If you’re suddenly seeing random black or white squares flickering on your Windows 11 display, it’s pretty annoying, right? Sometimes it feels like just a weird glitch, but often it’s a sign that something’s off—could be with your graphics driver, display settings, or even hardware connections. These artifacts might appear as static overlays, flickering blocks, or translucent boxes that just won’t go away, disrupting your workflow or binge-watching session. The weird thing is, some issues are quick fixes, but others can be sneaky and require digging a little deeper.
This guide walks through some common, and not-so-common, remedies to tackle those pesky visual glitches. From using Windows’ built-in troubleshooters and resetting your graphics driver, to updating drivers and checking hardware connections—it’s a bit of trial and error, but most of the time, these steps restore your display to normal. Expect that after trying these, you’ll likely see fewer or no more of those annoying squares—and a smoother visual experience again.
How to Fix Flickering or Artifacting in Windows 11
Run Windows’ Built-in Troubleshooter & Refresh System Graphics
Windows actually has some hidden tools that are good for catching common issues, including display glitches. Running the hardware troubleshooter can sometimes automatically detect what’s wrong and fix it on the spot. Plus, resetting the graphics driver can clear up momentary glitches—kind of weird, but the shortcut Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B refreshes the graphics subsystem, and on some setups, it’s enough to get rid of those squares without a full restart.
Try the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
- How to run it: Right-click the Windows icon (or press Windows key + X) and pick Terminal (Admin). Type
msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnosticand hit Enter. A small troubleshooting window pops up. - Next steps: Click “Advanced, ” check “Apply repairs automatically, ” then hit “Next.” The troubleshooter will scan your system for display or hardware issues and suggest fixes. Hopefully, it clears things up!
Heads up—sometimes, on one machine, this actually works first time, but on another, it might just find issues without fixing the flickering. Still, worth a shot before diving into more complex stuff.
Quick Graphics Driver Reset
If those squares pop up after waking your PC or switching display modes, resetting the graphics driver can be enough. The shortcut Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B basically forces Windows to reset the video hardware—your screen will flicker or black out for a moment. Not sure why it works sometimes, but it often just clears glitches without rebooting. If you’re lucky, those glitches vanish right after.
Update or Reinstall Your Graphics Drivers
Drivers are often the main culprits for display weirdness—either they’re outdated, corrupted, or incorrectly configured. Keeping them up-to-date is crucial. To do that:
- Open Device Manager: Hit
Windows key + R, typedevmgmt.msc, press Enter. Find the “Display adapters” section. - Update Driver: Right-click your graphics card (like NVIDIA GeForce or Intel Iris Xe) and pick Update driver. Choose “Search automatically for drivers” and let Windows look for the latest.
- If that doesn’t work: You might want to manually download the latest driver from your GPU manufacturer’s website (like NVIDIA or AMD).Be sure to uninstall the current driver first (Uninstall device), then restart and install fresh.
Trust me, having the latest driver can fix a ton of display issues, especially if Windows’ automatic updates are lazy or buggy sometimes. Just remember, DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) is a handy tool if you want to make sure drivers are cleanly wiped before reinstalling—look it up.
Adjust Screen Resolution & Visual Effects
- Resolution: Make sure your display resolution matches your monitor’s recommended setting. Open Settings > System > Display, then pick the “Recommended” resolution from the dropdown. Mismatched resolution can sometimes cause visual artifacts.
- Disable unnecessary visual effects: For example, if turned on, some accessible features like color filters or transparency effects can mess with rendering, especially on older or weaker GPUs. Head to Settings > Accessibility > Color filters and toggle them off. Also, under Performance Options (
sysdm.cpl > Advanced > Settings...> Visual Effects), turning off some effects might help if the GPU is struggling.
Check Hardware & Connections
Sometimes, these squares pop up because of loose cables or overheating hardware. It’s not glamorous, but disconnecting and reseating cables (HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA) at both ends can fix flaky signals. If you have a desktop, consider gently removing and re-inserting the graphics card, making sure it’s snugly seated in its PCIe slot—no dust, no loose screws.
Dust buildup is a sneaky enemy; high temperatures can cause graphical artifacts or flicker. Use compressed air to blow out dust from your GPU heatsink, fans, and inside your PC case. If you notice your laptop or monitor running unusually hot, shut it down for a bit to cool off — thermal throttling can mess with graphics output.
Testing with a different cable or monitor is also a free way to rule out hardware faults. If a different cable or display behaves fine, then you know the issue’s probably not with your PC’s GPU but maybe with the original monitor or port.
Application-specific Troubleshooting
If the glitches only happen in certain apps—say, Chrome or your favorite game—that points to software. For browsers, disabling hardware acceleration can help. In Chrome, go to Settings > System, turn off “Use hardware acceleration when available, ” restart the browser, and see if artifacts go away. Also, messing with graphics backend flags (chrome://flags/#use-angle) can sometimes stabilize rendering.
In other programs, disabling app-specific hardware acceleration or updating/reinstalling the software might do the trick. Extensions or plugins could also interfere, especially in browsers. Just a matter of trial and error here.
Wrap-up
Those annoying black and white squares are a pain, but they’re rarely permanent. Taking it step-by-step—starting with Windows’ troubleshooting basics, then updating drivers, and finally checking hardware connections—tends to do the trick. Sometimes, it’s the little things, like loose cables or outdated drivers, causing the issue. If all else fails, testing with different displays or cables narrows things down fast.
Summary
- Run Windows’ hardware diagnostics.
- Reset the graphics driver with Win + Ctrl + Shift + B.
- Update or reinstall GPU drivers—try DDU if needed.
- Check display resolution and visual effects.
- Inspect physical connections, reseat GPU if desktop.
- Test with different cables or monitors.
- Disable hardware acceleration in problem apps.
Fingers crossed, this helps
Most of the time, these flickering squares get solved by some driver tweak or cable replugging. Not everything is hardware fault—sometimes Windows just needs a nudge. If this gets one fix to stick, then it’s worth all the effort. Hopefully, this saves someone from pulling out their hair (or at least, saves a few hours).Good luck! — and may your display stay crystal clear from now on.