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
    2018-05-24T12:43:54+00:00

    Hi All,

    I ran that repair. My device worked fine for a couple days, but now I'm back to enabling the seconds in the clock to try stop it. But, it's not gone away.

    Kind Regards

    Craig

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-05-23T14:06:40+00:00

    When my screen was shaking I ran the repairer, it was gone but when the repair finished my screen shook again. I see the installer fixing the running message installing apps from the store, so is there any time when an app is conflicting?

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-05-23T09:16:03+00:00

    Hi,

    I tried calling in to technical support but after spending 50min over the phone trying to check whether my surface pro 4 is eligible for then free replacement, the officer tells me that the flicker does not occur when in the UEFI screen, as such, it is not eligible for replacement. Instead, ask me to opt for a paid service to troubleshoot. My question is, if when booted in UEFI screen, the screen does not flicker and it is not deduce to be a hardware problem, but why is there no software fix for my problem then through any of the windows updates? 

    Why is there a need for me to opt for paid service and if it does not work, i have to pay for a refurbished set which MAY give me the same problem after the limited warranty period. Does Microsoft mean that if its its not hardware or software problem, then it is the customer problem and they have to pay for their fault and mistakes in choosing Microsoft since the SP4 is priced at a premium compared to the other brands? Are  we to be penalized this way?? Come on guys!!! 

    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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  4. Anonymous
    2018-05-20T09:40:26+00:00

    It makes me wonder if this ia not a general problem iN  ALL SFPro 3 & 4

    Bryan (MSFT) 

    Stop replying via template answer. If Microsoft is serious about this exchange program then send me an email (*** Email address is removed for privacy ***) to confirm my SF pro4 is valid for any exchange FOC. 

    My SF is bought on 

    Order Number: 16195004900 

    Order Date: November 17, 2015 

    It should be valid within your 3 years eligible period. 

    Alternatively I would happily accept a refund of Total: SG$3,238.20 to my credit card. 

    After I saw your first post, I had contacted your online technician & after an afternoon of troubleshooting & reinstalling my Win10 the problem still remain. I was then offer to pay $638 for a replacement which only warranty for 90 days.

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