- It seems that on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, some users are running into the issue of something like flickering when using Office and in particular the spreadsheet program Excel
- There are multiple causes that explain this erratic or failed behavior of Excel, so it is convenient to rule out the possible explanations of the inconvenience, until it can be solved
Since many users of the Microsoft spreadsheet program comment that they experience something like screen flickering while using it, we intend to find a possible way out of this annoying error or bug. Thus, along the following lines We review some of the possible solutions to the problem of flickering in Excel, frequent especially in Windows 10 and Windows 11 according to users who warn about it.
As there are many possible causes of this problem, there are also many possible ways to solve it, so we advise you to try the following procedures, in the order in which they are expressed.
Fix Excel flickering error or glitch?
Update Microsoft Office
The first thing you should do is check if you are using an outdated version of Microsoft Office. Whenever you confirm that this is happening, you should take a moment to update your version of Office.
Toggle hardware graphics acceleration in Excel
Some customers have been able to work around the issue by disabling Hardware Graphics Acceleration in Excel, while for others the way out has been to enable Limited Hardware Graphics Acceleration.
You have to check which is the configuration that best suits youtoggling through all available ones.
- Start Microsoft Excel
- Go to File, Options
- Select Advanced on the left
- Scroll down and locate the Display option
- Change the Hardware Graphics Acceleration checkbox
- Restart Excel and check its operation
Disable Dropbox in startup apps
Many people argue that Dropbox is the cause of this problem, so they don’t run it alongside Excel. Really, the drawback is that Dropbox starts automatically along with your PC.
You can close it and, if you prefer, go to Task Manager to set it to no longer start with your PC.
Turn off OneDrive sync for Office apps
The OneDrive sync feature for Office apps lets you work on Office files with other people at the same time. Sometimes problems with Office applications occur due to sync conflicts. In such a case, disabling OneDrive sync for Office apps may fix the problem. The following instructions will guide you through this process to avoid complications:
- Click on the OneDrive icon on the Taskbar
- Click on the gear-shaped icon in Settings
- Select Office, and uncheck the box for Use Office apps to sync Office files…
- Click OK, start Excel and check its operation
Change your default printer
Try changing the default printer, and then check if this resolves the issue. If you have allowed Windows to manage your default printer, you won’t be able to change the default printer until you turn off the “Let Windows manage my default printer” option, so rate it. You’ll have to disable that option and modify the default printer, and see if Excel responds well.
Troubleshoot Excel in safe mode
As some Excel add-in may be the culprit of this kind of flickering, they will have to be discarded. To do so, you can delete them one by one, but our recommendation is that you use Office in Safe Mode. Thanks to the Safe Mode of Office, the add-ins are disabled, and let you know if that is the obstacle.
If indeed the problem is in the plugins, you must enable and disable them one by oneout of safe mode, until you can determine which one is causing the spreadsheet software to crash.
Set the same scale and layout on all your screens
This solution is for users experiencing the problem on your second screen, but not on the first. Recall that Windows 10/11 allows us users to set different screen scaling levels for different screens, and if we select different settings, that can crash the system.
In short, set the same scale and layout on all monitors you’re using.
Update your graphics card driver
One possible cause of the problem is a damaged or outdated graphics card driver. If this is the case for you, updating your graphics card driver may cause Excel to stop flashing. When we say update a driver in Windows 10/11, you can follow any of the known methods.
For us, the simplest way to do it is check for Updates from the Windows Taskbar. Whenever they are available, you have to update the drivers to rule out that inconvenience.
Repair Microsoft Office
If none of the above has worked, it is likely that your Office is damaged and that, then, you have no choice but to uninstall it and reinstall itwhich will put an end to any erratic or failed behavior.
