Microsoft will replace Surface Pro 4 PCs with screen flickering issues

Back in February, some Surface Pro 4 users began reporting some serious screen flickering issues that they were having. The issue was particularly troublesome for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it couldn"t be fixed with a firmware update, and also, many of the devices experiencing the issue were no longer covered under warranty, forcing users to get expensive out-of-pocket repairs.

Today, Microsoft published a support document saying that it will replace Surface Pro 4 units that have the screen flickering issue for three years from the date of purchase. That means that if you bought your Pro 4 on launch day, which was October 26, 2015, you"ve still got five more months of coverage for this issue.

The process should take five to eight business days, and this is good for both consumer and commercial devices. The expected fine print is there, such as that your Surface Pro 4 isn"t covered if the damage is caused by a product that isn"t sold or licensed by Microsoft, or a third-party repair.

But there"s even more good news. If you had to pay for an out-of-warranty repair - which might have ran you up to $800 - Microsoft will be issuing you a refund. You can contact customer support for more information about that, so don"t expect it to be automatic.