Answer

MSI recommends installing the Intel Graphics Driver released on the MSI website, since this customized driver includes optimizations and stability adjustments specific to MSI notebooks. If the display turns black or flickers after updating to the latest generic Intel Graphics Driver from Intel's website, the customized Intel Graphics Driver released on the MSI website should be reinstalled to resolve the issue. Refer to the instructions below for two ways to resolve this: rolling back to the MSI customized driver, or continuing to use the generic driver with a registry patch applied.

This article applies to MSI notebooks that use an Intel processor.

 

Method 1: Roll Back to the Intel Graphics Driver Released on the MSI Website

1. If the display is black or continuously flickering and the notebook cannot be operated normally, connect an external monitor, or boot into Windows Safe Mode using the steps below.

   A. Restart the notebook, and press “F3” (or “Fn” + “F3” on some models) as soon as the MSI logo appears.

   B. Select “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Startup Settings”.

    C. Click “Restart” to reboot the system.

    D. When the system reboots into the Startup Settings screen, press the “4” key on the keyboard to start in Safe Mode. 

2. Go to the MSI website, open the notebook's product page, and find the customized Intel Graphics Driver under the “Support” tab.

Note: Search using the notebook's exact model name, since the customized Intel Graphics Driver differs by model.

3. Reinstall the Intel Graphics Driver through the DDU tool.

    Reference: https://www.msi.com/faq/faq-3267

 

Method 2: Apply the Registry Patch to Use the Latest Generic Intel Graphics Driver

1. If the display is black or continuously flickering and the notebook cannot be operated normally, connect an external monitor, or boot into Windows Safe Mode using the sub-steps under Method 1, Step 1.

2. Download the Intel Graphics Driver registry patch from the link in “Extended Reading” below, and extract the downloaded file to the desktop.

3. Double-click the extracted “.reg” file to apply the registry patch.

4. Restart the notebook.

Note: The system's performance and stability cannot be guaranteed when using the generic Intel Graphics Driver downloaded from the Intel website instead of the MSI customized version. If problems occur after updating to the generic driver and applying the registry patch below, MSI still recommends rolling back to the customized Intel Graphics Driver using Method 1 above.

 

 

Common Questions (Q&A)

What causes the display to turn black or flicker after updating the Intel graphics driver?

The customized Intel Graphics Driver released on the MSI website includes optimizations and compatibility adjustments specific to MSI notebooks. Installing the generic Intel Graphics Driver from Intel's website instead can create a mismatch with the notebook's display configuration, which may cause the screen to turn black or flicker.

Why does MSI recommend the customized driver instead of the latest generic driver from Intel?

The customized Intel Graphics Driver on the MSI website is validated against each notebook model's display hardware and firmware, so it is more likely to remain stable. The generic driver from Intel's website is not validated against MSI-specific hardware, so MSI cannot guarantee its performance or stability on MSI notebooks.