Fixing Screen Tearing in Chrome & Firefox while Scrolling

In this article, we will explore effective solutions to resolve screen tearing issues experienced in Chrome and Firefox browsers during scrolling.

Understanding Screen Tearing

Screen tearing is a common issue that can occur while scrolling in Chrome and Firefox. It happens when the frames being displayed by your computer’s graphics card don’t sync up with the refresh rate of your monitor. This can result in a noticeable horizontal line appearing on the screen.

To fix screen tearing in Chrome and Firefox, follow these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox and type “chrome://flags” or “about:config” (without quotes) in the address bar, respectively.
2. Search for “hardware acceleration” in the search bar on the flags or config page.
3. Disable hardware acceleration by clicking on the toggle switch or setting it to “false”.
4. Restart your browser for the changes to take effect.

If the issue persists, you can try the following:

1. Update your graphics card drivers. Check the manufacturer’s website for the latest drivers and install them.
2. Adjust your monitor’s refresh rate. Right-click on your desktop and select “Display settings” (Windows 10) or “Screen resolution” (Windows 8.1 and earlier). Go to the “Advanced display settings” or “Advanced settings” and choose a higher refresh rate if available.
3. Disable unnecessary browser extensions or plugins that may be causing conflicts.
4. Clear your browser cache and cookies.
5. Close any unnecessary programs or tabs while scrolling.

Fixes for Screen Tearing in Chrome and Firefox

1. Disable Hardware Acceleration:
   • In Chrome:
   • Click on the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
   • Select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
   • Scroll down and click on “Advanced” to expand advanced settings.
   • Under the “System” section, toggle off the “Use hardware acceleration when available” option.
   • Close and relaunch Chrome for the changes to take effect.
   • In Firefox:
   • Click on the three-line menu icon in the top-right corner.
   • Select “Options” from the drop-down menu.
   • Click on “General” in the left sidebar.
   • Scroll down to the “Performance” section.
   • Untick the box next to “Use recommended performance settings”.
   • Uncheck the “Use hardware acceleration when available” option.
   • Restart Firefox to apply the changes.
2. Disable Smooth Scrolling:
   • In Chrome:
   • Type “chrome://flags” in the address bar and press Enter.
   • Search for “Smooth Scroll” using the search bar on the Flags page.
   • Disable the “Smooth Scrolling” option by selecting “Disabled” from the drop-down menu.
   • Click on the “Relaunch” button that appears at the bottom of the page to restart Chrome.
   • In Firefox:
   • Type “about:config” in the address bar and press Enter.
   • Click on the “I accept the risk!” button to proceed.
   • Search for “general.smoothScroll” using the search bar.
   • Double-click on the “general.smoothScroll” preference to set it to “false”.
   • Restart Firefox to save the changes.
3. Update Graphics Drivers:
   • Go to the website of your graphics card manufacturer (e.g., NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).
   • Find the “Drivers” or “Support” section.
   • Enter your graphics card model and operating system.
   • Download the latest drivers for your graphics card.
   • Install the downloaded drivers and follow the on-screen instructions.
   • Restart your computer to complete the driver installation.

Adjusting Display Settings and Graphics Drivers

Adjusting the display settings and graphics drivers can help fix screen tearing issues while scrolling in Chrome and Firefox. Follow these steps to adjust your settings and drivers:

1. Update your graphics drivers: Visit the website of your graphics card manufacturer (such as NVIDIA or AMD) and download the latest drivers for your specific graphics card model. Install the drivers and restart your computer.

2. Open the Control Panel: In Windows 10, right-click the Start button and select “Control Panel.” In Windows 8.1, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap “Search,” and enter “Control Panel.”

3. Adjust display settings: In the Control Panel, click on “Appearance and Personalization” and then “Display.” Select “Adjust resolution” or “Change display settings” and ensure that your screen resolution matches the recommended setting for your monitor.

4. Adjust graphics settings: In the Control Panel, click on “Hardware and Sound” and then “Device Manager.” Expand the “Display adapters” category, right-click on your graphics card, and select “Properties.” In the properties window, go to the “Driver” tab and click on “Update Driver.” Follow the on-screen instructions to update your graphics driver.

5. Adjust browser settings: In Chrome, type “chrome://flags” in the address bar and press Enter. Search for “Override software rendering list” and enable it. Restart Chrome.

6. Test the changes: Open a web page or video that previously experienced screen tearing and check if the issue is resolved. If not, try adjusting the settings further or seek additional troubleshooting advice from resources like Reddit or official support forums.

Disabling Hardware Acceleration and Smooth Scrolling

1. In Google Chrome, click on the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner and select “Settings.”
2. Scroll down and click on “Advanced” to reveal more settings.
3. Under the “System” section, toggle off the “Use hardware acceleration when available” option.
4. Restart Chrome for the changes to take effect.

In Firefox:

1. Open Firefox and type “about:preferences” in the address bar.
2. Scroll down to the “Performance” section.
3. Uncheck the box next to “Use recommended performance settings.”
4. Scroll further down and uncheck the box next to “Use hardware acceleration when available.”
5. Restart Firefox for the changes to apply.

Disabling hardware acceleration and smooth scrolling can help alleviate screen tearing issues by reducing the workload on your computer’s graphics processing unit (GPU). This can be especially helpful when scrolling through websites with high frame rates or viewing videos.