Computer screen - the main source of information. Therefore, special attention is paid to image quality. But sometimes it happens that the screen or image on the laptop flickers, and normal work on it becomes difficult. Moreover, the eyes begin to tire quickly and hurt, which is not only unpleasant, but also harmful. Users of stationary PCs and conventional monitors with this problem are much less common. This is due to both software and design differences. You can solve the problem in different ways, but first you need to identify its cause. Sometimes you manage to get rid of it yourself, and sometimes you need a qualified repair. Therefore, we will analyze different situations that can lead to such an unpleasant result.
Troubleshooting screen flicker.
Causes of failure
A computer is a complex device that combines very different technologies. Therefore, all the reasons for the flickering of the laptop screen can be divided into two broad categories:
- Software.
- Hardware.
You can try to fix the first ones yourself, since the laptop itself is fully functional and does not need repairs. Sometimes the laptop screen blinks simply after installing some programs or drivers. Often this happens due to incorrect display system settings. It happens that the laptop screen blinks after installing Windows 10, since this system may not be fully supported by the hardware. Especially often it happens if the computer is not very new. These are programmatic reasons. If the laptop screen began to blink "for no reason, no reason", when no programs or drivers were installed, then you can be suspicious of hardware problems. For example, the contact of the cable from the video card to the matrix could be broken, since the cover often opens and closes. There is a common situation when the screen on the laptop began to flicker due to trivial overheating. These are hardware reasons, and only the master can fix some. In any case, they require computer disassembly and diagnostics. These are the main reasons why the laptop screen is blinking, but they have many varieties.
Troubleshooting Tips
When the screen blinks on a laptop, you can try to fix software problems yourself, because the hardware is much more complicated. They are much more common, so it can be very likely to help. The first thing that is useful to do - completely de-energize the computer. To do this, it is not enough to simply turn it off, since it still receives battery power. Therefore, after shutting down, it is imperative to disconnect it from the network and remove the battery. Then insert it again and turn on the laptop. This simple action often solves not only the problem with the screen, but many others. Simply, the laptop rarely shuts down, and even reboots, causing the system to accumulate errors and start to malfunction. Therefore, stationary computers, which always turn off completely, do not suffer from many "illnesses" of laptops. If after this the laptop screen continues to wink periodically, it is useful to look for program reasons. It will not get worse from this, but it can quite solve the problem. Another diagnostic option is to try to boot the computer from a disk or flash drive on which the Live-CD system is recorded. It allows you to boot the system not from the hard drive, but from another device. If the flicker remains, then this is a hardware problem. If it disappeared after loading another system, then it is in the programs.
Solving software problems
Software errors can be divided into several types. The most common:
- Incorrect refresh rate or display resolution settings.
- Incorrectly installed drivers for the video card or the driver is not suitable.
The first thing to do if the laptop screen is flickering is to check which screen resolution and refresh rate is being used. To do this, right-click on an empty space on the screen, and select "Screen resolution" in the menu. In the list, try to select other modes, perhaps one is installed that simply does not fit this particular screen. If you click on the “Advanced options” item in the same window, another window will appear. The name of the video card should be indicated here - if it says “Standard video adapter”, then the drivers are not installed at all. After installation, the flicker will probably disappear.
If everything is fine here, go to the “Monitor” tab and see what update rate is set. If it is 50 Hz or less, then the eyes quite perceive it as a flickering image. Try to choose a different value and see the result. It happens that the flickering stripes sparkle on the laptop screen. This may be a problem for the video driver, especially on Windows 10. The fact is that this system has appeared recently, and there is simply no video card driver for laptops of several years of age. Sometimes they try to install a driver from other systems, usually Windows 8. Sometimes they work, and sometimes such problems happen. Even suitable, but outdated drivers can give such a result.
The solution is to find and install a video driver for a specific laptop model and for a specific video card. Usually on the manufacturer’s website it can be found without problems. If the problem is in the driver, then it will solve it.
Solving hardware problems
If the problem is not solved by software, then the problem is most likely in hardware. A fault usually occurs in:
- Video card.
- The loop.
- Display.
A video card may stop working normally if it was tried to be overclocked or used for a long time at maximum loads for mining cryptocurrency. In this case, the service center will help, where they can replace the video card or its faulty components. Also, the video card may malfunction due to poor cooling. This can also be the reason why the image is twitching or the screen on the laptop blinks. This happens when the cooling fan malfunctions or when there is a large accumulation of dust inside the case. Sometimes you need to replace the thermal grease on the cooling radiators.
A loop is the weak point of most laptops, as the lid often opens and closes. Because of this, contacts or conductive paths may suffer. The display itself may also fail. Its weak point is the LED backlight, which may not work properly. Because of this, the image on the laptop display also blinks. Usually hardware problems are difficult to solve by yourself. The design of the laptop is more complicated than a desktop computer, and without knowledge it is not even so easy to disassemble. Therefore, it is better to entrust this matter to a specialist.
Have you ever had this situation when the screen began to flicker? How did you decide it? Share your experiences in the comments, it will be useful to our other readers.