Forum Discussion

VirgilAwesome's avatar
VirgilAwesome
Iron Contributor
Aug 07, 2026

When the screen is locked, it flickers for about 1 second before the lock screen appears.

When I press the Win + L shortcut to lock my computer, the screen flickers briefly before the lock screen appears. Previously, the lock screen process was smooth and flicker-free. I’ve tried updating my graphics card driver and disabling animation effects, but the issue persists.

3 Replies

  • Hobgood's avatar
    Hobgood
    Tin Contributor
    Aug 12, 2026

    Similar to Fast Startup, the Hybrid Sleep feature can cause conflicts related to power state transitions, which can manifest as display issues when the system is locking or waking.

  • AveryMorgan200's avatar
    AveryMorgan200
    Brass Contributor
    Aug 10, 2026

    A brief flicker during Win + L is usually caused by the graphics system switching display modes while Windows changes from the desktop to the lock screen. HDR, variable refresh rate, hybrid graphics, or a display-driver regression can cause this. Disabling animation effects normally will not fix it.

    Try these checks:

    1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and change the background to a static Picture instead of Windows Spotlight or Slideshow.
    2. Temporarily turn off HDR under Settings > System > Display > Windows HD Color settings.
    3. Set the display to a fixed supported refresh rate under Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings. Temporarily disable G-Sync, FreeSync, or variable refresh rate as well.
    4. If the issue started after a driver update, use Device Manager > Display adapters > Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver. On a laptop with hybrid graphics, install both the integrated and dedicated graphics drivers provided by the laptop manufacturer.
    5. Check Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System immediately after the flicker. Display-driver reset messages at the same time would confirm a driver problem.

    If the flicker occurs only once during locking and the display remains stable afterward, hardware failure is unlikely. If it also happens during normal use or becomes longer, test an external monitor to determine whether the problem is with the graphics driver or the laptop display.

  • Jamony's avatar
    Jamony
    MCT
    Aug 09, 2026

    The one-second flash during Win+L is likely part of the display-driver transition to the lock screen, not the animation setting. Microsoft’s guidance separates driver problems from incompatible apps. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, leave Task Manager visible, then lock and unlock the PC and note whether it flashes too. Press Win+Ctrl+Shift+B to reset the graphics driver. If the issue began after a driver or Windows update, roll back the display driver in Device Manager; otherwise install the PC maker’s recommended driver, or uninstall the display adapter and restart so Windows reinstalls it. Test after disconnecting docks and monitors and temporarily disabling HDR, variable refresh rate, overlays, and recording utilities. If Task Manager does not flicker, clean-boot Windows and re-enable startup apps in groups to find the incompatible component. If the flash persists without crashes or artifacts, record it and submit Feedback Hub data with the Windows build, GPU, driver version, and monitor configuration