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.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
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]

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

2,779 additional answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2017-05-06T00:02:07+00:00

    Well, from my situation this has been going on since I purchased the unit originally and also after a replacement which I assume was just a refurb, the situation continues and the system in not dependable. I travel a lot and hoped this unit would be a great travel system but it is totally undependable. I am going to dump it, eat the near $2K, never buy another Surface, and go with a laptop from another manufacturer I can trust. I have been waiting for a fix for well over a year. I have done all the suggestions posted but to no avail.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2017-05-06T11:26:35+00:00

    I'm always weary of sending things out and getting a refurb.  I made sure before I sent it that I had markings on it so only I would know if it was mine or not.  I also installed a decal wrap and I purposely installed it in an incorrect way to see if they try to reapply it.  It was definitely mine coming back to me.  Good thinking :)  

    Let me know if deactivating the digitizer works, that's good idea.  

    I swear, I'd be lost without  having squaretrade... i always get the latest and greatest of tech and that always results in taking risks on new hardware and I've had to use it more times that I want but NEVER have an issue or a loss.   

    I've been using my Surface now consistently and installed everything back and it's still working great.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2017-05-06T11:35:29+00:00

    Hi,

    I want to try this. Any idea how to deactivate the digitizer?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2017-05-06T12:21:05+00:00

    You can definitely disable the touch input, not sure whether the same also woks for the pen input/digitizer. For the touch, you go to the device manager, there you'll find a bunch of HID (Human interface) devices with different labels. One definitely works for the touch, one might work for the pen - haven't tried it so far. If it doesn't work, just enable it again.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments