FREEZING, FLICKERING MONITOR

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FREEZING, FLICKERING MONITOR

Every time I try and play any type of game (on FB or another site), my monitor blinks and then freezes. Any ideas on what's wrong and/or how to fix? Upgraded to Maverick about a month ago, but this is the first time this has happened in the 5 years I've owned the computer. Appreciate any help. Thanks!

Mac Pro

Posted on Mar 23, 2014 7:01 AM

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Answer 1

jeremy_v

Community Specialist

Mar 25, 2014 7:32 AM in response to Ernestine

Hi Ernestine,

Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.

You may find these troubleshooting steps helpful if your display is flickering intermittently:

Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1573

No video or no signal, image distortion, "snow," or flickering

Check connections

When using an external display be sure to check the following:

If you're using an Apple notebook, confirm the AC power cable or adapter is securely connected to the computer and the cable providing power to the display is also secure. It is always good to have your notebook connected to AC power when an external display is in use.

Confirm display adapters are fully seated in their respective connections and that they are supported models and for the computer and display. Refer to these articles to assist you with adapter compatibility and further configuration information:

Monitor and Display Adapter Table

About Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapters

Apple Mini DisplayPort adapters: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Remove all display cable extenders, KVM switches, or other like devices and retest to determine if the issue is resolved.

Try unplugging the video adapter or cable and then plug it back in.

If more than one video adapter is in use (or "daisy-chained"), troubleshoot by using only one adapter.
Example: A mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter connected to a DVI to HDMI adapter is an unsupported configuration because there is a series of adapters in use.

If available, try using a different display and or adapter (or use a different connector by using DVI instead of VGA, for instance).

Reset the systemYou can reset the Mac's parameter RAM and SMC.
Reset the resolution
Start by resetting the Mac's parameter RAM. If the display does not come up, was previously set to an unsupported resolution, and still results in no video:

Start up in Safe Mode.

From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences.

Choose Displaysfrom the View menu to open the preferences pane.

Select any resolution and refresh rate that your display supports.

Restart your computer.

Best,

Jeremy

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