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7 Best Fixes for Windows 11 Desktop Keeps Refreshing
Are you frustrated with your Windows 11 desktop refreshing itself unexpectedly? Such abrupt refreshes can impact your productivity and computing experience. This could be due to a rogue app or malware. If your mouse button is stuck, try disconnecting it temporarily to narrow down the issue. If that doesn’t help, use the solutions below to prevent unexpected desktop refreshing in Windows 11.
1. Close Background Apps
You can begin by opening the Task Manager on Windows and reviewing the apps running in the background. Apps that excessively use CPU and resources may cause Windows to refresh intermittently.
To launch the Task Manager, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Then, on the Processes tab, review the CPU and memory usage for each app. If an app has high usage, right-click it and select End task. However, be sure to save your work before doing so.
Cloud storage apps like OneDrive and iCloud constantly syncing data in the background might be the culprit sometimes. Besides them, you can always close resource-intensive apps and restart them.
If you uninstalled apps or deleted files and folders, it may cause issues with the Windows 11 system files. To resolve this, use the System File Checker scan to replace those files with their cached versions.
Here are the steps:
1. Press Windows key + X to open the menu and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
2. Type the command: SFC /scannow and press Enter.
3. After completing the scan, a message will appear indicating if it was successful.
If the SFC scan doesn’t find any issues, you can try running a DISM scan instead.
Follow these steps:
1. Press Windows key + X and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
To review the provided text and eliminate redundant words or phrases, I will work on making it more concise and impactful by removing repetitive ideas and unnecessary phrasing while maintaining its integrity and tone. Here’s the revised version:
Step 2: In the console, run the following commands one by one and press Enter after each of them. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Restart your PC after running the commands above and check your desktop for continuous refreshing.
3. Change Power Plan
Similar to previous iterations, Windows 11 provides different power plans. Users fixed the desktop auto-refreshing issue by switching to a High-performance plan. Here’s how.
Step 1: Press Windows key + I to launch the Settings app. From the System tab, click on Power & battery settings.
Step 2: Use the drop-down menu to select Best performance.
4. Disable Windows Error Reporting Service
The Windows Error Reporting service detects and reports software errors to Microsoft. It can be problematic when the service malfunctions and uses up resources. To troubleshoot, temporarily disable the Windows Error Reporting service by following these steps:
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type services.msc and press Enter.
Step 2: Scroll down in the Services window to find ‘Windows Error Reporting Service’ and double-click it to open the Properties.
Step 3: Disable the Startup type by selecting Disabled from the drop-down menu and clicking Apply, then OK.
5. Update Display Driver
If there’s an issue with your display driver, your desktop icons may flash or the screen may flicker. To resolve this, update your display drivers by following these steps.
Step 1: Click the Search icon on the Taskbar, type “device manager,” and press Enter.
Step 2: In Device Manager, expand Display adapters. Right-click your graphics card and select Update driver.
From there, follow the on-screen instructions to update the Display drivers.
The presence of Malware or viruses can cause Windows 11 to misbehave and force it to refresh automatically. To rule this out, run a full system scan with Windows Defender or an antivirus program, and check if the issue is resolved.
7. Try Clean Boot
If you can’t keep Windows 11 desktop from refreshing, third-party apps or services running in the background might be the cause. One way to check is by performing a clean boot.
Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type msconfig.msc, and press Enter.
Step 2: Under Services tab, mark the box that reads Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all. That will disable all third-party and non-system services on your PC.
Step 3: Now go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
Step 4: Startup, select unwanted programs and click Disable. Only disable apps, not essential services.
When your PC restarts, only essential apps and services will boot. If the issue no longer exists in the clean boot state, you can check recently installed apps and programs and remove them.
To boot in normal mode again, enable all Startup apps, services, and reboot your PC.
Refreshing In Every Sense
Random refreshes can cause your desktop screen to flicker and increase CPU and memory usage. However, one of the solutions mentioned above could help you restore normal functionality on Windows 11.
As Fred Humiston, the author behind Twothirds.us, I focus on providing practical and easy-to-follow guides and solutions for a variety of technical issues that people commonly face.
My articles cover a wide range of topics, from troubleshooting out-of-sync audio on TikTok and managing Firestick devices, to understanding the impact of Capcut on video quality and resolving sound issues on Hisense Roku TVs.
I also delve into more general tech tips, like how to block numbers on landlines or use VPNs without Wi-Fi. My goal is to make technology more accessible and less intimidating for everyone, whether you’re a tech novice or a seasoned user. I strive to offer clear, concise, and helpful advice to make your digital experience smoother and more enjoyable.