Surface Pro 4, Screen Flickering, Shaking

Anonymous
2017-01-19T07:47:47+00:00

Hi All,

Update: Flickergate is now having a forum to bring all affected users at a single platform to plan for resolvement of issue. Please join at

 https://forum.flickergate.com

UPDATE: Check FlickerGate.com for videos of the problem and to submit your own. 

I purchased SP4 device a few months ago and it was working fine for a month. Then I noticed that when the CPU is at its max, the screen flickers a bit. Investigating further revealed that it flickers even if it is setting idle. It does not flicker if at least one of the following thing is done:

  1. A video being played in browser 
  2. If I keep the touch screen busy by either taping it or keeping a finger on it
  3. If I use the touchpad
  4. If keyboard is used for typing

This resulted in making the device completely unusable while reading articles or ebooks. I am a developer, most of the time I have to read the code and to do that, I have to constantly keep a finger on the touch pad or the screen. I contacted surface support in October and November and was told that the developers are working on the patch. Looking at the updates the developers are pushing since then, I don't think anyone is even aware of the problem there. 

My previous support ticket numbers are:

 ***deleted personally identifiable information***

***deleted personally identifiable information***

Just wondering if anyone else had the same problem (and the fix) and if not, what's the procedure for the refund? I will rather go for a mac then sacrificing $2000+ for a dancing screen.  

Kind Regards,

Abbas

***Personal information deleted by the moderator. Please see the Microsoft Community Frequently Asked Questions for more information on how you can protect your privacy.***

Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen

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Anonymous
2018-05-11T17:59:00+00:00

Hey Everyone,

Creating the best products and experiences for our customers is our top priority.

We have heard your feedback and after careful examination, have determined that a small percentage of Surface Pro 4 devices are exhibiting a screen flicker that cannot be addressed with a firmware or driver update.

To support customers affected by this issue, we will replace eligible Surface Pro 4 devices for up to three years from the date of purchase, free of charge. If you believe your device is experiencing this issue, please visit our Surface Pro 4 screen flicker article for more details.

Bryan [MSFT]

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-02-07T23:40:26+00:00

    If we find where they are selling the item and really write a review for others to see and nit buy. Maybe that will make them take notice.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-02-07T23:32:41+00:00

    So, I had a three hour conversation with Microsoft Support over the phone yesterday regarding the flickering issue on my SP4. As you all can imagine, it didn't go very well. I gave them remote access to run some tests and ensure "all my drivers are up to date" (which they were). 

    I was then quoted $549.00" for a replacement device, or I could trade in my SP4 after an appraisal. Obviously, neither of these options was going to work, as I already paid over $2000 for this inane thing (like most of you, I'm sure). Anyhow, it seems like there is no sure-fire solution, looking at some of the comments posted previously. 

    I think the only option would be to wait until Microsoft actually addresses the issue and either recalls the defective devices or rolls out some amazing hardware fix.

    Sucks to be us.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-02-07T23:26:42+00:00

    Be prepared for MS to call your bluff because that's what they will do. They will not address this because they do not care 1 bit about their customers in the consumer space. This is a company that hates the fact that they have to still deal with even being in the consumer space. So be prepared to either stick to your guns and never buy anything from them again or cave in and buy more Windows devices in the future. MS knows that it is extremely hard for the normal person to completely change platforms and ecosystems so they don't feel the need to do anything to make things right. Notice how not even the Windows guys like Windowscentral and Thurrott are covering this. They extensively covered the previous issues with the SP3 and 4 as well as the Surface Book but they aren't going near this. It's interesting.

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