Surface Pro 4 Screen Shaking/Shuddering up and down while Idle

Anonymous
2017-03-01T08:15:01+00:00

I think I may have had this issue before and it just solved itself. However, my Surface Pro 4's screen has recently began to shake/shudder up and down while it is idle. If I am watching a movie, typing, or even moving the cursor it is fine just not when it is idle. It happened after I needed to render quite a few videos consecutively with Adobe Premiere Pro.

Has anyone else had this issue? Is it a software/firmware issue, or hardware? I am worried that it is going to begin shaking while I am not idle and that will become increasingly frustrating while editing.

Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-05-19T17:32:14+00:00

    Just started happening to me yesterday!  I'm glad I read all 4 pages of comments here.  I'm out of warranty, unfortunately. And doesn't seem like there is a solid fix yet. . . Thought I'd chime in though and log myself as another frustrated user.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-05-16T08:15:33+00:00

    So I have found several fixes that have temporarily fixed or masked the problem... However after a few weeks of finding a solution it starts again and I need to find a new solution.

    So far why two fixes have been:

    Adding seconds to the taskbar clock, this worked and worked for quite a while but after a few weeks the shuddering/shaking would start again once it got warm (about 50 degrees).

    Second fix was getting and external usb fan to blow on the back of the surface/increase airflow over the fan to assist with the Surface's own cooling system. This has also worked very well for about 3 weeks. Until yesterday when the shuddering/shaking starts either 20mins after I boot my Surface up, when I start using heavy video editing software like Adobe Premiere, or play a low capacity game for 20mins.

    Any suggestions on other fixes are welcome... or even a software fix by Microsoft. I have tried many fixes and at the moment they are the only two that have worked for me.

    I have tried installing f.lux that some people have suggested, but only had very limited success. Besides now that Windows 10 Creators update has "Night Mode" f.lux is pretty much redundant.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-04-11T07:38:17+00:00

    f.lux did not make any difference to whether the shuddering/shaking happened. However, as I have been working on my surface more the shuddering has become much worse, when it happens. It looks like a hardware issue now, but the way it started with overheating, and the point when it seems to start when it's too hot (excess of 50 degrees) still make me think it's a bit of software issue. And once it happens, leaving it turned off for a few hours and restarting seems to help.

    I will likely get it replaced on warranty, however I still need to use my Surface Pro 4 doing heavy tasks for the next 3 months. So workarounds and cooling methods would be great.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-03-31T11:27:04+00:00

    Well the adding seconds work for me, but a couple I needed to set a load of large videos to encode and now the shuddering is occuring about 30mins after I start my surface and the fan starts heavily.

    I am unable to get a replacement as I working in South Africa until July so that's not an option and from other people's posts it appears that it doesn't actually fix anything just postpones it until your Surface gets really hot again.

    I am going to try the f.lux thing and see if that works, or at least masks it until there is a firmware patch for it(!) or I get back to the UK and get a warranty replacement.

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  5. Anonymous
    2017-03-28T16:22:30+00:00

    This issue has been plaguing me since I got my preordered SP4. Sending it back for exchange only gets you another set which eventually turns faulty over time. I've tried numerous fixes but they don't work. I also treat my electronics with care so it's definitely not a problem with misuse. 

    I'm on to my 3rd set now, and my warranty's expired, but I'm still getting screen shakes. I've never had so many problems with a laptop before and I really regret getting the SP4 because of its constant issues. Let this be a cautionary tale for anyone looking to buy a SP4. What a disappointment, Microsoft.

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