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
    2017-05-05T02:55:02+00:00

    There seems to be two instances of this problem 1. where the shaking starts a few hours of use and 2. where shaking starts from cold boot and goes away after warming up. Your solution would only work in the second case but not the first.

    1st case seems more common and is obviously much more troublesome. Shutting down for 1-2 hrs for every 5+ hours of use just to get rid of the shaking is extremely inconvenient.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-05-05T03:54:30+00:00

    Its definitely not an issue relating to the fans. I have seen many reports of this occurring on m3 models as well, which do not have fans.

    And of course convection currents could never draw dust into an sp4 m3!!  And of course everyone knows that the flicker must have only one cause.  So it's definitely not an issue related to the fans.  Fantastic logic!!😋

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-05-05T13:23:12+00:00

    I feel compelled to relay what the true resolution was for this extremely annoying problem that put me out so much money!

    I tried it all on my own - completely reinstall OS, Reinstall video/display drivers / graphics card etc...  

    Finally I gave up after days of searching for solutions, installing stuff to troubleshoot.

    I finally put in a claim with SquareTrade (thank God I had it!) and they just returned back to me and after days of using it again, intsalling everything back - it works PERFECTLY.  

    Solution:  In the slip they gave me back it states that they replaced the DIGITIZER , then reinstalled OS again.  IT WORKS PERFECT NOW.  

    I hope this helps someone!

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-05-05T14:00:33+00:00

    That sounds interesting - I wonder whether this also means that deactivating the digitizer could prevent the flickering - not that this would actually be a real solution. Anyway, as a side note, are you sure that they didn't swap your device for a refurbished one?

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