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Flickering in Safari

I have a MacBook Pro Mid 2010. It doesn't do it on any other app but Safari. The flickering is intermittent based on the content being displayed (I assume Safari is having issues displaying certain pages/images). I never had this issue before on this MBP in Snow Leopard or Lion. It appears to be isolated to Mountain Lion or Safari (running the latest version as of today). I run the exact same pages in Chrome and Firefox and there's no flickering, so this tells me the issue is with Safari. I don't know what is causing it and was wondering if anyone else had the same issues. Sometimes animated gifs get distorted, sections of the webpage don't appear correctly like broken up or just completely missing like I need to scroll back and forth to "fill" in the missing area. Again, only in Safari. Come on Apple!


I could easily ditch Safari for the other browsers, but it's nice to have my bookmarks synced with my other iOS devices.


Example: Going to http://quanticalabs.com/wp_themes/cascade/ and clicking around the different tabs/links causes Safari to flicker like crazy. This is the latest page I can recall of it doing this. It does it quite often on different sites.

Posted on Nov 9, 2012 4:43 PM

11 replies

Nov 10, 2012 6:23 PM in response to Community User

Please read this whole message before doing anything.


This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.


Step 1


The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.


Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. For instructions, launch the System Preferences application, select Help from the menu bar, and enter “Set up guest users” (without the quotes) in the search box. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”


While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.


Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?


After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.


*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.


Step 2


The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login.


Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:


  1. Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
  2. When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
  3. If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.


Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.


The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.


*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode.


Test while in safe mode. Same problem?


After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 1 and 2.

Nov 11, 2012 9:56 AM in response to Linc Davis

So far under Step 1, I can't reproduce the issue which leads me to believe it's something I have installed. Before going to Step 2. I'm going back to my account (non-guest) and wait for the issue to reappear and then start the process of elimination. Will update more when I get more time on the computer.

Jan 26, 2013 6:32 AM in response to Community User

I have the flicker on two computers now – since upgrading to OS 10.6.8.

Safari would flicker or rather have a somewhat slower redraw when using my Mac Book Pro on battery power. This does not happen when it is plugged in. OS 10.6.8

My MacPro was good until I upgraded the system to 10.6.8 It never had this problem with 10.5.

My iMac 10.6.8 does not have this problem.

So, one is battery, one has something to do with the upgrade and one is okay. Hmmmm.

Jan 26, 2013 10:16 AM in response to donkur

I never had this issue until Mountain Lion. Even after a clean install of MT on my MBP, I have this issue.


MacBook Pro

15-inch, Mid 2010

Processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory 8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

Graphics Intel HD Graphics 288 MB

Software OS X 10.8.2 (12C60)

Safari 6.0.2 (8536.26.17)

Flickering in Safari

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