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
    2017-10-15T09:50:26+00:00

    I have carried out stress tests using Intel Extreme Tuning Utility. One hour of stress test for graphics did not reproduce the problem. However, once I started the CPU stress test, the  flickering started. 

    The problem is not always reproducible.

    I brought this high end and costly garbage expecting to run multiple VMs to do my work. Sadly, this POS starts to flicker just 15 mins after the VM starts.

    MS should respond to this problem. We are not idiots to keep this POS with us. Either provide a fix or do a recall

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-10-15T04:44:27+00:00

    PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORMAT TO CLAI  MICROSOFT THE MAGNITUD OF THE PROBLEM.

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1iJwnv5X5nEAQb27wo6B9bRdb61wRMb8WBFgaxLXyimw/viewform?edit_requested=true

    THEY SELL US  A PRODUCT THAT DOES NOT WORK, TOTALLY UNUSEFUL, ANYTHING COMPARE TO WHAT PUBLICITY SHOWS.I  THINK THAT MAKES THEM THIEVES.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-10-14T22:09:47+00:00

    I liken this issue to the problems that beset the initial batches of the surface pro 4.

    the machine i am currently using was a replacement for the above problem, over the last week i have been noticing a small row of pixels at the bottom 5-10mm of the screen flicker at random, not related to the program or display mode operating at the time. it is not constant yet so doesn't inhibit working at the moment but this is exactly how my early surface pro 4 started to fail.

    im hoping its an update clash which ive unknowingly installed causing the bug? and not a bug designed by microsoft to make me buy the new version....

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-10-14T19:27:10+00:00

    Hi Nick,

    We would like to distinguish if the flickering issue is software or hardware related. Can you confirm if the issue persists with other application aside from Adobe Lightroom 5? Have you tried checking if the screen flickers in UEFI settings?

    For now, we suggest that you check if the Duet Display is installed on your device. If the Duet Display is in the app lists, kindly uninstall it and see if the issue will be resolved.

    Regards.

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