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.

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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
    2017-12-22T16:44:00+00:00

    I didn't. I also installed the Anniversary update and it killed my machine. :( Had to roll back.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-22T05:38:43+00:00

    By any chance, have any of you tried the screen replacement idea as suggested one of us in this thread?

    I am seriously thinking of it. If any of you have already done so, please give a feedback.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-22T05:34:17+00:00

    I paid around 1,600 US$ for mine. I regret it every day. It was a big investment for me, meant to last many years like my previous macs.

    Mine flickered on day one, but since I dont live in the US I never managed to send it back (mailing via DHL or something would've cost me huge $, like 400 $) and when I finally could, it was out of warranty. I also naively thought it was an update gone wrong and Microsoft would promptly fix it or offer some sort of explanation. But this? Utter silence? Zero client service? No acknowledgement from a huge supposedly serious company? It's outrageous. i would sue them if I lived over there.

    Everyone should leave comments on their twitter post, every time they post an ad for it, reply with the flickergate page and a warning to buyers.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-12-22T04:38:01+00:00

    I'll tell ya what I would if I had to Money for one, my SP4 was a huge investment for me. I'm broke of course i got all the gizmos with it too docking station the whole nine yards. what do we do with those parts.

    I am just beside my self. i started my questioning over 100 pages ogo, concerning this flickering screen. if each page holds ten response's. 116 x 10 = 1,160.00 ppl with f*#%(@$ up flickering monitors. If Microsoft doesn't come up with something. Perhaps we should change colors accordingly. glue them all to a billboard sign. we could spell out warning don't buy sp4.

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