Windows Start Menu Search UI flashing white briefly when opening


Webweaver

Webweaver

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OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2
Been having this issue on Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.4946. It was clean installed from USB on 8/12/2025.

Whenever I use the start menu and type in the search bar the search ui will sometimes briefly flash white before showing dark mode and the rest of the ui. I'm not sure how to fix this or if it can be fixed. I've also noticed it if I click on the search bar on the taskbar

Things I've Tried:

Updating graphics driver
SFC/DISM
Restarting DWM and Explorer from Task Manager
Reset Web Experience and CBS with powershell
Inplace Upgrade

It's not a huge issue as the search still works but it is driving me crazy. I'm not sure if it's the bug with Windows 11 Dark theme when it renders the light theme first then renders over it or what. File Explorer and Task Manager don't have this issue. I looked around online and I didn't see anyone else having this issue with the search menu.
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.4946
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    5800X3D
    Motherboard
    Asus B550-F Strix
    Memory
    64gb DDR4 3600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 3080
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Corsair 4000D
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
  • Operating System
    Linux Mint
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-4670K OC @ 4.2ghz
    Memory
    16gb DDR3
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 1080
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920x1080 VA panel
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    1x SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x
    Cooling
    Coolermaster 212 air cooler
    Other Info
    RIP Win 10 the 4670k is old but still strong.
Yes, this must be annoying but I can't reproduce the issue.
What I would try:

-Temporarily disable your current background and set it to the solid 'color' black.
- Restart system
- Once rebooted restore your previous background.

No guarantee here but it may be worth a try.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    All Branches but Release
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Nitro ANV15-51
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS 3200-4500 Mhz 8 cores x 2
    Motherboard
    Sportage_RBH
    Memory
    32 GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphic / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    AMD/Realtek(R) Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Integrated Monitor (15.3"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    FHD 1920X1080 16:9 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    KINGSTON OM8SEP4512Q-AA 1TB
    Western Digital 256GB
    PSU
    19V DC 6.32 A 120 W
    Cooling
    Dual Fans
    Mouse
    MS Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    Fiber 1GB Cox -us & 1GB Orange-fr
    Browser
    Edge Canary- Firefox Nightly-Chrome Dev-Chrome Dev
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Beta
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus X751BP
    CPU
    AMD A9-9420
    Memory
    8 GB of DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R5
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1 TB
No dice. This is what it looks like when it flashes briefly. Keep in mind this is like a 0.3ms white screen. Then it loads in normally.

example.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    5800X3D
    Motherboard
    Asus B550-F Strix
    Memory
    64gb DDR4 3600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 3080
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Corsair 4000D
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
  • Operating System
    Linux Mint
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-4670K OC @ 4.2ghz
    Memory
    16gb DDR3
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 1080
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920x1080 VA panel
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    1x SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x
    Cooling
    Coolermaster 212 air cooler
    Other Info
    RIP Win 10 the 4670k is old but still strong.
  • Sad
Reactions: OAT
Just fresh installed - Still have the issue. Might be just be a 24H2 problem. I can't really think of anything else that would cause it. Even If I DDU the gpu drivers it still happens.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    5800X3D
    Motherboard
    Asus B550-F Strix
    Memory
    64gb DDR4 3600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 3080
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Corsair 4000D
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
  • Operating System
    Linux Mint
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-4670K OC @ 4.2ghz
    Memory
    16gb DDR3
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 1080
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920x1080 VA panel
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    1x SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x
    Cooling
    Coolermaster 212 air cooler
    Other Info
    RIP Win 10 the 4670k is old but still strong.
Webweaver said:
Might be just be a 24H2 problem.
Click to expand...
Have you tried with a new user or administrator?

Code: 
net user administrator /active:yes
What do you mean 'fresh install'?
Is is a repair install or a brand new install?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    All Branches but Release
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Nitro ANV15-51
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS 3200-4500 Mhz 8 cores x 2
    Motherboard
    Sportage_RBH
    Memory
    32 GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphic / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    AMD/Realtek(R) Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Integrated Monitor (15.3"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    FHD 1920X1080 16:9 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    KINGSTON OM8SEP4512Q-AA 1TB
    Western Digital 256GB
    PSU
    19V DC 6.32 A 120 W
    Cooling
    Dual Fans
    Mouse
    MS Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    Fiber 1GB Cox -us & 1GB Orange-fr
    Browser
    Edge Canary- Firefox Nightly-Chrome Dev-Chrome Dev
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Beta
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus X751BP
    CPU
    AMD A9-9420
    Memory
    8 GB of DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R5
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1 TB
OAT said:
What do you mean 'fresh install'?
Is is a repair install or a brand new install?
Click to expand...
New install from a USB
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    5800X3D
    Motherboard
    Asus B550-F Strix
    Memory
    64gb DDR4 3600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 3080
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Corsair 4000D
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
  • Operating System
    Linux Mint
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-4670K OC @ 4.2ghz
    Memory
    16gb DDR3
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 1080
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920x1080 VA panel
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    1x SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x
    Cooling
    Coolermaster 212 air cooler
    Other Info
    RIP Win 10 the 4670k is old but still strong.
  • Like
Reactions: OAT
I know this is a Graphics issue. Since it happens in Search try Reindexing your Search Results
windowsloop.com

