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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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  1. 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]

    128 people found this answer helpful.
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  1. Anonymous
    2017-01-19T09:06:41+00:00

    I got this problem few month ago, but after an update, the problem disappear. Got a windows update this morning, and now the screen is flicking and shaking again.

    But if I open task manager and put it on the screen, the flicking stops, so now I have to work like this...keep the task manager on the right side of the screen.

    104 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2017-01-19T10:08:55+00:00

    Hi Tzuwen,

    I think we have the same problem, Though the screen flickers most of the time, But when I open an IDE like phpstorm or run a virtualization provider like VirtualBox, then the intensity increases. I don't know what the task manager do, but as long as I have an active screen i.e any window changing the data whether numbers or images, The screen stays still. 

    Its getting really frustrating. Hoping to get a fix soon

    16 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2017-01-20T03:18:04+00:00

    I too have had this problem.  Seems to occur when the SP4 has been on for a couple of hours and heats up.  I have the SP4 connected to a larger display which I use as a desktop.  The second display works fine, but the screen on the SP4 flickers and blurs making it totally unreadable.  Given that the second display works fine (connected by SP Hub) it seems more like a software issue than a hardware issue.  Hope they can fix.  I've got all the current updates and issue still occurs.

    Totally agree with the others comments that if you have an active window open it doesn't occur.

    29 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2017-01-20T13:40:56+00:00

    Surface Support team is going to call me this week, I have already provided the necessary details. Hope they will be able to figure out the problem and fix it ASAP. I will keep this thread updated with the details from the surface support team here.

    12 people found this answer helpful.
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