Graphical glitch in Word and Outlook (Office 365)

[Mussels]

Try this!

Good morning everyone,

I would like to offer my solution regarding this plague of an issue without you having to do anything crazy.

Please reply, like, and share this information if this has helped you.
Pass on the knowledge, just remember how long it had annoyed you.

Please note that I am running my Display Port 1.4 cable directly from the GPU to my monitor.
My specs are below, however, my quick fix is:

• right click desktop >
  • go to display settings
    • advanced display
      • choose a refresh rate
        • select 60hz (or the closest option that it lets you select, for example: 59.99hz).

I run my games in 360hz of course, but it's worth shooting down to 60hz when working / typing.

My Specifications:

• Monitor = ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN (scale = 100%, display resolution = 1920 x 1080)
• CPU = Intel i9 13900k
• Cooling = Custom loop
• Mobo =Z690 Aorus Ultra
• Ram =128gb ddr5 Corsair Dominator Platinum 5600mhz
• GPU = RTX 3080 TI Aorus Extreme
• PSU = EVGA 1300G2 (1300w 80plus Gold)
• Storage = x4
  • 1tb PNY XLR8 CS3140
  • 1tb Samsung 980 Pro
  • 2tb WD Blue
  • 14tb Seagate BarraCuda Pro

Could you confirm what else changes at 60Hz - is it 60Hz at 8/10/12 bit colour, is it still in RGB mode, etc.

 

[CommanderZoomie]

Good evening! Here's a screenshot. Currently running 59.99hz, 8-bit, rgb, and turned it back to SDR.

I was able to test this on my 13900k/ddr5 that I listed last time and I'm currently testing out a Ryzen 5 5600/ddr4 but with my same 3080 ti.

Regarding my current results from both systems over a longer period of time, on average I just notice a few tolerable "glitches" per page.
Mostly just a single past character disappearing and reappearing (pretty sure it's the 2 character back from your current position while typing).
Maybe once or twice per page it'll do that weird scrabble-matrix thing (1-2 sentences in width).

Stay tuned as I will be testing out a 13900k/ ddr4 build next, and afterwards I will be testing some other things.
If you guys are still having issues, please reply with:
1. What CPU you are using (ex: Intel 13900k, AMD 7950x3d)
2. What GPU you are using (ex: Nvidia 3080 ti, AMD 6900xt, Intel ARC a770, or igpu 13900k).
3. Type of cable and if connected to GPU or iGPU.
4. What version of windows you are using.
5. What version of word.

 

[Mussels]

Good evening! Here's a screenshot. Currently running 59.99hz, 8-bit, rgb, and turned it back to SDR.

I was able to test this on my 13900k/ddr5 that I listed last time and I'm currently testing out a Ryzen 5 5600/ddr4 but with my same 3080 ti.

Regarding my current results from both systems over a longer period of time, on average I just notice a few tolerable "glitches" per page.
Mostly just a single past character disappearing and reappearing (pretty sure it's the 2 character back from your current position while typing).
Maybe once or twice per page it'll do that weird scrabble-matrix thing (1-2 sentences in width).

Stay tuned as I will be testing out a 13900k/ ddr4 build next, and afterwards I will be testing some other things.
If you guys are still having issues, please reply with:
1. What CPU you are using (ex: Intel 13900k, AMD 7950x3d)
2. What GPU you are using (ex: Nvidia 3080 ti, AMD 6900xt, Intel ARC a770, or igpu 13900k).
3. Type of cable and if connected to GPU or iGPU.
4. What version of windows you are using.
5. What version of word.

View attachment 302803

Any chance you can test 60Hz as well, might need to use a different cable for it to work (DP vs HDMI vs DVI, etc)

 

[VDB]

Of course, still having this issue, because Microsoft has not yet become aware of this bug or fixed it.

CommanderZoomie, to answer your question... many various systems, all displaying the bug:

CPU: 13900k, 12900k (and others)
GPU: NVIDIA 4080, 3080, 3060 (and others)
Cable: DP, HDMI (even DVI)
Windows: 11 22H2, 11 22H1, 10 22H2 (and others)
Word: all versions since 2211 (currently 2305 16501-20228)

Again, none of these factors, including display or refresh rate, make any difference. The problem lies with Microsoft. After 10 months, this disastrous bug remains.

All hope for an ultimate solution rests with making Microsoft aware of this bug.

 

[Mussels]

Of course, still having this issue, because Microsoft has not yet become aware of this bug or fixed it.

