If your PC is faced with the rather annoying screen refreshing loop after the Windows 11 software update, fret not! This issue has irked a good many users who have complained that their PCs screen automatically refreshes – time and time again. However, frustrating the problem may seem to be, it can be sorted out with ease. If that’s where you have set your sights at, check out these 16 best tips and tricks to fix the Windows 11 screen keeps refreshing issue.
How to Fix Windows 11 Screen Keeps Refreshing
What crops up the screen refreshing issue on Windows 11? When dealing with this display problem, you need to keep in mind a number of factors including –
- Corrupted Display Driver
- Faulty Windows Update
- Incompatible App Software
- Malware or Virus
- Hardware Acceleration Enabled
- File Explorer Crash
- Outdated Graphics Driver
- Corrupt System Files
- Multiple Monitors Issue
- Background App Conflicts
Having gone into the details, and figured out the root cause, I’m going to break down the viable solutions to overcome the hurdle.
1. Restart Your Computer
Temporary software glitches might be affecting the screen, causing it to refresh repeatedly. Bother not as this is where a soft reset comes into the play.
- Click on the Start menu > Select the Power icon > Choose Restart.
2. Check for Loose Connections
Bear in mind that loose or faulty cables can derail the display signal, leading to unexpected issues.
- Therefore, make sure that your monitor cable is securely connected to both the PC and the monitor.
- If needed, use a different cable or port.
- And, if you are using a laptop with an external display, disconnect and reconnect the external monitor.
3. Change Screen Refresh Rate
It’s worth pointing out that the botched-up refresh rate settings are also responsible for display issues like flickering and random refreshing. Hence, fine-tune the screen refresh rate on your PC.
- Navigate to Settings > System > Display > scroll down and select Advanced Display.
- Now, choose a different refresh rate from the drop-down menu.
4. Disable the Problematic Background Apps
Keep an eye on the problematic or greedy background apps that might be in direct conflict with the display on your PC.
- On your Windows device, dive into Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Find the app in question and click on the ellipsis icon next to it > Advanced options and block the background app refresh.
- Repeat the background app refresh for all the redundant apps and reboot your device.
5. Reset Windows Explorer
I don’t think too many folks are aware of the fact that the Windows Explorer glitches can also invoke the constant screen refreshing issue. Rebooting the Windows Explorer will likely eliminate this obstacle.
- To get going, press
Ctrl + Shift + Escto open Task Manager.
- Inside the Processes tab, search for the Windows Explorer.
- Right-click and select Restart.
6. Disable Hardware Acceleration
Though the hardware acceleration is pretty useful for accelerating tasks, at times, it could cause conflicts with some graphics drivers. So, get rid of it.
- Simply, right-click on the desktop > select Display settings.
- Scroll down to Graphics settings > turn off Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling and reboot your PC.
7. Check Task Manager for High CPU Usage
Make sure to take control of the high CPU usage as it’s one of the well-known culprits for gaslighting the screen refresh issue.
- To begin with, press
Ctrl + Shift + Escto launch Task Manager.
- Look for processes using high CPU resources.
- End unnecessary tasks by right-clicking and selecting End task.
8. Disable Fast Startup
Fast startup and display-related issues go hand-in-hand.
- On your computer, dive into the Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Uncheck Turn on fast startup and reboot your device.
9. Update Display Drivers
Be warned that outdated or incompatible drivers might be the wrecker-in-chief for repeated screen refresh issues. The right way to take control of the out-of-date driver and bring it back on track is to update the driver.
- To get it done, head over to Start > select Device Manager.
- Now, expand Display adapters > right-click on your graphics card and select Update driver in the menu.
- Click “Search automatically for drivers” and follow the prompts to update your driver.
10. Roll Back Display Drivers
If the screen refresh issue started after the recent driver update, there is a high chance that it could be causing the conflicts.
- Open Device Manager on your PC > right-click on your graphics card and select Properties.
- Now, navigate to the Driver tab > click Roll Back Driver (if available) and confirm.
11. Reinstall Display Drivers
Corrupt drivers have a long history of triggering the screen refresh loops on Windows.
- Launch the Device Manager on your Windows device -> right-click on your graphics card and select Uninstall device.
- Restart your PC to automatically reinstall the driver.
12. Check for Windows Updates
Find out if a software update is pending for your PC. If there is one, go for it via the Settings > Windows Update > click on Check for updates > install any available updates and restart your computer.
13. Perform a Clean Boot
Note that the third-party startup programs could also be interfering with display settings on your device. So, perform a clean boot to start your computer with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. Well, this is the most effective way to spot the conflicting apps and services.
- To begin with, press
Win + R, typemsconfig, and hit Enter. - Now, go to the Services tab and check Hide all Microsoft services.
- Click Disable All.
- Click the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager > disable all startup items and restart the computer.
14. Run the Display Troubleshooter
Thanks to the built-in troubleshooter, Windows can let you automatically detect and flush out display issues.
- On your PC, launch Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- Locate the Display section and click on the Run button > go through the on-screen instructions.
15. Scan for Malware
Should your screen continue to malfunction and refresh time and time again, scan your PC to scan for malware infections as they might be at the heart of the problem.
- On your device, launch the Settings app > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Full scan > allow the scan to go through without any obstacles.
16. Uninstall Recent Windows Updates
If the display problem came into being after the recent Windows update, uninstall the update.
- Open the Settings app on your PC > Windows Update > Update history.
- Click on Uninstall updates > select the most recent update and uninstall it.
Wrapping up…
There you go! I hope your screen no longer refreshes on its own. As these very solutions have rescued many PC folks, I’m pretty sure they have got the job done for you as well. If you have any doubts or questions regarding the screen, make sure to shoot it via the comments section below.
