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
    2017-12-22T00:32:55+00:00

    The seconds workaround is only temporary @Bravo1Romeo, please read the rest of the thread. Eventually the shaking overpowers the seconds, and shakes despite any movement on the screen. One idea is that the screen's built in frame buffer becomes damaged by heat and is unable to retain the data that belongs on the screen. Eventually its retention ability falls under the duration of one second, and the seconds workaround no longer works.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-22T00:26:54+00:00

    I have same issue

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-22T00:00:15+00:00

    I had this problem,

    After about 4 seconds of a static image (what is displayed on screen has not changed) the screen image slices into horizontal lines and shifts down, almost like and interlacing algorithm has delayed a few lines.

    The problem only happens when the image remains static.

    I booted into the UEFI menu and the problem still occurs.

    I therefore thought it was not a driver or OS issue, but possibly hardware and firmware related.

    Having the task manager open prevents it because it refreshes its image every second.

    So as a work around, I used the Windows 10 Registry hack to enable the Seconds display on the clock in the taskbar.

    http://www.thewindowsclub.com/display-seconds-in-taskbar-clock-windows

    This reloads the screen every second and prevents it from flickering / slicing.

    It may use more battery though as I assume the slicing that happens is related to some kind of power saving mode when the image on screen is static for several seconds.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-12-21T21:11:17+00:00

    Unfortunately mine isn't under warranty anymore. :( It really sucks. I love this device but this screen flicker/fuzziness is driving me mental.

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