Help :( My surface pro 4 has horizontal lines across the screen!

Anonymous
2017-01-14T10:53:30+00:00

Hello. I'm having a problem with my Surface pro 4 lately.

my surface display screen has a horizontal line across the top of the screen when I use my Surface for a while (around 10-20 minutes without light usage like web browsing but 1-5 minutes for heavy usage like rendering or gaming) also the lines will keep appears more and more the longer I use it.

as you can see at the first and second picture, you can see multiple line across the top of my screen already. and when the screen has around 6-7 lines then the screen came to this.

![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/35c1c9e4-e66b-40e9-bc4a-c3bf72fdfc3b?platform=QnA)The whole screen has lines all over it and is has some desync display like this all the time. :(

seems like the more heat it has the more of this symptom appears. the only way I can fix it that I know right now is 1) turn of the device for a while then turn it on again 2) put it in a cool place like a fridge for a minute to cool down.

does anyone has this kind of problem like I have right now? also does anyone knows what causes it? and how to fix it?

Ive been into this problem for many months now and this surface pro 4 is my 4th (refurbish) replacement already. I wasted 7-20 days on waiting for each replacement and it ruined lots of my work schedule and my income which is terrible! Id love to sell it away just to buy other brand instead of struggling with this :(

and sorry for my English which isn't so good but I hope anyone will be able to give me an opinion or answer soon

thank you.

Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen

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Anonymous
2017-09-11T01:02:12+00:00

Solution: External cooling.

I was having the same issue, but today found the source. It seems the issue is either the internal cooling system is underperforming or the on-board graphics controller has gained increased sensitivity to heat.

For the first year of using my SP4, I had no such issue. I constantly monitor internal temperature and have never run hotter than mid-60s. Recently however after using my device for an extended period unplugged or a shorter amount of time while plugged in, the lines and screen desync occur.

I tested the heat damage idea by using my SP4 while plugged in for half of the day today. I watched videos, used the pen, and had multiple programs running with no screen issues. The key here is that I set up a desk fan to blow cold air onto the SP4.

So to prevent the lines and display desync, you need some kind of fan or external cooling for your SP4. I'd say start with a small/cheap USB fan, and if that isn't powerful enough move to something bigger. Be sure the fan is aimed at the top left corner of the back because that's where most of the heat localizes.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-12-01T09:47:07+00:00

    Dear Swaminath Jeyachandran

    Can you confirm what version of the OS you are running with which you are not having an screen issues?

    FWIW I am on version 1709 build 162.99.64

    TD

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-01T13:31:08+00:00

    Has anyone else found that when the screen starts to corrupt/ double image, if you unplug the charger that the screen comes back to normal after a few minutes?

    Also if you leave the charger in place but make the screen dimmer (Fn+ backspace) the screen goes back to normal after 2 minutes.   You can brighten with Fn+Del

    I have tried changing the resolution but that makes no difference

    TD

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-08T15:18:02+00:00

    Same problem on my i5/4GB/128GB SP4. I got three months of warranty left and send it in for repair (Netherlands). After a week I got it back, with a letter stating the warranty didn't apply because the device was damaged, the damage being a miniscule and barely noticable bending of the back cover/case in the upper-left corner. Something I had not even noticed myself since I never dropped it and it looks totally fine otherwise. After having complained about this the case has been escalated and I am waiting for a further response from Microsoft, but it looks like even a replacement of the tablet isn't going to solve this issue since it's heat related and all SP4's will suffer from it sooner or later. This will be the first and last Surface device I have purchased, that's for sure, despite me loving it. But the lack of reliability is killing the whole Surface brand. 

    I have noticed that unplugging the charger removes the dark horizontal lines after a couple of minutes, so I'll hang on to it and hope for the best.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-12-27T11:38:30+00:00

    Hey, so i have been having the same issue and its pretty new for my surface 4. Its been creating these lines for a week now. Seems to improve when i disconnect the charger after a few minutes. But i also get the screen desync at its worst. I was wondering what OS build you are using that you claim has resolved your issue. Would be really helpful to know.

    I am really disappointed in MS in their incapability in solving this issue. I have spoken to them on the phone and they want to charge me $30 dollars for advice on fixing an issue thats clearly dt their poor construction of the product or software issue. They sent me an email with a troubleshoot with some generic potential fixes, non of which worked, and they said that i should just buy a refurbished one for $500 which is maybe a $100 off the original refurbished price. Truly unimpressed with their customer service. One would hope that when you purchase a device for $1300 that you will get a reliable, dependable product, and if there is malfunctioning at least a customer service that can provide a fix or reasonably discounted replacement. Hope someone from MS will see this comment and try to figure out a fix since so many people are experiencing it. Looks like it been a problem for nearly a year now and no fix. Extremely unimpressed.

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