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Screen flickers, looks blurry or has the wrong size: graphics driver

Step 1 of 3

Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B

The screen goes black for a moment and you hear a beep. This restarts the graphics driver without closing anything.

The simulation shows Windows in English, like most laptops.

  1. Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B

    The screen goes black for a moment and you hear a beep. This restarts the graphics driver without closing anything.

    WinCtrlShiftB

  2. Check the name under Display adapters

    In Device Manager, if it says “Microsoft Basic Display Adapter”, the graphics driver is missing. Install it from Windows Update or the laptop maker’s site.

    Device ManagerDisplay adapters

  3. Choose the recommended resolution

    In this menu, pick the size marked (Recommended).

    SettingsSystemDisplayDisplay resolution

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BasicUse a second monitor (extend the screen)
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Technical details (for the curious)

What Win + Ctrl + Shift + B does

This shortcut tells Windows to restart the graphics driver. Your apps stay open. Useful when the screen freezes, goes black or flickers after waking from sleep.

“Display driver stopped responding and has recovered”

Windows has a safety net called TDR: if the graphics card doesn’t answer for about 2 seconds, its driver is restarted. If this happens often, the cause is usually an old driver, an overheating laptop or a failing graphics card.

Two graphics cards

Many laptops have built-in Intel/AMD graphics plus a separate NVIDIA/AMD card. Both appear under Display adapters and both need drivers. The laptop screen usually runs on the built-in one.

Refresh rate and flicker

In Settings › System › Display › Advanced display, choose the highest refresh rate listed (for example 60 Hz or 144 Hz). A loose or damaged HDMI cable also often makes a second monitor flicker.

Coming soon

Still not fixed?

In the next update you can tell us what happened, and our AI helper will suggest another way. Until then, restart the device and go through the steps once more.