Last two updates slightly incompatible with Windows 8.1, appearance of flickering black dots on the screen?
I'd say that last two updates; current version Firefox 32.0 have compatibility problem with Windows 8.1. My newly purchased laptop was working fine with Firefox until recently. About two-three days ago, while browsing; the black dots would flicker on the screen. At first I suspected pixel problem, but after testing same sites with IE 11, those black flickering dots did not appear at all. I tested it with Chrome, and no dots. Those black dots did not appear before on Firefox, only recently. Sadly, I'm very comfortable with using Firefox as I had been using this browser since 2005, but this compatibility problem is making it difficult, cause flickering dots can be annoying.
Modified by Malkavian
Chosen solution
What you describe has been reported before and it's almost always related to the graphics drivers. Firefox will use (by default) hardware acceleration to help speed up rendering etc. On certain graphics cards/driver combinations (mostly with Intel video) people have reported black dots. Disabling the hardware acceleration option usually clears this up.
Does it look like this: https://bug913419.bugzilla.mozilla.org/attachment.cgi?id=831738
Some other discussions for reference: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/974717 https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/856277
It's not limited to Win8.1 - it has been reported on Linux as well and the workaround solution there was to change the hardware acceleration method.. until the Intel video driver was updated.
Read this answer in context 👍 1All Replies (4)
That sounds a LOT like you've got graphics driver issues.
First, make sure you're using the latest updates for your graphics card.
Second, you can try disabling hardware acceleration in Firefox. Take a look at the steps documented here (in the section titled Turning off hardware acceleration): https://support.mozilla.org/sv/kb/upgrade-graphics-drivers-use-hardware-acceleration#w_i-still-have-problems-with-my-graphics-card-in-firefox
I guess I should have mentioned that I have recent graphic drivers. Not to mention, it's a little odd that black dots appear only in one browser, while they are completely absent from another. I've tested your solution with hardware acceleration and it nicely decreased, if not removed black dots, but I have a feeling that it got somehow slow. o.O Oh well...Mozilla can still learn a lot from each feedback and they can improve their products, despite new OS. Also, I cannot stress enough the problem Firefox has with Flash player.
Modified by Malkavian
Chosen Solution
What you describe has been reported before and it's almost always related to the graphics drivers. Firefox will use (by default) hardware acceleration to help speed up rendering etc. On certain graphics cards/driver combinations (mostly with Intel video) people have reported black dots. Disabling the hardware acceleration option usually clears this up.
Does it look like this: https://bug913419.bugzilla.mozilla.org/attachment.cgi?id=831738
Some other discussions for reference: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/974717 https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/856277
It's not limited to Win8.1 - it has been reported on Linux as well and the workaround solution there was to change the hardware acceleration method.. until the Intel video driver was updated.
It is possible to be related to graphics drivers, but since I have newest drivers installed, the problem appeared recently. There were no black dots before, only few days ago they started to appear. Now that I've turned off hardware acceleration - it does significantly fix the problem, but I can't shake off the feeling that Firefox got a bit slower. o.O Funny fact is that I have Intel HD graphics on this laptop. *shrugs*
And it doesn't look exactly like in the picture, but it's close to it. I didn't know that Linux has that same issue. I don't know anyone who has Linux. Heck, none of my friends have Mac. All of them are using Microsoft Windows. I had no other option but to turn off the acceleration. And I double-checked Intel site, no new updates for my graphics.
Thanks for your help. :)