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
    2018-02-03T16:17:07+00:00

    I have the same issue. Bought in 11/2015. Issue appeared in early 2017 - after the warranty period. It was occasional at first, but now is full time from the start. It is the lower 1" of my screen that covers the start, task bar and notifications. It also covers the bottom of any window that is opened to full screen.

    The Microsoft Store wanted $500 to replace. I did not do so. I hope that something comes of this viral notice of flickergate. We really did pay a premium price for a premium product and it was rendered hardly functional in just over a year.

    Brian Kip

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-02-03T13:45:09+00:00

    I purchased my Surface Pro 4 new on 11/02/15. Starting in 12/17 I started experiencing "screen flicker" after approximately 45 minutes of use. This happens every time.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-02-03T05:37:37+00:00

    Same problem with my Surface Pro 4, which I bought almost twelve months ago. Screen started to shake intermittently five days ago. I have installed and run the Microsoft Diagnostic Kit and run it; all firm ware and software is up to date, so please don't suggest that as a possible solution. 

    Also, there does not seem to be any walk-in Microsoft Service Center in existence here in Singapore. Am I wrong?

    Help anyone?

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-02-03T02:47:43+00:00

    The same issue here, and my device is out of warranty. 

    The flickering issue happened last weekend. I tried to call Microsoft support and was told that the office is only open from 9am - 6pm Mon to Fri. So, I decided to try again on Monday from office (coz my working hrs are also 9am - 6pm Mon to Fri)

    Monday

    I called. Since I didnt have my laptop with me in office, the customer service said he will arrange call back at 730pm (Singapore time). I also checked if their working time is till 6pm. is it ok for him to call me back after work hours? He said THE OFFICE IS OPEN TILL 9PM. This is from Australia support team. I assume that they can even talk to support team in other time zone (like Europe) to call me at 730pm, like other companies do. 

    But I didnt receive ANY call back on Monday. I decided to call support again on Tuesday.

    Tuesday

    I called again. I customer service from the Phillipines (the same time zone as Singapore) answered my call. I told her I have tried all troubleshooting which was stated on Microsoft online support page but the issue is still there. She offered a replacement with a charge of SGD600+. I questioned whether they should do troubleshooting for me before they charge me for an obvious product defect and this product is Microsoft product. She answered "if troubleshooting couldnt fix the issue, it would likely be the hardware issue". I was speechless. at first place, EVEN THIS IS A HARDWARE ISSUE, ISNT SURFACE A MICROSOFT PRODUCT? secondly, how easily they can just charge SGD 600+for replacement tells that they already clearly knew ITS NOT A SOFTWARE ISSUE, and THIS IS A REPEATED ISSUE FOR MANY SURFACE PRO 4 OWNERS. What a shame. They make use of product defects to make money. 

    I wanna try again on troubleshooting before I spend the money. I requested a call back again (coz the call will be automatically transferred voice message if I call after 6pm). The lady told me that THEY DONT ARRANGE ANY CALL BACK. IF I NEED SUPPORT ON TROUBLESHOOTING I NEED TO CALL THEM DURING THEIR WORKING HOURS, and 6pm-9m is for their stuff to do reports but not answer calls. I made some noise on this, she transferred my call to her supervisor. Firstly, he changed the statement and said the working hour is 9am-6pm, and apologized for the wrong information provided earlier (who knows which information is wrong). Secondly, MICROSOFT CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAMS DONT TALK TO EACH OTHER. Philippines office is the only office to support APAC. IF I WANT TO GET SUPPORT AT EVENING TIME FROM OTHER TIME ZONE, I NEED TO CONTACT BY MYSELF. (What the..) Thirdly, replacement WITH A CHARGE is the only solution now. It is my call to decide if I want to pay. (WHAT THE..) Sounds like it's none of his business. If I have microsoft product, I will have to set expectation of self service.

    Lesson learnt:

    1. the most unstable product in the world. I like it if it could work well like other similar product. 
    2. the worst customer service in the world.

    Now, I am trying to type this out as fast as i can before the screen starts flickering.

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