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
    2017-11-19T14:46:57+00:00

    there seem to be three varieties, two of which I've seen on my SP4.

    1. the one originally described - screen flicker that responds to scrolling a window or otherwise interacting. comes back when you stop doing that. Possibly also goes away when you have a video playing (I'm a bit skeptical of that one, never seen it personally).
    2. screen flicker that affects all apps but the task manager
    3. screen flicker that affects everything and doesn't respond to scrolling or interacting.

    I've seen (1) and (3) since the 1709 update (didn't start immediately but that may just have been a function of my usage after the update went in). I have never seen (3) precede (1), which suggests something to do with usage, temperature, or whatever.  I never saw either of them before 1709, but that may be coincidental because this seems to be related to the age of the device, looking at the other comments here.

    I have never seen (2). But I guess running the task manager does mean you have an updating window and so maybe is the same "fix" as the video player one.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-11-19T14:40:28+00:00

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNfkn90oE-faNPJQp0kUCgWx64cqMFirqH3tGP5KPDAQlCSA/viewform 

    I made this, and suddenly a lot of people are trying to gain access to edit it.

    Is there a reason to? I will monitor this forum a bit after this to see if someone responds regarding this issue.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-11-19T14:29:00+00:00

    One would think that this would be the I case. I back loaded my upgrades to 1607 which was the upgrade before 1703  plus back dated drivers and display setting but it doesn't seam to have fixed the issue.

    It is extremely frustrating. I've been in contact with Microsoft and they have remote accessed my computer to fix it but after 5 attempts they don't seem to be any closer to solving the problem. Microsoft help has "upgraded" my issue to priority 2 - what that entails I am unsure. luckily I purchased an extended warranty.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-11-19T14:14:04+00:00

    Same problem since the most recent update. I have a vertical jitter that lasts for several seconds, then slows down and stops - only to restart a few seconds later. Typing or using the cursor doesn't help. Nor does opening the Task monitor - that jitters too.

    I'm not using any strange applications but fear the consequences/side effects of deleting the display driver. If an update started the problem surely it can be fixed by a new update?

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