Surface Laptop 3 screen flickering after Windows 11 update

Question

I have a Surface Laptop 3 with an unbearably flickering screen. Task manager also flickers. However, there is no flickering when I hold Volume+Power button, to check device info. When using my browser, it still flickers but not as bad. I have updated my display driver to the latest update and that has not helped. I have tried to uninstall Windows 11, but that is not an option and "uninstalling feature updates" through advanced system restarts will wipe data that I can't afford to lose. I bought this device new and unused a little over a year ago and this is the only time I'm having a problem. There are no cracks or anything in the screen so it isn't that. I need assistance from Microsoft to resolve this issue PRONTO as I am giving a presentation tomorrow and all my info is here so please please please tell me how to fix this.

Answer 1

Hi JohnTrowbridge1, 

Greetings!

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

I can definitely see how important to have this laptop to get going properly specially if it's used for presentation deadlines. I appreciate the effort in performing the troubleshooting methods.

Just to confirm few details:

• Are you using an Intel version or Ryzen?
• What is the Windows 11 build details of your Surface? Go to search > Search Winver.

Please also perform the methods below:

• Force the device to restart. Press the power button for 20 seconds while the device is on.
• Uninstall the display driver to give a refresh. Go to device manager > Expand the display driver > right-click and choose uninstall for the display driver > Restart the device.
• Run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit.
• Run the System File Checker.
• Install the drivers package. Check the specific OS build of your Windows Settings> System> About. Download the driver and firmware for Surface, choose Surface Laptop 3 and click download on the next page. Please choose the .msi file that matches your current OS Build and click Next. After the download, runand installthe .msi then Restart the Surface Device.
• Try to replicate if the issue also happens when the charger is connected.

Let me know how this goes.

Answer 2

Hi JohnTrowbridge1,  We have noticed that you have not responded to our last message. We would like to know whether the issue you have raised with us is still ongoing? If yes, please let us know so that we can continue our conversation.

Answer 3

I spoke with someone in support and they talked me through a few things but it somehow decided to just fix itself before I could implement any changes.

Answer 4

Thank you for your time in reaching out to Customer Support. I'm glad that the issue is fixed.

In case you have questions in the future, please let us know by creating a new post.

Answer 5

Hi There,

I have this same issue and none of the above steps have helped. I have tried Windows 11 on my Surface Laptop 3 with Intel Iris Plus twice now - once when it was first offered (so some time ago), and then this week, and both times the flickering issue immediately appeared. It is extremely irritating. Here's what I've done so far:

1. Uninstalled graphics driver, and let Windows Update re-install. Didn't fix it.
2. Installed an Intel provided driver to over-ride the installation from Windows Update. Didn't fix it.
3. Installed the Microsoft provided Surface driver pack - didn't fix the problem.

The issue however does go away when the graphics driver is uninstalled - the problem is, this also makes the screen default to it's native resolution / scaling, making it unreadable because everything is too tiny. I would learn to squint, but on re-install, the driver reinstalls somehow and the flicker is back.

The flicker also does go away when the mouse is moved, and mostly appears when static. However as I do a lot of reading on this laptop, this is a big problem.

I'm going with the solution I used last time - go back to Windows 10 and reinstall the drivers, which fixes the issue. I'm not expecting a solution but I want to make you aware of the problem because it is ridiculous that a Microsoft designed laptop, with Microsoft drivers, cannot work with a Microsoft OS. This device shouldn't be advertised as compatible with Windows 11 if this is how it's going to behave, and it absolutely shouldn't have been allowed to persist for the months it's clearly been an issue. I think you folks can do better - please give us the updated driver.

I will try Windows 11 one last time in about another six months, and if the issue persists it is dead to me - on my Surface Laptop 3, and is is also not coming anywhere near the other Surfaces and Win10 PCs in the house because it's clearly still unfinished.