitor/TV?

The display flickering issue usually appears if you have outdated or corrupted graphics drivers installed. To fix this problem, first try updating or reinstalling the graphics drivers to see if it resolves the issue.

1

Update Graphics Drivers:

• Go to Device Manager.
• Expand the arrow next to Display adapters.
• Right-click your dedicated graphics driver (Nvidia, AMD, or Intel), select Update drivers > Search automatically for available drivers, and click Update.
• If Windows couldn't find any updated drivers,

2

• Visit your PC manufacturer's website.
• Enter your computer serial number.
• Go to the Drivers and downloads section.
• Download the latest graphics drivers for your device and then install them.
• Restart your computer and test to see if the video flashes.

Let me know if you still need more help.

Answer 2

For intermittent video flashing on Windows 11, start with the display driver and basic flicker checks:

1. Press Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset the graphics driver. If the flashing stops temporarily, that points to a display driver issue.
2. Check whether Task Manager also flickers. If it does, the cause is usually the display driver. If it does not, the cause is more likely an incompatible app.
3. In Device Manager:
   • Open Display adapters
   • Right-click the graphics adapter
   • Select Update driver
4. If the problem started after a recent Windows Update or driver update, roll back the driver:
   • Device Manager > Display adapters > right-click adapter > Properties > Driver tab > Roll Back Driver > Yes
   • Restart the device
5. If updating or rolling back does not help, uninstall the display driver:
   • Device Manager > Display adapters > right-click adapter > Properties > Driver tab > Uninstall Device
   • Select the option to remove/delete the driver software if shown
   • Restart the device so Windows reinstalls the driver

Notes:

• Rolling back or uninstalling a display driver requires administrator privileges.
• If Roll Back Driver is unavailable, there is no previous driver version stored.
• Uninstalling the driver can temporarily affect display behavior until Windows reinstalls it.

If the flashing happens specifically while a video is playing in the background and Office apps are flashing black, the documented workaround is to minimize the app that is displaying the video.

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