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
    2020-03-28T00:39:21+00:00

    Not sure if this works or not as I left mine overseas in storage and bought a Surface Go when I came back to Canada to work for a bit but, I’ll run it by you.  

    Mentioned this to a tech guy I know. He said that what’s causing the problem is the crappy battery and said replacing it would solve the problem.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-03-27T21:07:05+00:00

    I'm in the same boat, word for word. This just started happening for me during the pandemic. I purchased my Surface Pro 4 in 2016 and registered it the day I received it. It even showed on my Microsoft account tht it was registered, but it looks like Microsoft may have unlinked my registration since i don't see it on my account anymore. This is deeply upsetting since I've taken good care of my Surface Pro. The fact that it's a well known manufacturer hardware issue, they should be replacing each one that shows defect. It's not like we are making this up or are asking for a freebie. We paid for it and unless we did something to it or neglected care, then we should be helped!

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-03-27T18:16:23+00:00

    Im in almost exactly the same boat and am exasperated by microsoft support telling me that theres noone i can speak to to help!!

    please someone from microsoft help us!! We spent thousands on this device and trusted you- you are letting us loyal customers down!!

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-03-27T17:38:12+00:00

    Bryan,

    I have a Surface Pro 4 with the screen flicker issue that I just now discovered.  I have not used this Surface for more than about 2 hours at a time and just a few times a month over the years until this week.  Due to the pandemic, I now need to work remotely and use this Surface for 8 or more hours each day.  The first full day was a surprise when my screen started flickering.  I see that Microsoft knew about this issue and arranged to extend the warranty to 3 years.  Unfortunately, my Surface Pro 4 is just past the 3 years.  I feel that since my Surface was registered when I bought it that Microsoft should have notified me that my Surface was in the batch of known hardware defects.  Had I known about this issue, I would have taken care of this issue immediately.  Instead, I was left to discover this on my own over time.  Now, Microsoft support has offered to replace my Surface with a used certified Surface for an additional $599.99 with only a 90 day warranty.  I don't really want to spend an additional $599.99 but I will if I have to so I can continue to get some work done.  I have 2 issues with this, one is that Microsoft had my contact information from my registered device and never contacted me to say I had this known hardware issue and second is that after I spend $599.99 I will get a used device with only a 90 warranty.  Can you please help me reach a better resolution to this?

    Thank you in advance,

    John S

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