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
    2017-11-21T18:58:59+00:00

    Can't you just schedule a repair? I would assume this is the way to go and during this process exchange it for a possibly refurbished unit.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-11-21T18:45:57+00:00

    I have tried contacting on twitter so i suggest other means.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-11-21T18:38:33+00:00

    Flickering and shaking has gotten worst on my Surface Pro 4 i5 256Gb, 8Gb. I wonder if Consumer Reports is aware of the problem and have they done there own test. I bet once Consumer Reports states that there is a problem, then Microsoft will do something about it.

    It starts after about an hour of use, guess when its hot.

    We should notify Consumer Reports about this problem and #flickergate

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-11-21T17:20:25+00:00

    Just as a small contribution to this whole mess. My problem has diminished, although not dissappeared. I think the first cause for this is the cooling weather. I like cold, so I always had a fan on during the summer and now that fall is here, I keep my house and office as cool as I can. No AC at home or at work.

    Also, I almost always use my Surface Pro plugged in and have noticed that when the screen starts to go wonky, I'll pull the plug and it helps. It might take a couple of minutes, but the screen either doesn't get so bad that it is unusable or it recovers. I also blame this on heat. It stands to reason that in the cramped innards of this machine, the charging circuit gets hot when in use so it contributes to the problem. Once you unplug it, that heat eventually is removed from the system or transferred to the battery circuit where it doesn't do as much damage. This is completely anecdotal and non-scientific so try it and if it works, cool (see what I did there?).

    As far as the new 2017 version having the same issue, I think that is the best thing that could happen to us out of warranty folks. MS will have to acknowledge the problem, issue a solution (or recall, or credit), and we can ride those coattails to get ours fixed. Honestly, I would be fine with them offering a trade in credit for a Surface Book, which is the system I wanted anyway (with the screen issue fixed of course).

    Good luck.

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