CommanderZoomie, to answer your question... many various systems, all displaying the bug:

CPU: 13900k, 12900k (and others)
GPU: NVIDIA 4080, 3080, 3060 (and others)
Cable: DP, HDMI (even DVI)
Windows: 11 22H2, 11 22H1, 10 22H2 (and others)
Word: all versions since 2211 (currently 2305 16501-20228)

Again, none of these factors, including display or refresh rate, make any difference. The problem lies with Microsoft. After 10 months, this disastrous bug remains.

All hope for an ultimate solution rests with making Microsoft aware of this bug.

For some people, changing display settings DOES fix it

Can you list your displays, their refresh rates and colour depths?

 

[tabascosauz]

Of course, still having this issue, because Microsoft has not yet become aware of this bug or fixed it.

CommanderZoomie, to answer your question... many various systems, all displaying the bug:

CPU: 13900k, 12900k (and others)
GPU: NVIDIA 4080, 3080, 3060 (and others)
Cable: DP, HDMI (even DVI)
Windows: 11 22H2, 11 22H1, 10 22H2 (and others)
Word: all versions since 2211 (currently 2305 16501-20228)

Again, none of these factors, including display or refresh rate, make any difference. The problem lies with Microsoft. After 10 months, this disastrous bug remains.

All hope for an ultimate solution rests with making Microsoft aware of this bug.

For me, Reflex/Anti-Lag works pretty okay on 4070 Ti. The bug is not completely gone, but it's limited to a very short flicker every once in a while in Onenote (that looks like the entire typing text box is highlighted in black/white depending on background). Dunno if it's because Nvidia has an extra anti-lag setting over what AMD has (Reflex + Boost).

However, that did not do anything on any of my previous GPUs (2060 Super, 3070 Ti), which exhibited all the crazy text disappearing/scrambling itself every few minutes. Nor were any other "fixes" effective, changing refresh rate, disabling MPO, etc.

Now I have a Zephyrus G14 with the Radeon 680M/6700S, and the behaviour is similar to the 4070 Ti in that there is no disappearing text, but the huge black rectangle appears regularly over the text box, and text and cursor magically teleporting all over the page. Unlike 4070 Ti, it does not go away until I type something.

Pretty clear at this point that there is no "solution" aside from Microsoft hunting this bug down. And even if changing refresh rate worked, it's not a "solution". That would be akin to buying a 7900XTX, seeing that it has difficulty with power consumption while running multiple high refresh rate monitors, and claiming the bug is fixed by lowering all your monitors to 60Hz. It shouldn't be happening, and the solution isn't to handicap the monitors that you paid a pretty penny for.

 

[Mussels]

Googling for this is hell now, you get nothing but results for chat-GPT filled out pages with the same useless non-information, 95% of which the final solution is some random driver program

 

[Mussels]

Have people tried changing the default graphics option when using windows 11 (Or 10, if it has this)

I can imagine that final tickbox solving problems, as that disables the new MPO overlays and fanciness for windowed apps trying to run as if they were fullscreen, but on a per app basis

 

[tabascosauz]

Have people tried changing the default graphics option when using windows 11 (Or 10, if it has this)

View attachment 304760

I can imagine that final tickbox solving problems, as that disables the new MPO overlays and fanciness for windowed apps trying to run as if they were fullscreen, but on a per app basis

This doesn't make a difference, because it's the windowed VRR option in Graphics, but opposite and per-app. I think it pretty well established that either has not had any effect on both GeForce and Radeon, MS needs to fix Office

That said, whatever kit driver that Windows Update fetched by default that I'm running now seems to work a little better for 680M and dGPU. It is, however, a driver-only install and most likely very old, possibly not available outside Windows Update, and also no access to Anti-Lag is bad for other reasons. I will check. Still has support for windowed VRR, however.

 

[Mussels]

This doesn't make a difference, because it's the windowed VRR option in Graphics, but opposite and per-app. I think it pretty well established that either has not had any effect on both GeForce and Radeon, MS needs to fix Office

That said, whatever kit driver that Windows Update fetched by default that I'm running now seems to work a little better for 680M and dGPU. It is, however, a driver-only install and most likely very old, possibly not available outside Windows Update, and also no access to Anti-Lag is bad for other reasons. I will check. Still has support for windowed VRR, however.

I meant all those options and combinations thereof
The keys being:

1. Without knowing, it's possible the OS is throwing office onto someones IGP and having issues
2. That per-application tickbox could definitely help people, for the same reasons.

Maybe it's something like VRR being used off an Nvidia/AMD display, but glitching since the datas sent from an IGP that doesnt support VRR, or that refresh rate. Same applies for a dozen other theories like the MPO overlays, they only work for a single monitors output so it may have issues with content being rendered off screen on a secondary graphics card, and being shuffled over.

