MacBook Air screen flashing problem after start up

You may have to take the computer to the Apple store to have it checked out.

Try resetting PRAM.

Reset PRAM. http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405

Best.

Notice that Otis your desktop picture that is flashing. Menu bar and pop up dialog boxes seem fine. This suggests it isn't the screen itself. It is as if your settings in the desktop pictures is choosing between your picture and a blank grey screen. You can set it to change every few seconds. Sounds weird but maybe check your desktop pictures settings first and deselect the folder it points to. Dunno all I can think f.

Is there an Apple store nearby?

It looks like a software issue because the issue is limited to the administrator account.

Start up in Safe Mode.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455

Best.

Hope this helps.

1. Empty Trash.

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10677

2. Delete "Recovered Messages", if any.

Hold the option key down and click "Go" menu in the Finder menu bar.

Select "Library" from the dropdown.

Library > Mail > V2 > Mailboxes

Delete "Recovered Messages", if any.

Empty Trash. Restart.

3. Repair Disk

Steps 1 through 7

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5836

4. For more on this and very helpful tips:

http://pondini.org/OSX/DiskSpace.html

http://pondini.org/OSX/LionStorage.html

I have the exact same problem and I don't know what to do. So far I have re-installed the system three times but the problem comes back after a couple of weeks. It seems that the dock tries to come but is somehow blocked by the blinking wall paper. I have an early 2011 15 inch macbook pro with 10.8.5 installed on it but I was having a similar problem with 10.8.4. If anybody has any information, I would really appreciate any help ..... 😟

I think it is some kind of a glitch in the OS. Right now I am working on the same computer on a different admin account and it is fine but my main account which has all my data and apps installed has developed this problem.

You posted this problem in July and this is Sept. I am having this problem since July. Please tell me what you did with your problem.

You posted back in July. Hoping the problem is solved now, but just for reference, I have had the same issue and I think I found the reason. I had a lot of applications in my Dock. I just removed a few of them - just the ones I don't use too often. Now I only have 30. ;-) This seems to have fixed it. Changing the background picture made only a temporary difference. I noticed the flashing was not happening with other accounts on the same MacBook Pro, so it had to be something with the way the screen was set up.

Others have reported that reinstalling the OS fixes it, but that is a heavy way of reducing the number of applications in the Dock. Hope this does the trick.

Hi Evereyone,

I did a lot of research and found a solution to this problem and I don't have this problem now since September 2013. First of all, rest assured that this is not a hardware issue. This is a problem with the vulnerable nature of Launchpad. If you have any third party app, that interacts with Launchpad or Launchpad icons or the dock, you will have this problem. For example, if you are using any app to remove or organize icons from launchpad or if you are using any app to alter the appearance of dock, you might have this problem. You see the thing is, when you start your computer, the first things that start are the launchpad and the dock. Now I have discovered that these small third party apps interfere with the normal processes of the launchpad and dock. When dock and launchpad try to start, they have a conflict with these third party apps, the result is a blinking screen, because desktop is again related to the dock and launchpad. So the desktop tries to come along with dock and lauchpad but their intiation routines get stuck with these third party apps (which are actually trying to alter the dock and launchpad at the same time), resulting in a pretty much bad functioning computer with a blinking screen and no dock, sometimes.

Now, you might think. that unistalling such apps, reinstalling the system and restoring everything from time machine will do the trick but no, this is not it. Do the following to get rid of the issue.

1. Take a time machine backup.

2. Re-install the system. Do not restore from time machine but reinstall a clean system from internet.

3. Again, do not restore your data from time machine, instead re-install all the apps you need from scratch and avoid re-installing any third party app that interact with the dock, desktop or launchpad.

4. Restore your data/documents but not "settings" and "other files" from time machine using "migration assistant" in utlilitiies.

5. Your brand new system is ready. It might take some time but you will get a fresh system without any problem.

Hi doneamo, I had the problem intermittently. It seemed not to occur when the power supply was plugged in, so that is when I removed applications from the dock the conventional way, and that still seems to have fixed it. You are right - I don't know how to remove things from the dock any other way, but hopefully some clever person will figure it out before I do. :-(