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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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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
    2017-07-29T14:53:50+00:00

    Thanks a lot for the info. I am definitely mad about what they said when "the majority of the Surface Pro 4 users do not experience flickering screen." That means they are ignoring us completely, the minority, and waiting for other users to experience this issue. Microsoft should have known that the power of mouth is powerful enough to destroy their products and reviews.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-07-29T18:11:26+00:00

    Whilst generally very happy with my Surface Pro4, I am also getting this screen flickering on a more frequent basis rendering the machine virtually unusable when it occurs.

    I use my SP4 daily for work and now am at the point that this issue is affecting my work and feel I have little choice but to replace the SP4..... and I will not be purchasing another Surface.....

    It is real shame as the SP4 would be an ideal piece of kit if this flickering were not occurring.

    Please Microsoft, acknowledge this issue exists and advise when we can expect a fix.... the reputational damage this issue is causing should not be under-estimated.

    Thanks

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-07-30T00:21:49+00:00

    I have my SP4 screen flickering problem fixed recently and wanted to share my experience with you in the hope that what I did might somehow help you resolve yours.

    I posted my problem on 7/17/2017, "MS Surface Pro 4 display flickering - when will it be resolved by MS?"  MS Support informed me to follow this link to troubleshoot, which I did. And I uninstalled iCloud for Windows and updated my display adapter software as a result. Although the actions I took did not work right away, I noticed that 2 days later, after a couple of reboot, my SP4 no longer flickers. And it has been working perfectly well since then (7/26). Best of luck to you all!

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-07-30T03:10:30+00:00

    Have you tried testing it by running heavy load program? If you only use for few hours and take a light task for sp4, then the problem might be still there. If not, this might be a solution. I don't really know how you did it but I do not install iCloud on my laptop. When I contacted Microsoft Support, they have numerously uninstalled and updated the display adapter software.

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