How to Stop Glitching and Flickering on a Dell Laptop | 2023 Guide

This article will teach you how to stop glitching and flickering on a Dell Laptop. Keep in mind that the solution mentioned below will in no way guarantee that your laptop will work 100%. 

If the steps mentioned below work, but you’re still facing the issue on and off, then it’s best to take the device to an authorized service center.

10 Ways How to Stop Glitching and Flickering on a Dell Laptop

  • Change the Refresh Rate
  • Restart the Laptop
  • Restore the Default Power Settings
  • Reset your Laptop’s BIOS
  • Update the OS
  • Update the Graphics Driver
  • Restart in Safe Mode
  • Uninstall Problematic Apps
  • Run a Diagnostics Test
  • Contact the Support Team

Reasons why the display flickers on a Dell laptop?

There are multiple causes of the screen glitch on your Dell laptop. 

It can be due to your computer resolution, graphics issues, display settings or a problem with the inverter. 

Alternatively, it could also be an internal error with your hardware that is causing the issue though this is highly unlikely for most users. 

Follow these tips to troubleshoot and fix any problems you might have:

10 Ways How to Stop Glitching and Flickering on a Dell Laptop

Fix 1 — Changing the Refresh Rate and Resolution

How to Stop Glitching and Flickering on a Dell Laptop

If you’re running a low resolution or refresh rate on your Dell laptop, try changing the display settings from within the Dell laptop itself.

  • Click on the Windows Start button and tap on Control Panel
  • Now, click on Display and then click on Resolution choose the most appropriate resolution for your display
  • Click on Apply and save the settings.

This is one of the most common problems faced by Dell laptop users and can easily be fixed in a minute or two. However if this does not solve your problem, follow the steps mentioned below.

Fix 2 — Restart the Dell laptop

How to Stop Glitching and Flickering on a Dell Laptop

One of the easiest tricks you can try yourself to stop the display from glitching and flickering is by restarting your Dell laptop. 

  • Click on the Windows Start Menu
  • Tap on Restart
See also  How to Use Your TiVo Stream Without a Remote 2023 | 5 Awesome Hacks!

If the glitches make it difficult for you to restart your Dell laptop, perform a hard shut down by pressing and holding the power key for roughly 15 seconds until the laptop switches off completely.

Fix 3 — Restore Default Power Settings

How to Stop Glitching and Flickering on a Dell Laptop

Users who are suffering from a faulty display can try changing their Dell laptops battery and energy saver settings. 

  • Click on the Windows Start Menu and tap on Control Panel
  • Click on Energy saver from the list of icons available
  • Uncheck automatically reduce brightness
  • Restart the Dell laptop for the changes to take effect.

This step doesn’t always help, but it does lighten the load on the laptop’s GPU and will limit any screen/display glitches in the future.

Fix 4 — Reset your Dell laptop’s BIOS

How to Stop Glitching and Flickering on a Dell Laptop

Resetting your laptop’s BIOS is another way you can fix any screen glitches or flickering. The only way you can reset the BIOS is by opening the laptop. You can follow these steps to get this done.

  • Power off the laptop and unplug the power cable
  • Make sure you’re grounded and remove the back panel of the laptop using a Philips star screwdriver.
  • Locate the BIOS battery on your motherboard, it’s a small cell that looks like a watch battery.
  • Place the battery back and power on your laptop.

The bootup will take a little longer than normal, but this is alright and is bound to happen. When your laptop boots up check and see if the display is still flickering and whether resetting the BIOS has rectified your issue.

Fix 5 — Update the OS

How to Stop Glitching and Flickering on a Dell Laptop

Another step you can try following is to update the operating system of your Dell laptop. It’s not complicated, but would require some time and patience for the laptop to get updated.

  • Click on the Windows Start button and then tap on Control Panel
  • Tap on System Update and then refresh the page to see if there’s any pending update
  • If there’s an update available, click on the download and install button to begin the update. 
  • Your laptop will restart a number of times, but that’s usually what happens with Windows updates.
  • Once the laptop has completely updated, restart the device and check if the new software update has fixed the display issue.

Fix 6 — Update the Graphics Driver

How to Stop Glitching and Flickering on a Dell Laptop

Users can face issues with the display flickering when the graphics driver is faulty or requires an update. Luckily, this step is easy and won’t take more than a few minutes to perform.

  • Start by clicking on the Windows Start button and then tap on Control Panel
  • Click on Display and then right-click on the driver to open its properties
  • Tap on Advanced properties and then click on the Update driver button to install the latest version.
See also  How to Connect your Sony TV to Alexa 2023 | Two Quick Solutions

Restart your Dell laptop in order for the new settings to be applied and for the flickering to stop. If you are  unable to or if this step does not help in any way with your problem, read on and try one of the other options available here.

Fix 7 — Restart with Safe Mode

Laptops are designed with a built-in Safe Mode that users can login into in order to diagnose any internal software or hardware problems. 

  • Start by turning off your Dell laptop.
  • Press and hold the power button till the startup screen appears.
  • Press F8 to load the Boot Menu
  • Finally log into your Dell laptop using your regular login details and check if the laptop runs smoothly.

Fix 8 — Uninstall Problematic Apps

Some display apps may need more computing power than what’s generally available and if this is the case, then the only way to fix the issue is by isolating the problematic app, uninstalling it and restarting your Dell laptop.

Fix 9 — Run a Diagnostics Test

When you have completed all the steps mentioned above, the last thing you can do is to try and run a diagnostics test and see if there’s any underlying issue with the display.

  • Start by opening the laptops Settings page and then go to Update and Security
  • Click on Troubleshoot to start diagnosing the problem.

The laptop will automatically display what the problem is and provide you with either a driver fix or to contact the service center.

Fix 10 — Contact the Support Team

There may be other reasons behind why your display is glitching and this can stem from a loose connector to a broken display. 

See also  How to Screen Cast on a LG TV in 2023 | 6 Easy Solutions

Unfortunately, in order to retain your warranty, you will have to get in touch with either the manufacturers service team and have them take a look at the device to try and diagnose and fix the issue or you can hand over the laptop to a certified technician to diagnose the problem. 

Why is my Dell laptop screen flickering?

The flickering issue on your Dell laptop may most likely be caused by a hidden software or system process that’s glitching in the background. Sometimes the flickering screen can be a result of a damaged display or an overloaded graphics card.

If the cause of the flickering display is a hardware issue, how do I fix it?

Well the easiest way to fix your Dell laptop is by taking it to an authorized service center. The technician will check your laptop’s hardware and explain what the cause is and how it can be fixed. 

Takeaway

Glitching and screen flickering issues on the Dell laptop have plagued users for a long time and though it is a frustrating experience, there are a number of ways you can fix this issue without having to approach the Dell support team.

These easy and simple fixes won’t take more than a few minutes to get done and if they work for you then you wouldn’t have to worry about your display glitching again. 

However, if the problem stems from a hardware related issue, it’s best that you contact the Dell support team or visit the nearest authorized Dell service center to have your Dell laptop fixed.

How to Fix a Water Damaged Dell Laptop on Your Own in 2023

Similar Posts