14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has confirmed it’s investigating a Surface Book 3 screen flickering problem that started occurring after a firmware update was released last fall.
In a discussion on the Community forums, users complain the whole thing started because of a firmware update, with the screen sometimes flickering and turning black for a second or two before returning to normal.
“After I have installed the last SB3 updates via Windows Update on my 13.5 SB3 and lately I have been having some strange screen flickering and flashing: the screen goes completely black, then, when I hit a key, it comes back on, and then it goes dark again as soon as I move the mouse,” someone explains, adding that the September 2020 firmware update is what caused the bug on their device.
“Also, sometimes, when the screen comes back from becoming dark, the fonts and the graphics become fuzzy. I cannot troubleshoot and make this happen on purpose. I can also say that this has never happened before this update.”
Also happening on the Surface Book 2
Several other Surface Book 3 users have already confirmed the same problem, though, at this point, it’s not exactly clear what’s causing the whole thing. Most likely, it’s a software glitch, so hopefully, Microsoft would resolve it in a new update.
Strangely enough, while the bug appears to be exclusive to the Surface Book 3, I’m also experiencing it on my Surface Book 2, only that the first time I noticed it was last month. I also suspected a firmware update, though, for the time being, I can’t tell for sure this is what caused it.
For the time being, this doesn’t seem to be a fatal glitch, as the short screen flickering only appears occasionally and never when running an app in full screen. The screen always returns to normal without the need for a forced reboot.