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
    2017-03-13T15:05:23+00:00

    Hi, Did you find the driver? My screen now flickers 80% of the time and is not getting stopped by anything. Can't do work or anything

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2017-03-11T06:42:35+00:00

    now every times, I have to enter UEFI mode by press "power" button and "volume +" button, wait until this issue disappear and reset to use it :(

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2017-03-10T13:54:51+00:00

    I think you can be right. The flickering only happens when I haven't used the computer for a while. When It's cold... has been at sleep, hibernate or shut off. After a little while of using the surface the flickering stops.

    At first I thought it was caused by sleep or hibernation, so I turned off sleep from the registry.

    This didn't help.

    Then I turned off Hibernation from Command prompt, This didn't help either.

    This is most likely some kind of Firmware issue, as many people reported getting the problem around the same time. (November/December)

    According to Firmware update history.

    https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/install-update-activate/surface-pro-4-update-history

    Realtek Was the only firmware updated around that time.

    I'm going to see if I can find an older version of that particular firmware drivers and see if it helps.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2017-03-08T07:33:36+00:00

    The issue is still the same for me. I was hopeful given the types of updates. If anybody is watching it would be great to have a root cause as my surface has passed warranty and that will help me better understand where liability lies. 

    Given that this issue seems to have occurred in waves I did some research and it appears to be a regressive issue. At least as far as the screen flickering goes. And it appears to be related to the graphics driver: https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/microsoft-surface/7545/surface-book-and-pro-4-firmware-update-fixes-screen-flickering-improves-stability

    • they were able to improve stability at the time the product was fairly new to the market. It makes sense that an update of some sort could destabilize the device depending on what the original issue was.  

    It bugs me that they are simply replacing surface pros under warranty without explanation

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments