Screen flicker usually comes from display drivers, power settings, or panel features, and you can stop it with a few quick checks and targeted tweaks.
Quick Diagnoses And Fast Fixes
Use this cheat sheet to match what you’re seeing with the most likely cause and a fast action. It covers the common ways an Acer laptop screen keeps flashing on and off.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|
| Task Manager flickers with the screen | Display driver fault | Roll back, update, or clean reinstall the graphics driver |
| Only one app flickers (Chrome, a game) | Hardware acceleration or VRR conflict | Toggle hardware acceleration in the app; turn off VRR/DRR to test |
| Flicker starts after a Windows or driver update | Incompatible update | Roll back the driver or install a known good version |
| Flicker only on battery or when you unplug | Panel power saving or power plan switch | Disable Panel Self Refresh; set a steady power plan |
| External monitor is stable | Built-in panel or cable issue | Run on external display to work; schedule repair for the panel |
| Screen flashes while opening or closing the lid | Display cable strain in the hinge | Avoid extreme lid angles; book service if it repeats |
Start With Isolation: Is It The Driver Or An App?
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager. If Task Manager flickers along with the screen, the graphics driver is the likely culprit. If Task Manager stays steady while a single app blinks, that app is at fault. Close it, update it, or toggle its hardware acceleration setting and test again. This one minute check saves guesswork. You can also follow the official Windows screen flicker guide for the same logic.
When the driver is the suspect, try a simple order: reboot, then check Windows Update for display drivers, then test a rollback if the issue began right after an update. If the problem persists, remove the display adapter in Device Manager and restart so Windows loads a clean driver. Keep notes on what changed just before the first flicker.
Fixing Acer Laptop Screen Flashing On And Off: Driver Actions
Roll Back Or Update Cleanly
Open Device Manager > Display adapters, right-click your GPU, and choose Properties > Driver. If the Roll Back Driver button is active, try it and restart. If not, choose Uninstall device and check the box to remove driver software, then restart and let Windows load a fresh build. Afterward, install the vendor’s current package if needed. Change one thing at a time and retest.
What To Do If Roll Back Is Grayed Out
That means Windows has no older package to return to. In that case, uninstall the adapter, restart, and let Windows add a baseline driver. Then install a known good package for your exact model. Avoid mixing very new GPU drivers with very old BIOS or chipset builds during testing.
Match The Refresh Rate To The Panel
Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and set a steady refresh rate your panel supports on both AC and battery. A mismatch between Windows, a GPU control panel, and the panel’s native rate can trigger repeated black flashes, especially during mode changes.
Check App-Specific Triggers
Browsers, video editors, and games push GPU acceleration hard. If only one program causes the screen to pulse, toggle its hardware acceleration setting and relaunch. Test again with extensions or overlays off. If the flicker disappears, you’ve found your trigger and can keep the toggle off for that app only.
Acer Screen Keeps Turning On And Off: Windows Feature Toggles
Turn Off Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) To Test
Windows can smooth motion by allowing the refresh rate to vary. On some laptops that switch can introduce brightness pulses or momentary blackouts on internal displays. Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Default graphics settings and switch Variable refresh rate off for a quick test. If the flicker stops, leave it off or rely on your GPU’s own sync in full screen.
Disable Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) For Stability
On newer panels Windows can drop from a high rate to a lower rate to save power. If your Acer screen flashes during scrolling or idle, go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and pick a fixed rate instead of Dynamic. This removes frequent mode switches that can look like flicker.
Toggle Intel Panel Self Refresh (PSR)
Intel laptops ship with a panel feature that pauses updates when the picture is static. PSR saves battery, but on some systems it causes a rapid brightness pulse or black flash when content resumes. Open the Intel Graphics Command Center > System > Power and switch Panel Self Refresh off for both plugged in and battery, then retest. If the screen is stable, you found your root cause. Here are Intel’s instructions if you need a walkthrough.
NVIDIA Or AMD Panel Sync Settings
If you use G-SYNC or FreeSync, test with that feature off for a short session. Keep only one layer of sync active at a time during troubleshooting to avoid tug-of-war effects that present as brief black frames.
