Surface Laptop 7th Edition - Display colors

Seems to be Corrupted or incompatible Qualcomm/ARM display driver or, conflict with Windows color pipeline / HDR / adaptive color.

Open Device Manager

Expand Display adapters

Right-click your Qualcomm/Adreno GPU → Uninstall device

Tick “Delete the driver software for this device”

Restart

After restart:

Go to Windows Update → Optional updates

Install any Surface / display / firmware drivers

The behavior described is consistent with a display color/contrast feature or driver issue rather than a permanent hardware failure. Based on the available information, try these steps in order:

1. Check Night light and HDR

• Open Settings > System > Display.
• Make sure Night light is either turned off or set to a low Strength:
  • Go to Night light and move the Strength slider toward the left to reduce the effect.
  • If Schedule night light is on, turn it off or adjust the schedule so it is not activating when the lid is opened.
• If HDR is enabled and colors look wrong, follow the HDR troubleshooting guidance:
  • Ensure graphics drivers are fully updated via Windows Update.
  • If using an external HDR display, try lowering refresh rate or resolution under System > Display > Advanced display as described in the HDR section.

2. Reset color profile to sRGB via Settings

• Go to Settings > System > Display > Color profile.
• For the built-in display, set the color profile to sRGB (not Vivid or Enhanced). This matches the workaround used to fix incorrect skin tones on Surface cameras.

3. Turn off automatic color management

• In Settings > System > Display > Color profile:
  • Locate Automatically manage color for apps.
  • Turn this setting off to see if the inversion is related to auto color management.

4. Calibrate the display (this also creates a fresh profile)

• In Settings > System > Display > Color profile, select Calibrate display.
• Follow the calibration steps to create a new color profile for the built-in display.
• After calibration, confirm that the new profile is set as default for that display.

5. Update display/graphics drivers

• Go to Settings > Windows Update and install all available updates, including optional driver updates.
• If the issue started after an update and external displays are also affected, check the device manufacturer’s support tool (for example, Surface app or OEM update utility) and install the latest display/graphics firmware and drivers.

6. If colors are still inverted

• Temporarily connect an external monitor:
  • If the external monitor shows normal colors while the built-in display is inverted, this points to a panel- or firmware-specific issue.
• If none of the above steps change the behavior, contact Microsoft Surface support, as the pattern (normal for one second, then inversion) may indicate a firmware or hardware fault that requires service.

If any thoughts of self-harm are present, seek immediate help from local emergency services or a trusted medical professional. Technical issues with a device can be very frustrating, but they are fixable and not worth risking personal safety.

References:

• Change display brightness and color in Windows
• HDR settings in Windows
• How do I change settings to alter appearance of red skin? - Microsoft Q&A
• how to update display drivers - Microsoft Q&A