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
    2017-12-28T20:20:02+00:00

    Oh well

          -microsoft

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-28T18:01:48+00:00

    Hey, so i have been having a similar issue for the past 5 days, and its pretty new for my surface 4. I have had this device for 2 years with no major problems until now. I get these black lines at the top of the screen. Seems to improve when i disconnect the charger after a few minutes. But i also get the screen desync/ghosting on my screen. Makes it impossible to work on. I noticed that this only occurs when my machine gets a bit hot. I also noticed that I no longer hear my fan turn on. Lastly this seemed to occur only after the last update about a week ago. Not sure what kind of update would cause the fan to stop working. Im not even sure if this problem is similar to what you guys have been experiencing. Anyone else have a similar strory?

    I am really disappointed in MS in their incapability in solving this issue. I have spoken to them on the phone and they want to charge me $30 dollars for advice on fixing an issue thats clearly dt their poor construction of the product or software issue. They sent me an email with a troubleshoot with some generic potential fixes, non of which worked, and they said that i should just buy a refurbished one for $500 which is maybe a $100 off the original refurbished price. Truly unimpressed with their customer service. One would hope that when you purchase a device for $1300 that you will get a reliable, dependable product, and if there is malfunctioning at least a customer service that can provide a fix or reasonably discounted replacement. Hope someone from MS will see this comment and try to figure out a fix since so many people are experiencing it. Looks like it been a problem for nearly a year now and no fix. Extremely unimpressed.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-28T17:29:53+00:00

    Same problem here, 

    I've started to notice the flickering since April 2017.

    Now it's gone far above the acceptable threshold and my SP4 (i5) became completely unusable.

    Hope Microsoft get the issue fixed soon.

    I don't suggest holding your breath, it's a hardware issue.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-12-28T14:11:31+00:00

    Same problem here, 

    I've started to notice the flickering since April 2017.

    Now it's gone far above the acceptable threshold and my SP4 (i5) became completely unusable.

    Hope Microsoft get the issue fixed soon.

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