Power Moves: Battery, AC, And Sleep Behaviors
Do A Battery Reset
Many Acer models include a pinhole battery reset or support a long press reset. Shut down, unplug the adapter, and either press the pinhole with a paperclip for a few seconds or hold the power button for 15 seconds. Then reconnect and boot. This clears a stuck embedded controller state that can make the backlight blink during wake or lid open. See Acer’s steps for your model here: Acer internal battery reset.
Give Fast Startup A Pass While Testing
Fast Startup can keep parts of the driver in a hibernated state between shutdowns. If your flicker always returns after a cold boot, turn Fast Startup off while you test fixes. Use a full restart for each change so you’re not chasing cached states.
Watch For Lid, Angle, And Motion Triggers
If the screen flashes while you adjust the lid or when the laptop is moved, that points to a flex-sensitive cable or hinge wear. Keep the angle steady and run on an external monitor for a while. If the external picture is rock solid while the built-in panel blinks with motion, schedule hardware service.
Rule Out Apps, Overlays, And Peripherals
Background utilities can hook the display path. Close screen recorders, FPS counters, and vendor overlay tools. Unplug USB hubs and external capture devices. Boot into Safe mode and check if the flashing stops. If Safe mode looks stable, add items back in batches until the blink returns.
Gamers should also try turning off in-game screen recording, Radeon or GeForce overlays, and any adaptive sync setting unique to a title. One toggle can be enough to cause a loop of black blips.
Update BIOS, Firmware, And Drivers The Right Way
A newer BIOS or embedded controller can include display stability fixes for sleep, resume, or backlight control. Visit Acer’s drivers page for your exact model, then get BIOS, chipset, and graphics packages that match. Keep the AC adapter connected during firmware updates and let each reboot finish. Change one layer at a time and test after each step.
Dual-GPU Laptops Need Both Sides Updated
Many Acer notebooks switch between Intel graphics and a discrete GPU. Update both drivers so hand-offs between them are clean. If you still see black flashes during the switch, set the game or app to use the discrete GPU only while testing.
Settings Map: Where To Switch Things Off When Flicker Appears
Here’s a quick guide to the switches you’ll use the most while hunting a screen that keeps flashing on and off.
| Setting | Where to find | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Variable refresh rate | Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Default graphics settings | Screen pulses during scrolling or in windowed apps |
| Dynamic refresh rate | Settings > System > Display > Advanced display | Mode switches cause black flashes on the internal panel |
| Panel Self Refresh | Intel Graphics Command Center > System > Power | Brightness blips or waking from idle triggers a flash |
| App hardware acceleration | App settings (browser, editor, player) | Only one program blinks; disabling stops it |
| Fast Startup | Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do | Cold boot brings the flicker back each time |
Hardware Tells: When It’s Not Software
Connect an external monitor over HDMI or USB-C. If that picture is stable for hours while the built-in panel flickers, the issue sits inside the lid assembly. A failing panel, a loose eDP ribbon, or backlight driver trouble can all cause a steady on-off loop. If both screens blink in sync, the GPU or power path is more likely.
Run a backlight test at a few brightness steps. If flicker only appears at a narrow brightness range, the panel’s backlight control may be unstable. Note the pattern and include it when you contact support. If you hear electrical whining with the blink, record it; coil noise alongside the flash helps a technician zero in on the power board.
Make The Fix Stick
Set A Stable Baseline
Once the screen is steady, keep a few guardrails in place: fixed refresh rate, PSR off if it was the cause, and a balanced power plan that avoids aggressive display power saving. Don’t stack multiple sync technologies at once across Windows, your GPU panel, and games.
Update With Intention
When updates arrive, change one thing at a time and test. Create a restore point before large driver jumps. Keep a short note of what you changed and when. If a new package brings the flash back, you can roll back with confidence.
Keep A Short Checklist
Save this order for next time: Task Manager test, app acceleration toggle, driver roll back or clean install, VRR and DRR off to test, Panel Self Refresh off, battery reset, then BIOS or firmware. That sequence catches nearly every case of an Acer laptop screen flashing on and off without chasing ghosts.