 

[tabascosauz]

I meant all those options and combinations thereof
The keys being:

1. Without knowing, it's possible the OS is throwing office onto someones IGP and having issues
2. That per-application tickbox could definitely help people, for the same reasons.

Maybe it's something like VRR being used off an Nvidia/AMD display, but glitching since the datas sent from an IGP that doesnt support VRR, or that refresh rate. Same applies for a dozen other theories like the MPO overlays, they only work for a single monitors output so it may have issues with content being rendered off screen on a secondary graphics card, and being shuffled over.

I have a MUX. And I have tested that checkbox in addition to the VRR in Graphics. And a VRR screen. 60Hz or 144Hz, iGPU or dGPU or switching. It's not the answer. And as 5800X3D owners we both know we don't have iGPUs.

The driver Windows fetched seems to be some Adrenalin from September 2022. Maybe Radeon does seem to have better luck than Geforce.

 

[Mussels]

I have a MUX. And I have tested that checkbox in addition to the VRR in Graphics. And a VRR screen. 60Hz or 144Hz, iGPU or dGPU or switching. It's not the answer. And as 5800X3D owners we both know we don't have iGPUs.

The driver Windows fetched seems to be some Adrenalin from September 2022. Maybe Radeon does seem to have better luck than Geforce.

It's such a complicated problem, the only clue seems to be that it's happening after these new rendering methods were added to windows
The whole DXGI flip "windowed optmisations" thing

 

[Aelthy]

Will this bug ever get fixed? I seem to encounter it on almost all my machines nowadays. It makes working for me almost impossible because it annoys the hell out of me.

 

[FSx3]

Indeed the topic died down completely also in Microsoft feedback forum and the Reddit threads. For me the Process Lasso workaround still works fine but the root cause still exists...

 

[mechtech]

Interesting........don't think I've ever seen that............on 2019 pro plus though

 

[Mussels]

I've seen mentions of flickering in other programs around the web, but no one ever comes back with more details so no answers yet.

 

[VDB]

Will this bug ever get fixed?

Aelthy, to answer your question...

It is now September of 2023. I never imagined this situation could possibly endure this long. Now, after one full year, I must reluctantly speculate that this bug may NEVER be fixed.

Updates have come and gone. Microsoft has boasted countless bug-fixes and new features. Yet through it all, this disastrous bug remains! All these many months later, Microsoft Office remains virtually unusable for the basic task of editing text!

Over the past year, I have contacted Microsoft fourteen times regarding this issue, and every single time (including recently), the representative had no clue what I was talking about. Apparently, Microsoft, even at this late date, remains completely oblivious of this bug.

This forum thread contains postings detailing a few temporary workarounds, which function to varying degrees for some users. But as for when an actual, permanent fix will occur, my best guess is: never. Some people believe this bug might finally be fixed with the release of Windows 12. Maybe. But I would place my bet on NO. Not even then. I hope I am wrong, but we shall see...

 

[Mussels]

Aelthy, to answer your question...

It is now September of 2023. I never imagined this situation could possibly endure this long. Now, after one full year, I must reluctantly speculate that this bug may NEVER be fixed.

Updates have come and gone. Microsoft has boasted countless bug-fixes and new features. Yet through it all, this disastrous bug remains! All these many months later, Microsoft Office remains virtually unusable for the basic task of editing text!

Over the past year, I have contacted Microsoft fourteen times regarding this issue, and every single time (including recently), the representative had no clue what I was talking about. Apparently, Microsoft, even at this late date, remains completely oblivious of this bug.

This forum thread contains postings detailing a few temporary workarounds, which function to varying degrees for some users. But as for when an actual, permanent fix will occur, my best guess is: never. Some people believe this bug might finally be fixed with the release of Windows 12. Maybe. But I would place my bet on NO. Not even then. I hope I am wrong, but we shall see...

The main problem is finding out what the cause even is.

We know its display related, and not Nvidia or AMD specific - but beyond that it's absolutely confusing as what fixes it for one person, is the cause for another.
The closest i've got is that it's related to MPO overlays, since people found that the bug went away on secondary displays (which dont support MPO) and without drivers installed (same again) - but then manually disabling it didnt' fix it for some users either.


We had frame rate limiters help some people as well as boosting 3D clocks on GPU's out of idle, so is it something in office itself refreshing really slowly? The overlay plane it's on? Something daft like cleartype or the fonts used? Hardware acceleration glitching out, as something else in the system uses it simultaneously?

 

[SebTs]

There might be a very promising fix I didn't think of in the beginning but one in our Reddit thread did:

Assigning specific cores via

• Start OneNote / Word / Outlook (using OneNote in this example)
• Windows Taskmanager => "Details" tab
• Right clicking "ONENOTE.EXE" selecting "Set Affinity"
• Assigning one or a few cores (0,1,2,4) and confirm

Doing this all my glitching goes away instantly. I will do further tests during the next days.

