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
    2020-04-18T20:21:42+00:00

    Re: Can Microsoft give me any help?

    Yes, they can. Unfortunately, they won't.

       I have been having problems with the Flicker or scramble for over 6 months but just now saw that Microsoft aknowledges a problem. The issue is I bought it Christmas Eve 2016 which puts me out of the warranty range. I had no idea there was a replacement option as I have been doing all “fixes” on the internet to no avail since last October. Saw this in my final search for a remedy since I cant take the computer anywhere due to the Covid shutdowns. Can Microsoft give me any help?

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-04-18T19:00:17+00:00

    I have been having problems with the Flicker or scramble for over 6 months but just now saw that Microsoft aknowledges a problem. The issue is I bought it Christmas Eve 2016 which puts me out of the warranty range. I had no idea there was a replacement option as I have been doing all “fixes” on the internet to no avail since last October. Saw this in my final search for a remedy since I cant take the computer anywhere due to the Covid shutdowns. Can Microsoft give me any help?

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-04-16T14:43:49+00:00

    Dear Sir,

    I have purchased Microsoft Pro 4 in May 2017. I gave it to my son as a gift. He used it till 2018 and returned it back to me and wanted new laptop as this was not working properly. The problem was that touch screen was not working properly. When we used to touch on screen, it started to flicker. However, I got him new laptop and started using this Microsoft Pro without the touch screen feature. Without touch screen feature this was working fine. There were a little flickering even with non use of touch screen when I use it for long hours. Sometimes, I used to think that such an expensive laptop we should not have bought as I was not able to use it with full features. Now, for quite some days the screen flickering is happening even when the touch screen is not on. This product has some internal defect since long. I request you to kindly help and bring our faith back in Microsoft devices.

    Pankaj Saini

    New Delhi, India

    +91 9811404542

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-04-14T22:58:03+00:00

    please get me off this thread for the love of God. I cant even find the ellipsis you are talking about.  Damn!

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