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: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2017-09-10T14:16:57+00:00

    Has anyone had the screen shaking effect when the device is still in cold state? In the recent past, the flickering occurred when the SP4 heated up a bit while watching a video or during a long skype video call. Today, the screen shaking started by just opening a  pdf document which turns the device completely useless.

    I started a conversation with a MS collaborator who suggests me to do a full reset before proceeding to a replacement. I have always avoided the full reset because it's painful to install and customize everything again and it seems that it doesn't solve the problem. This time I am going to do it as I have to when I'll go for the replacement. I just fear that the SP4 they will send is worse for not being brand new.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2017-09-10T10:17:41+00:00

    Did you clean the screen with something special or just wiped it with a soft cloth?  Because I've wiped my screen several times and the problem still exists on both SP4s in my home.

    Maybe you don't have the same problem.  This is a very, very deep and annoying problem; one that Microsoft should recall the SP4s. 

    Very early I had issues with SP4.  This is simply not a good product at all.  Time for Microsoft to recall man.  Apple would never have allowed this string of complaints to go on like this.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2017-09-08T04:08:54+00:00

    I have had this problem several times, what sorted it out fore me was simply just to clean the screen :)

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2017-09-07T20:46:30+00:00

    It's a hardware issue. Please read through the previous forum comments and experiences, including this recent post from he 8th of September -

    "To confirm if this is software or hardware related, I tried booting into the boot menu since that is independent of OS. It occurs there as well, at the same rate."

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments