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
    2017-03-06T06:37:06+00:00

    Does MS not offer a two year warranty in all regions? How can your warranty be expired on a device that's only been out for a year?

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-03-06T06:12:02+00:00

    I appreciate your response. My warranty is expired as of December. If this is a product defect, affecting multiple people, I could see a recall being my only recourse. That said, if it isn't a hardware issue then prioritizing a fix is going to take some convincing as the issue has been documented for some time. Regardless, getting an affirmative one way or another will let me know the best way to proceed.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-03-06T00:50:35+00:00

    I returned mine to the retailer (JB Hi-Fi) yesterday. Since I couldn't be without a PC, I've bought a replacement SP4 and it does not suffer the same fault. I think perhaps it's a combination of a firmware update and a specific batch of hardware.

    I had already reset my SP4 before I returned it so I'm not sure anyone is going to be able to reproduce the issue (they'll have to walk through the Windows setup process and then find a way to put some load on the device). It'll be interesting to see whether they replace it or just deny that it was a problem.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-03-06T00:37:54+00:00

    I posted earlier in this thread as was having the same issues.  Definately a hardware issue in my view.  I tried countless fixes posted over various forums, to no avail.  I returned mine under warranty and was given a new machine.  Not sure if it was refurbished or not but appeared brand new with a serial number a lot later that the defective machine.

    Went into a sore on the weekend (Harvey Norman) to check out the models on display and could see a flickering issue even on the display SP4.  Not good advertising for a product.

    Whilst the flickering issue is now not there on my replaced SP4, there is a "ghost touch" issue that I am experiencing with the machine which apparently is also a very common issue.

    You would think that after 4 generations of the Surface Pro these issues would have been ironed out.

    My advice to anyone reading this thread, don't waste your time tyring for a fix, get it replaced under warranty if your machine is still under warranty period.

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