There are many things that can cause a flickering screen. From incorrect settings to laptop screens wearing out, there’s nothing more frustrating than having your computer go haywire when you’re in the middle of something important or entertaining.
However, it doesn’t always have to be this way, and thankfully for us humans with only one thumb on each hand (for now), fixing these problems is actually easier than you might think.
Fixing a non-functional blinking laptop screen doesn’t always require professional help. Some potential fixes that might solve this issue involve simply lowering and raising your screens repeatedly or updating hardware drivers.
What is Screen Flickering?
Screen flickering is where your computer screen keeps on flashing or the light keeps on changing from one color to another. It may also happen that your monitor simply blinks as if it’s having a seizure, and then continues in this state for some time before going back to its regular state.
What Causes Screen Flickering?
Screen flickering can be caused by a number of factors.
1 – Incompatible Applications
Possibly, the screen is set by your downloaded application to refresh at a higher rate than the monitor or graphics card can handle.
Certain video games and programs require a high-performance gaming PC. The most common symptom when your computer doesn’t have the necessary specs is screen flickering.
2 – Dust and Overheating
Computer screens are like all other electrical equipment, in that they get warm. When your PC overheats, the screen can start to flicker dimly on and off as a sort of warning to you.
It could also be that your computer hasn’t been shut down for some time and this is causing an excess load on your video card. It’s also possible that dust has gotten in between the circuit board and the LCD, causing a short circuit.
3 – Bad Graphics Card Driver
Drivers are software programs that help your PC communicate with other devices, such as video cards and monitors. Anytime you uninstall or update a driver, it’s recommended that you restart your computer.
It could also be that your video card may not be capable of outputting the resolution needed on your monitor, in which case you’ll need to get a new one or change the screen resolution from within your computer’s Control Panel.
4 – Power Supply
Screen flickering may also be caused by a bad or loose power supply cable. When this happens, the video card will not be receiving sufficient power to work properly, thus causing the screen to flicker.
5 – Loose wires
Your screen could have come loose from its connector port, causing it to make and break contact each time it flickers.
Poor wiring is a common problem with laptop screens. If left unrepaired, the flickering will continue and can worsen over time as your wires become more loose or damaged.
How Do You Fix Laptop Screen Flick?
1 – Restart Your Computer
First things first, restart your computer, not just turn it off and on again, but shut it down from within the operating system. This would be the safest approach to solving this problem.
2 – Update Drivers
Update your graphics card drivers from the manufacturer’s website if possible. If not, uninstall the existing one and then try installing a new version of it again. After doing so restart your computer once more for changes to take effect.
3 – Change Screen Settings
Change your monitor’s resolution and refresh rate to the default settings for your graphics card or reduce them if they’re too high for your system.
You can also try disconnecting any external devices you have connected to your PC and then restarting again to see if this resolves the issue. If it doesn’t, reconnect each device one at a time to see if the problem lies with an external program or peripheral.
4 – Adjust Power Settings
Try changing your power settings from high-performance mode to balanced or low-performance mode. This is equally effective in case you have overclocked your system but it’s worth doing this before taking any chances by downgrading the processor’s clock speed.
5 – Check Cables and Connectors
Check that both your laptop screen and the motherboard are securely connected to one another. If they’re not, then you should apply a little pressure to them or tighten up their screws to fix the problem.
6 – Clean Out Dust
Clean out the dust from your computer’s fans and vents, as well as your monitor. This will help keep your computer cooler so it doesn’t overheat, or shut down to avoid further damage.
7 – Replace Your Monitors Screen
If none of the above methods work, you might want to replace your computer screen entirely just to be sure that it’s not the cause of your problems.
It could also be that your video card may not be capable of outputting the resolution needed on your monitor, in which case you’ll need to get a new one or change the screen resolution from within your computer’s Control Panel.
Conclusion
It’s not hard to figure out what’s causing your screen flicking problem. Try restarting a few times, check the video card driver, and update it if necessary. Try changing screen resolution or refresh rate, check if you have any loose wires connecting your screen to the mainboard. If nothing works, it’s time to get a new LCD screen for your PC.