How to Turn On or Off Search Index in Windows 11

Search Index helps in the Start menu and File Explorer search. Here is how to turn on or off the search index in Windows 11 OS.
windowsloop.com windowsloop.com
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro Insider 64 bit 25H2 26200.5742
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Gigabyte Z390 UD
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 9700K 3.60
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z390 UD
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GEForce RTX 2060 Super
    Sound Card
    onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Two 27" Dell 4K monitors
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    M.2 NVME SSD, 500 GB; Two 2TB Mechanical HDD's
    PSU
    850w PSU
    Case
    Cyberpower PC
    Cooling
    Water cooled
    Keyboard
    Backlit Cyberpower gaming keyboard
    Mouse
    Backlit Cyberpower gaming mouse
    Internet Speed
    1 GB mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
Spunk said:
try Reindexing your Search Results
Click to expand...

Didn't work. I'm honestly just ready to chalk this up to a hardware/os combo problem. I saw the next insider build has a lot of changes to the start menu, maybe that will fix it. Although I'm 90% sure its the same issue that people were having with file explorer flashbanging them with the light theme while windows took its time to render the dark theme over it.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    5800X3D
    Motherboard
    Asus B550-F Strix
    Memory
    64gb DDR4 3600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 3080
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Corsair 4000D
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
  • Operating System
    Linux Mint
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-4670K OC @ 4.2ghz
    Memory
    16gb DDR3
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 1080
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920x1080 VA panel
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    1x SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x
    Cooling
    Coolermaster 212 air cooler
    Other Info
    RIP Win 10 the 4670k is old but still strong.
I am running 25H2 26200.5731 on the insider preview and it isn't that much different from 24H2. but maybe it will help out your situation?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro Insider 64 bit 25H2 26200.5742
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Gigabyte Z390 UD
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 9700K 3.60
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z390 UD
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GEForce RTX 2060 Super
    Sound Card
    onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Two 27" Dell 4K monitors
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    M.2 NVME SSD, 500 GB; Two 2TB Mechanical HDD's
    PSU
    850w PSU
    Case
    Cyberpower PC
    Cooling
    Water cooled
    Keyboard
    Backlit Cyberpower gaming keyboard
    Mouse
    Backlit Cyberpower gaming mouse
    Internet Speed
    1 GB mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
Suffering from the same issue over here. It usually happens if the Search menu isn't loaded into memory from what I've seen.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Laptop 15-cw1xxx
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx
    Memory
    8.00 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon(TM) Vega 8 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    LITEON CV8-8E128-HP (SSD)
    WDC WD10SPZX-60Z10T0 (Hard Drive)
    PSU
    Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery
    Case
    Proprietary HP Pavilion Laptop 15 shell
    Cooling
    Active Fan Cooling
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
    Mouse
    ELAN Clickpad
    Internet Speed
    35.50 Mbps download 23.44 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 24h2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple iMac "Core i5" 2.7 21.5" (Late 2012)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-3330S Processor
    Motherboard
    Ivy Bridge (LGA 1155)
    Memory
    8.00 GB DDR3 1600 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
    Sound Card
    Cirrus Logic CS4206B (AB 90)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic Monitor (iMac)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    APPLE HDD HTS541010A9E662 (Hard Drive 1TB)
    PSU
    Integrated
    Case
    iMac Aluminum Body
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    HP SK-2085
    Mouse
    Lenovo
    Internet Speed
    90.8 Mbps download 23.4 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Still seeing this issue with 26100.6584

​

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    5800X3D
    Motherboard
    Asus B550-F Strix
    Memory
    64gb DDR4 3600mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 3080
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Corsair 4000D
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15
  • Operating System
    Linux Mint
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-4670K OC @ 4.2ghz
    Memory
    16gb DDR3
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GTX 1080
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920x1080 VA panel
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    1x SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x
    Cooling
    Coolermaster 212 air cooler
    Other Info
    RIP Win 10 the 4670k is old but still strong.
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