| Issue | Severity | Estimated Fix Time |
|---|---|---|
| AWS EC2 Screen Refreshing/Flickering | Moderate to High | 10 – 15 Minutes |
What is AWS EC2 screen refreshing constantly?
AWS EC2 screen refreshing constantly is a display glitch where the remote desktop (RDP) or browser-based Instance Connect session repeatedly blinks or reloads. This is typically caused by incompatible display resolutions, network latency, or outdated graphics drivers on the instance.
Step-by-Step Solutions to Fix EC2 Screen Flickering
1. Optimize RDP Experience Settings
If you are using a Windows instance via RDP, the flickering often stems from high-bandwidth features. Adjusting the “Experience” settings can stabilize the connection immediately.
Open your Remote Desktop Connection client and click “Show Options.” Navigate to the “Experience” tab and select “Low-speed broadband” from the dropdown menu to disable menu animations.
2. Update AWS Graphics Drivers (G-type Instances)
For GPU-accelerated instances like G4dn or G5, outdated NVIDIA GRID drivers are the primary culprit. Ensure your drivers match the AMI version used.
# Check the status of your NVIDIA drivers
nvidia-smi
# If drivers are missing, download the latest AWS-optimized GRID driver
aws s3 cp s3://ec2-windows-nvidia-drivers/latest/ . --recursive
3. Adjust Browser Hardware Acceleration
When using AWS Instance Connect or Fleet Manager in a browser, hardware acceleration can cause the “refreshing” loop. This happens because the browser struggles to render the virtual stream.
Go to your browser settings (Chrome or Edge) and search for “Hardware Acceleration.” Toggle this setting to “Off” and restart your browser to see if the flickering stops.
4. Reconfigure MTU Settings
Network packet fragmentation can cause the screen to drop and refresh rapidly. Reducing the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) helps the network handle RDP traffic more efficiently.
# View current MTU settings on Linux
ip link show
# Set MTU to 1350 to prevent packet fragmentation
sudo ip link set dev eth0 mtu 1350
5. Disable Persistent Bitmap Caching
RDP uses bitmap caching to improve performance, but corrupted cache files lead to constant screen refreshes. Disabling this forces the client to redraw the screen correctly.
In your RDP client, go to the “Experience” tab. Uncheck the box labeled “Persistent bitmap caching” and reconnect to your AWS EC2 instance.