Question:

What is the cause and solution for the red artifacts that appear on my screenshots? My device has been displaying these irregular red marks on the captured images, and I do not know how to fix it.

Answer:

How to Fix Red Artifacts on Screenshots

If you have ever encountered red artifacts or distortions on your screenshots, you might be wondering what is causing them and how to fix them. In this article, we will explain the possible causes and solutions for this problem.

Red artifacts are irregular red marks that appear on the captured images of your screen. They can look like dots, lines, scribbles, or other shapes. They are usually attached to the windows of applications, and they move with them. They are more noticeable during animations, such as when you are moving a window around on your screen, or when you are playing a game.

Red artifacts are not present on the actual display of your screen, but only on the screenshots. This means that they are not caused by a physical defect of your monitor, but by a software issue.

What causes red artifacts on screenshots?

There are several possible causes for red artifacts on screenshots, such as:

• A faulty or outdated graphics driver. The graphics driver is the software that communicates with your graphics card and your monitor. If the driver is corrupted, incompatible, or outdated, it can cause errors in the rendering of the images on your screen, and thus produce artifacts on the screenshots.
• A wrong monitor refresh rate. The refresh rate is the number of times per second that your monitor updates the image on the screen. If the refresh rate is too high or too low for your monitor, it can cause synchronization issues between the monitor and the graphics card, and thus create artifacts on the screenshots.
• A hardware limitation or overheating of the graphics card. The graphics card is the hardware component that processes the graphics data and sends it to the monitor. If the graphics card is not powerful enough to handle the graphics demand of your applications, or if it is overheating due to insufficient cooling, it can cause glitches in the graphics output, and thus generate artifacts on the screenshots.

How to fix red artifacts on screenshots?

Depending on the cause of the problem, there are different ways to fix red artifacts on screenshots, such as:

• Updating your graphics driver. You can check for the latest version of your graphics driver on the website of your graphics card manufacturer, or through the Windows Update settings. Updating your graphics driver can resolve any compatibility or performance issues that might cause artifacts on the screenshots.
• Adjusting your monitor refresh rate. You can change your monitor refresh rate in the Windows Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings > Display adapter properties > Monitor tab. You should select the refresh rate that matches the specifications of your monitor, or the highest refresh rate that your monitor supports. Adjusting your monitor refresh rate can eliminate any synchronization issues that might cause artifacts on the screenshots.
• Reducing the graphics load or improving the cooling of your graphics card. You can reduce the graphics load by lowering the resolution, quality, or frame rate of your applications, or by closing any unnecessary programs that use graphics resources. You can improve the cooling of your graphics card by cleaning the dust from the fans, vents, or heatsinks, or by adding more fans or a better cooling system to your computer. Reducing the graphics load or improving the cooling of your graphics card can prevent any glitches or overheating that might cause artifacts on the screenshots.

Conclusion

Red artifacts on screenshots are annoying and unsightly, but they are not a sign of a serious problem. They are usually caused by a software issue, such as a faulty or outdated graphics driver, a wrong monitor refresh rate, or a hardware limitation or overheating of the graphics card. You can fix them by updating your graphics driver, adjusting your monitor refresh rate, or reducing the graphics load or improving the cooling of your graphics card. By following these steps, you should be able to enjoy clear and artifact-free screenshots.