DirectX Programs Flicker in Full-Screen Mode (821981)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

SYMPTOMS

When you run games or other graphically intensive programs in full screen mode, you may notice that the image on your monitor flickers or is unsteady.

CAUSE

This issue may occur when all the following conditions are true:

You have Microsoft DirectX 8 installed on your computer.
The program you are running uses DirectX.
The program you are running does not set a redraw rate.

When these conditions are true, the program may use a redraw rate of 60hz under some circumstances. A redraw rate of 60 Hz may cause some visible flickering or unsteadiness in your display.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, download and install the latest version of Microsoft DirectX. For information about how to download and install the latest version of DirectX, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.aspx

You may also be able to download the latest version of DirectX from Windows Update. To do so, visit the following Windows Update Web site:

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

MORE INFORMATION

To find out what version of DirectX your computer uses, run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. To do so, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type dxdiag in the Open box, and then click OK.
On the System tab, note the DirectX version listed at the bottom of the System Information section.

Modification Type:	Major	Last Reviewed:	8/21/2003
Keywords:	kbprb KB821981