There is no fix for this. It's a manufacturing issue. I've dealt with backlight bleed on my Surface Pro 3 and 4. In both instances an RMA was issued and the replacement while not perfect were better.
Surface Pro 2017 Backlight Bleed
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Anonymous
Question: Why isn't Microsoft acknowledging the new Surface Pro 2017 display backlight bleed defect and ignoring its customers after the launch of the product? When will they solve the problem? Because all of the units have the defect and replacing it at the Microsoft store is not a viable solution at the moment.
My new Surface Pro 2017 core i7 8GB (lot 1722) has backlight bleed on the whole bottom edge and left side of the screen. You don't normally notice it in landscape mode because the black taskbar hides it, but if you read a white background fullscreen article in portrait mode it's pretty obvious with one side of the screen being brighter than the other side.This light bleed is most noticeable in the colours blue and white and harder to see in black colours (which are usually used in backlight bleed tests).
The quickest way to test and see if your screen has this problem is to press CTRL+ALT+DEL and bring up the blue screen. On the bottom of the blue screen you should see a bright blue/white bar compared to the rest of the screen which is the defective light bleed. All the showcase models in the Microsoft Store I looked at had this problem. I have yet to see a new Surface Pro without this defect. Can anyone post a picture of their CTRL+ALT+DEL screen without the light bleed?
I think people who claim not to have it aren't looking close enough to notice it. Is Microsoft going to acknowledge this display defect and are they working on fixing it in future batches?
Also, if I wait more than one month to exchange my Surface Pro would I get a refurbished model or a new one? If they are going to give me a refurbished model I might as well just return this defective device and get a full refund. When we pay premium prices we expect premium quality. This defect would have been acceptable on a cheap tablet, but not a Microsoft product. Please fix the issue as soon as possible!
Tip: If you want to test your screen on different colours go to http://www.deadpixelbuddy.com/ and choose a colour then switch to fullscreen (win key+shift+enter on Edge or F11 on Chrome) and view the fabulous results and take a picture and post it here so we can prove that it's a universal problem.
I AM NOT THE SOURCE OF THE PICTURES BELOW, THEY ARE FROM REPLIES TO THIS POST OR REDDIT LINKS GIVEN BELOW. THE FIRST PICTURE (WHICH HAS BEEN USED IN TECH NEWS WEBSITES) BELONGS TOWALMART MARKETING TEAMUSER ON REDDIT! I HAVE ONLY GATHERED THEM HERE.
Subreddits discussing this topic:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/search?q=backlight+bleed&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=month
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6iji8k/surface_pro_2017_backlight_bleeding_survey/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6k94qe/just_bought_my_new_surface_pro_2017_i_might_be/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6jggz5/is_this_light_bleed/?st=J4X9C9Y6&sh=319ae1cc
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6jigz0/whats_your_surface_pro_2017_lot_number_any_issues/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6kv9ky/light_bleed_on_surface_pro_2017/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6i8lcz/backlight_bleeding_surface_pro_2017_i5_8gb/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6j8hau/picked_up_brand_new_surface_pro_i7_512gb16g_ram/
As you can see there are A LOT so do not deny the defect and claim it's a minor issue in a few models. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY MICROSOFT!
Edit: I just realized I posted the original issue as a discussion post and therefore it didn't have the requirement for it to be responded like a question, so I'm editing it so people can also click the "Me Too" button until we get an official/semi-official response from a Microsoft representative. I've also added more subreddits and pictures.
UPDATE (17/07/2017 11:25 AM GMT): The broken image links have been fixed.
**ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:**A lot of tech websites have reported the issue and especially used the first image in this post and attributed it to me. I must note that none of these images are mine and they all come from the reddit posts I linked below them. The specific top image is from the user WalmartMarketingTeam
Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen
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Anonymous
2017-07-18T22:33:29+00:00 -
Anonymous
2017-07-18T23:43:44+00:00 Then why doesn't the current Surface Pro 4 have it?
No, somewhere somebody (Microsoft design, display supplier, ...) made a mistake and they have to FIX it. The latest stock of SP4 is proof that it is a solvable problem. But you can't solve the problem if you don't even ACKNOWLEDGE it! Microsoft should either say
- We solved it.
OR
- We know about it and are trying to solve it.
This silence is very unprofessional and a betrayal of all their customers who went and bought this product and expect answers!
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Anonymous
2017-07-19T15:36:22+00:00 I have backlight bleed on my Surface Pro (2017) i5 8GB (lot number 1719) too.
When I complained, PC World (UK) tried to tell me that it isn't designed to be used in dim lighting conditions (where the defect is more apparent), as it's for productivity and not sold as an entertainment device, and for health and safety reasons it should only be used in the daytime - complete rubbish..!!
After going through Customer Support, I eventually got an exchange unit, still unacceptable light bleed in the bottom left corner and along the entire bottom, but less so than the first pictured below.
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Anonymous
2017-07-19T18:11:03+00:00 I am returning my right now.
I had the sp/sp3 i5 and i was trying to upgrade my sp3 i5 to sp2017 i5 256gb... Frustrated! I even posted pictures on my FB account... I loved the device... but I can't pay 1300usd on something that appears to be a Chinese mock off.
Please switch back to Samsung displays this LG sucks!
I am returning today after 3 days and I'll wait for Rev B.
BTW: I know that MSFT not even going to respond this... but all my 1000+ friends on FB will know about this issue.
Waiting for rev B.
PS:Until now the SP1 was the best well made device IMHO
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Anonymous
2017-07-19T19:32:16+00:00 Hi
I've bought Surface Pro i7/256/8 from Amazon on the 12th July, batch 1722, really bad screen with backlight bleed and dark band, it has been replaced. Replacement arrived today, batch 1724, very similar problem and I am sending it for refund. I will wait till September and hopefully later batch of devices will have no issues.
Microsoft please respond and clarify your position on the issue.