I really hope you can reproduce this, very curious!

I will do some test as I could not find any fix to this bugging issue (a lot of people mention hardware acceleration of display adapter driver updates but none fixed the problem for me).
Does anybody else had success with this tweak? Do you know if there is a way to permanently set the affinity to a single core for a given applications?

 

[Mussels]

I will do some test as I could not find any fix to this bugging issue (a lot of people mention hardware acceleration of display adapter driver updates but none fixed the problem for me).
Does anybody else had success with this tweak? Do you know if there is a way to permanently set the affinity to a single core for a given applications?

core/thread related tweaks may be CPU specific, like how the intel CPU's have differing support for features like AVX between P and E cores

 

[MikeL999]

Hi All... May be an old topic and/or there may be other fixes out there, but after spending 2-3 months trying different things trying to fix that graphical issue with Office 365... this worked for me... just wanted to share.

First... I'm running an AMD 5900X CPU and a Radeon 6950XT graphics card. I tried all the tricks... Disabled Hardward Acceleration... Set Application level power in Win 11... changed refresh rates... etc. Some improvement, but never solved it.

I then tried setting up an Application profile in AMD Adrenalin Software. Now, normally, this is only used for games and the driver leans towards only searching for games on your computer, but you can point it to a specific app. If you go to the Gaming section, then in your list of games... select the 3 dots on the right... and select "Add A Game...". It allows you to then use File Explorer to navigate to a specific App. I found my Office 365 Apps in: /Program Files/MIcrosoft Office/root/Office 16. In that directory was all the Office apps from their original location. I selected OUTLOOK and then Save... it will add that app in your list of games. I then select the Outlook Profile and changed the Graphics Profile just for this app to "Quality" (This is for this app only... won't affect your other games). Closed everything up and relaunched Outlook... and no more graphical issues.

Basically did the same thing for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.... all of which I had issues... now, all of them are fine.

I don't have Nvidia... so not sure if/how that would work... but hopefully this helps folks out there. Good luck!

 

[Mussels]

Hi All... May be an old topic and/or there may be other fixes out there, but after spending 2-3 months trying different things trying to fix that graphical issue with Office 365... this worked for me... just wanted to share.

First... I'm running an AMD 5900X CPU and a Radeon 6950XT graphics card. I tried all the tricks... Disabled Hardward Acceleration... Set Application level power in Win 11... changed refresh rates... etc. Some improvement, but never solved it.

I then tried setting up an Application profile in AMD Adrenalin Software. Now, normally, this is only used for games and the driver leans towards only searching for games on your computer, but you can point it to a specific app. If you go to the Gaming section, then in your list of games... select the 3 dots on the right... and select "Add A Game...". It allows you to then use File Explorer to navigate to a specific App. I found my Office 365 Apps in: /Program Files/MIcrosoft Office/root/Office 16. In that directory was all the Office apps from their original location. I selected OUTLOOK and then Save... it will add that app in your list of games. I then select the Outlook Profile and changed the Graphics Profile just for this app to "Quality" (This is for this app only... won't affect your other games). Closed everything up and relaunched Outlook... and no more graphical issues.

Basically did the same thing for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.... all of which I had issues... now, all of them are fine.

I don't have Nvidia... so not sure if/how that would work... but hopefully this helps folks out there. Good luck!

Useful information - can you screenshot the particular setting you mean?

 

[MikeL999]

My games are a bit of a mix of stuff with my kids... don't judge me there... hahaha.

Here is the directory on where I found the original (non-shortcut) MS Office 365 Apps

Once it's setup... when you click on it to make a specific profile... I just used the "Quality" setting with no other changes.... that seemed to do the trick for me.

 

[Mussels]

Thank you

We have another thread on a possibly related issue over here

Youtube, Discord, Visual Studio Code are flickering with black checkered squares/vertical lines. Partial solutions to this issue.

First of all, I would like to say why I made this post. My initial goal is, of course, to help other people with this problem. There is already a similar post about artifacts, but in that post there are two different problems that are not related to each other and appeared at different times, so...

www.techpowerup.com

And your post/images will be helpful to that group, too

 

[rwilsond]

I don't see any updates on this forum since October, and just realized that it has probably been a few months since I last noticed any 'glitching' on my PC with an NVIDIA graphics card when using Word & Outlook. I had sort of forgotten about it and now wonder if it quietly went away because of one of the numerous tweaks I made all over my PC months ago trying to fix it or what. Did this issue finally go away on its own or is it still around or what?