Weird shade with yellowish/grayish tint on the screen?

[b3]

I've been having this problem where a weird shade is cast on my screen when I open 'unmaximized' windows (Start menu, the tooltip when you hover over an item with your cursor, a small window etc.) and the shade is always aligned with the upper part of the window.
I used to think that my iGPU was somehow fried and that the shadow was related to it, but I dual boot with GNU/Linux I have never seen that happen there before. Also, I booted into the safe mode and uninstalled Intel Graphics drivers and the problem disappeared, only to appear right again when I rebooted back into Windows normally, because Windows automatically reinstalled the corresponding drivers for UHD 630.
Then I thought, if this is a driver issue maybe a clean install might help with it. I reinstalled Windows to no avail; clean install, nothing but a browser installed whatsoever. Same annoying shadow greeting me back again.
The problem persisting after a clean install and the fact that it wouldn't happen when I connect a second monitor through HDMI, which is connected to my dGPU, makes me think that it could be related to the iGPU itself, but then why would it go away when I uninstall the drivers and on Linux?
This keeps consistently happening from 1909 to 20H2 across many drivers.
(I think) I also narrowed the problem down to the iGPU's driver.
I reinstalled Windows again and the problem starts happening right after Intel drivers are installed automatically. I rolled back the driver using Device Manager and the device turned into "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter". No shadow. I updated the driver there, no shadow again. Restarted my computer, shadow came right back. Did the same thing (rolling back and updating) and no shadow. I tried disabling/enabling transparency, shadows, animations etc. yet nothing changed.

The shadow and the occasional flicker accompanying it is so subtle it's almost impossible to record it with an outside camera. Also it is inconsistent in a way so it is practically impossible to reproduce the tint again.

The image attached is a rare recorded example of the start menu casting a grayish shadow aligned with itself on the browser.

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello b3,  

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.   

In order to better assist you, please provide the following:  

1. Run the Intel® System Support Utility (Intel® SSU) to gather more details about the system.  

· Download the Intel® SSU and save the application on your computer: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/18377/25293/intel-system-support-utility-for-windows.html 

· Open the application, check the "Everything" checkbox, and click "Scan" to see the system and device information. The Intel® SSU defaults to the "Summary View" on the output screen following the scan. Click the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View".  

· To save your scan, click Next and click Save.  

2. Provide the Report for Intel® Graphics Drivers: 

- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005848/graphics.html 

3. Is this issue recent? If so, when did it start?

4. What is the model name of the monitors used?

5. How many times this issue happens?

Best regards, 

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[b3]

Hi Deivid A.,

1,2- I ran both of the tests mentioned and attached the results below.

3- I can't really pinpoint the exact time this started happening, but I recall having this issue since Q2 of 2020, so either April or May.

4- I am using a laptop and I don't have an external monitor that I use on the daily. 

5- This happens every 20th (maybe?) time I either right click, hover over an item to have the small context box appear, or open the Start Menu, so basically every time some visual element that is not full-screened is drawn over other processes (including the desktop). 

I am sorry for the vague answers, I know that this is making troubleshooting harder than it can be, but this is the only way I can explain such an equally vague issue. 🙂

Kind regards

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello b3, 

Before we continue further, I would like to confirm the following:

1. As a test, try to update the Windows version.

2. To replicate this issue, I will need a video. Please try to take a video of the issue that you have.

3. Is this issue present with Acer drivers or only with Intel drivers?

4. Have you reported this issue with Acer? This is to check if they have any known issues on their side. 

Best regards, 

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[b3]

Hello DeividA_Intel

Sorry for the late reply. 🙂

1- I haven't gotten the update for 21H1, but updating 20H2 to the latest build did nothing.

2- I have finally managed to record two videos of the issue happening with an external camera. Attached them below. The first video shadow_video.mp4 shows the shadow being drawn right above a small window, and possibly aligned with where the shadow of the window ends. The second video shadow_video2.mp4 vaguely shows the shadow going up aligned with the start menu again. It might be hard to see, but it is unfortunately there.

3- I am not sure what you mean by "Acer drivers", but installing the driver from Acer's support page (that is version 23.20.16.5018) also did nothing. 

4- No, I have not. I will be contacting them now reporting the issue to their support team as well.

Thank you

Kind regards

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello b3,  

Were you able to check the previous post? Please let me know if you need more assistance.   

Regards,  

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician  

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello b3, 

Thank you for the information provided 

I will proceed to check the issue internally and post back soon with more details. 

Best regards, 

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello b3,

Based on the research performed and having in consideration that both Acer and Intel drivers were installed and tested, I recommend you get in contact directly with Acer to confirm the following:

1. Check if the dedicated GPU is controlling the port of the external display.

2. Check if this is a monitor characteristic.

3. Check if they any known issue on their side.

This is because the issue persists no matter the drivers you use and it continues even after a Windows reinstallation.

Best regards, 

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician