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Surface Pro 4 Problems: How to Fix 21 Common Problems

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Surface Pro 4 problems can make using Windows 10 to stay entertained or get work done very frustrating. We’ll show you how to fix Surface Pro 4 problems, including a flickering display and other annoying issues so you can get back at it.

The Surface Pro 4 looks like a tablet and has the heart of a notebook PC. This makes it just as difficult to troubleshoot as a laptop or desktop. You need to know where to find the right setting to stop the tablet from doing things that you don’t want it to, for example. The Surface Type Cover and Surface Pen add another layer of complexity. Sometimes they don’t work for reasons that aren’t clear.

Read: Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Tips & Tricks

(New)  How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Screen Flicker Problems

If your Surface Pro 4’s display flickers after you use it for a half-hour or more, it may have a very serious issue that Microsoft can’t fix with a software update.

These screen flicker issues are so serious that thousands of Surface Pro 4 owners have reported problems at Flickergate.com, a website dedicated to forcing Microsoft to recall the broken PCs. To see if your Surface Pro 4 has the issue, start it and see if the screen flickers after 30 minutes of you browsing the internet, listening to music or watching videos.

Take your Surface Pro 4 to the nearest Microsoft Store for a replacement if its screen flickers like the Surface Pro 4 in the video above. Microsoft should offer you a replacement.

How to Stop Surface Pro 4 From Locking Up

By far, one of the most annoying Surface Pro 4 problems is freezing. Some users report that their device completely locks without warning.

When it happens, reset your Surface Pro 4 by holding down the power button until your Surface Pro 4’s screen goes black. Press the power button to turn the device back on.

Driver updates have fixed this and a few other Surface Pro 4 problems from launch. Go to the Updates & Recovery area in the Settings app to check for updates.

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Screen Rotation Problems

Some users report that Windows 10 won’t rotate when they turn their Surface Pro 4. When they try, nothing happens and the screen rotation lock button disappears from the Action Center.

If this happens to you, try detaching your Type Cover. The Rotation Lock button should reappear in the Action Center and Windows 10 should rotate automatically again.

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Windows Hello Problems

Windows Hello lets you unlock your device without a password or passcode. Unfortunately, it can fail in bad lighting conditions or if it needs another scan of your face.

To fix this and other Windows Hello Surface Pro 4 problems, open the Settings app. Open Accounts. Select Sign In Options. In the Sign In Options area, look for the Improve Recognition for Windows Hello button.

Read: How to Fix Windows Hello Problems

Try to get the angle that your face is usually at when you’re using your Surface Pro 4. If you have glasses, get a scan with your eyewear on and off.

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Type Cover Problems

The Surface Pro 4’s Type Cover keyboard stops responding sometimes. If this happens to you, detach the keyboard. Now hold the power button on your Surface Pro down until you see a shade appear at the top of your screen. Drag that shade down to shut down. Your Surface Pro 4 Type Cover problems should be fixed once you start your device again.

Read: Best Surface Pro 4 Keyboards

How to Fix Surface Pro Pen Problems

Delete and pair your Surface Pen with your Surface Pro 4 again to fix connectivity issues that won’t allow you to write or draw in apps and programs. Use Gotta Be Mobile’s How to Sync and Set Up a Surface Pen guide to learn how.

Read: Surface Pen Tips for Surface Pro 4 and Surface 3

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Camera Problems

Windows 10 will not let you use the Camera app to capture photos when you already have an app open that is using your camera. Shut any apps you’ve used the camera in recently. Now try opening the Camera app again.

Update: Microsoft will fix this problem with a free Windows 10 update in March or April 2018.

How to Stop Surface Pro 4 Display Crashes

Surface Pro 4 has a very, very nasty problem with its display driver crashing. The device will restart the driver itself, looking to you as if you display simply blinked for no reason. In our experience, it’s Microsoft’s Edge web browser causing this issue. Try browsing to the same site in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome.

Update: Microsoft issued a firmware update to fix this problem. Check for more updates inside the Settings app under Updates & Recovery if it is still happening to you.

Surface Pro 4 Won’t Boot/Stuck on Boot Screen

A firmware issue sometimes keeps Surface Pro 4 from booting or starting up correctly when the Type Cover is attached and folded backward.

detach your Type Cover. Now press the power button on your Surface Pro 4. It should start immediately.

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Apps Failing to Open

If apps won’t open on your Surface Pro 4, try restarting it. Hold the power button down until the shade appears. Now drag that shade to the bottom of your screen. Finally, power your Surface Pro 4 on again.

If this keeps happening, use Gotta Be Mobile’s How to Reset Your Windows 10 PC guide to reinstall Windows.

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Blue Screen Problems

Some Surface Pro 4 users get a blue screen just after they try to wake their device from sleep. If this happens to you often, reset your Surface Pro 4.

Update: A driver update fixed this issue. Check for more updates inside the Settings app under Update & Recovery to make sure your device has the latest fixes.

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Speaker Pop Problems

All Surface Pro 4 devices have a driver issue that causes their speakers to make a popping sound when you log in.

Update: Microsoft released a Surface Pro 4 firmware update that solved this problem. Check for more updates inside the Settings app under Update & Recovery.

Why You Can’t Install Windows 7 on Surface Pro 4

Microsoft designed the Surface Pro 4 to work with Windows 10. It is possible to get Windows 7 installed. However, you can expect lots of software bugs that Microsoft won’t fix. Your Surface Pen and Windows Hello camera won’t work with Windows 7.

The Surface Pro 4 with Type Cover and Surface Pen.

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Wake Problems

A dead battery or charge problem can create a lot of Surface Pro 4 problems. Make sure your Surface Pro 4 has a charge if it doesn’t turn on. Connect it to power using the charger it came with. Hold your finger on the power button for 20 to 30 seconds. The screen should flicker. Now you should see the Surface logo.

If the power and waking problems continue, consider sending in your Surface Pro 4 for service.

How to Fix Weak Wi-Fi Surface Pro 4 Problems

Some Surface Pro 4 users report drops in wireless connectivity without explanation. If this is happening to your device, take it to your local Microsoft Store or contact device support. The company should offer a replacement if your device is still under warranty.

How to Fix Bluetooth Related Surface Pro 4 Problems

Surface Pro 4 devices regularly have Bluetooth connectivity problems. To fix these, try turning your Bluetooth device off then on. If that doesn’t work, check to make sure Bluetooth is on by taping or clicking on the message bubble in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Look for the Expand button. Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn the feature off. Tap again to turn it back on.

How to Fix Microsoft Edge Freezing Problems on Surface Pro 4

Cortana in Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft’s Edge web browser frequently locks up with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update installed. Some users recommend uninstalling any Edge extensions you added from the Windows Store to fix this issue. Gotta Be Mobile recommends installing Google Chrome or Firefox for browsing instead.

Read: Best Windows 10 Browser: Edge vs Chrome

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Tablet Mode Problems

Your Surface Pro 4 may automatically switch itself in and out of Tablet Mode when you attach its cover. If this is happening and you haven’t changed any settings, disconnect your Type Cover. Check the connector at the bottom of your Surface Pro 4 for bits of dirt preventing the cover from connecting reliably.

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Low Storage Problems

If you’re routinely getting low storage warnings after your PC performed an upgrade, it’s time to use the built-in storage tool to start clearing extra files from Windows. Go to the Settings app. Tap or click on System. Tap or click on Storage. Now tap or click on the C drive at the top of the window.

Read: 4 Ways to Free Up Space on Windows 10

Windows 10 will analyze what’s taking up space on your device. You can choose to delete or move apps and programs by tapping or clicking on each one. 

surface-pro-4-review-7-720x412

How to Fix Surface Pro 4 Charging Problems

Surface Pro 4 comes with a power adapter that has a USB plug for charging smartphones and tablets. Though convenient, smartphones that demand a lot of power interfere with the adapter’s ability to charge your Surface Pro. Unplug the smartphone or tablet to fix the issue.

If you don’t have anything plugged into the adapter’s USB port, try unplugging the adapter from your power outlet and connecting it again.

How to Fix Windows Insider Problems on Surface Pro 4

Windows Insider members get new features earlier than anyone else. That doesn’t mean you should try these updates on your Surface Pro 4. They’re often buggy and not feature complete. Turn them off if you’re having problems.

Open the Settings app. Then tap or click on Updates & Security. At the bottom of the menu on the left is an entry for the Windows Insider Program. Open that area and select Stop Insider Preview Builds.

 

10 Best Surface Pro Alternatives in 2020

ThinkPad X1 Tablet

ThinkPad X1 Tablet
$1.00 from Amazon

The ThinkPad X1 Tablet offers a lot of great features: a durable shell, an amazing display and Amazon's Alexa personal assistant

The ThinkPad X1 Tablet has a 13-inch display. And, despite its good looks, the device has passed 12 military torture tests to ensure it can survive dust storms, cold temperatures, drops and spills. Finally, If you don't find Microsoft's Cortana personal assistant useful, the ThinkPad X1 Tablet has the same Alexa personal assistant your Echo smart speakers do. A Surface Pro won't survive a drop or spilled liquid and Cortana isn't as useful as Alexa is. 

Read: ThinkPad X1 Carbon, X1 Yoga and X1 Tablet Have Stunning Display and Alexa 


The third-generation ThinkPad X1 Tablet has powerful processors, plenty of RAM and other options. Models come with up to an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM. You won't get stuck waiting for web pages to load or your photo editor to process your touch-ups. If you don't like passwords, use the IR camera on the front of the ThinkPad X1 Tablet to sign into Windows. This 2-in-1 also has a fingerprint reader. 

The ThinkPad X1 Tablet's screen detects 4,096 different levels of pressure from its digital pen. Besides that, it's a really detailed display. Windows, your videos and everything else you do on it looks crisp and detailed. Again, it's three times as sharp as an HD display.

Like other Surface Pro 4 alternatives, this Windows 2-in-1 connects to its included keyboard cover using a special slot on its bottom edge. It has Thunderbolt 3 ports for fast data transfers, a MicroSD card reader and a headset jack. With LTE connectivity, you can add the ThinkPad X1 Tablet to your smartphone data plan. You can't do that with a Surface Pro 4. 

Read: 7 Best Windows 10 Hard Drives & External Storage 

126 Comments

126 Comments

  1. Dik indabit

    11/09/2015 at 5:42 pm

    Another issue is the start button not working. I click on the start button and nothing happens and also the windows tiles have disappeared.

    • Alan

      11/29/2015 at 6:41 am

      same here with the power button

    • deepak tyagi

      07/10/2016 at 4:35 pm

      hey did you solve your reply?

  2. David H

    11/10/2015 at 1:26 pm

    I have been having many wake and display problems, well beyond those you describe. Check out my description on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq7jQB5OO7qKUa5mpeZ0TEQ

  3. Mike

    11/11/2015 at 4:27 pm

    I am having trouble with my Surface 4 Keyboard touchpad with my Surface Pro 3. My touchpad stops working as mentioned above. I don’t know if this fix works with Surface Pro 4 but it will not hurt try.

    When losing my mouse, I use to restart my surface. But I have found that if my mouse stops working, I ..
    1. Put it in Tablet Mode.
    2. Then I disconnect my keyboard
    3. Reconnect it.
    4. Put it in Desktop mode

    My mouse then works.

    I have also installed, “Touchmousepointer”. This programs gives me a virtual mouse when my keyboard is not connected.

    Let me know if this works for you.

  4. Brad Duncan

    11/12/2015 at 11:28 am

    +1 Dik indabit – after only 1 day our Surface Pro 4 is VERY slow to respond to actions. The Start window, as well as task bar icons, are missing. Cant access the file system or apps. Trying a Reset to see if that works.

  5. Sean Peng

    11/12/2015 at 6:50 pm

    Microsoft introduces such a crappy quality product. I’ve been working with Mac for many years, and wanted to switch with Surface Pro 4. I cannot believe how poor quality MS makes. Utterly shocked!

    • CW

      07/04/2016 at 6:13 pm

      Agreed. i should’ve just upgraded mu ipad. at least it wouldve capitalized the beginning of my sentences and automagically fixrd my spelling.

  6. PF Grillet

    11/15/2015 at 10:39 am

    facebook app crashes. windows meteo app freezes.

  7. James

    11/16/2015 at 9:48 pm

    I have had it lockup several times in the middle of using a graphics app – thus loosing all my work

  8. James

    11/16/2015 at 9:51 pm

    I have been trying to change the fonts. It appears MS Windows 10 still needs improvements.
    No way to change the default to another font other than what Microsoft has determined.

  9. Tommy Abdy Collins

    11/26/2015 at 4:58 pm

    Some Apps open with a mini screen/window which hides some of the text. Can’t expand the window and therefore cannot control or use the app.

    • Alan

      11/29/2015 at 6:42 am

      Same Here

  10. Eric

    11/27/2015 at 10:53 pm

    +1 brad duncun and dik indabit I have the same issue. I even tried restoring to an earlier point. Same problem. The computer is brand new.

    Have you guys seen any success?

  11. PeterM

    11/27/2015 at 11:46 pm

    I put my Pro 4 into Sleep. When I started it up again, the screen was black. The keyboard backlights are on but nothing on screen. Rebooting doesn’t work. The screen stays black

    • ed b

      12/02/2015 at 12:48 am

      Same here. Is there a deeper reboot than holding power down for 15s?

      • Tom v

        01/10/2016 at 11:26 pm

        The microsoft website suggested a 30 second on to me, which ultimately did the trick

        • Alice

          03/04/2016 at 12:36 am

          Seriously hate it. i have to do it 4 times a day cause it always does it in Uni…

    • Emily

      01/10/2016 at 12:22 pm

      Try clicking Ctrl+Alt+Delete

    • Tom v

      01/10/2016 at 11:25 pm

      I had the same issue and and upon looking for a soultion, found this link https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-ae/support/warranty-service-and-recovery/surface-wont-turn-on-or-wake-from-sleep?os=windows-10

      Which suggested holding the power button for 30 seconds, and then releasing, following which you turn it on as you normally would.

      This seemed to fix mine immediately.

      • shawn

        03/24/2016 at 10:22 am

        yes but it closes all windows and doesn’t save the data you had open. Total disruption

    • thierry

      01/24/2016 at 2:35 am

      Hi Peter I found the source of your problem and a workaround that does not need to hard reset your surface :
      The surface, for mysterious reason, goes into second screen only. You just have to tap Windows+P and enter ;)

      • Wldchld

        04/04/2016 at 8:24 am

        This worked perfect for me but I did have to do it twice before the screen lit up. The geek squad told me I had to take it in for repairs but now that I found this fix my screen is back on and I don’t have to take it in. Thank you.

  12. Jo782976

    11/28/2015 at 12:42 am

    I bought a Surface Pro 4 yesterday. I installed Office 365 and WD MyCloud SmaterWare and a starded a reboot of the Surface… Finally I got blue screen with “Automatic Repair” “Your PC doesn’t started correctly” with to actions to do : “Start again” & “Advanced Options”.
    So It was impossible for me to fix the issue, so I’ll go back today to my resseller to exchange my Surface Pro 4 with a new one.

  13. Alan

    11/29/2015 at 6:44 am

    I also asked for an exchange of product, with Microsoft agreed to.

  14. Geoff

    11/30/2015 at 3:34 am

    I am having a similar problem as Dik Indabit and nothing happens when you click the Windows button? has anyone got a possible solution for the issue? If not its going back to Microsoft for a replacement

  15. Paco Onder de Linden

    12/05/2015 at 1:30 am

    My SP4 is domain joined. This causes Windows 10 to require secure login (ergo: you must press ctrl-alt-del to log in).

    With the keyboard / typecover disconnected, there is no way I can log in, as there no longer is a Windows key available. Up until the SP3, a Windows key available. The Windows key, combined with the power button would equal pressing ctrl-alt-del, but the SP4 no longer has a power button.

    How do I unlock my domain-joined Surface Pro 4 without a keyboard? I have enabled Windows Hello and all, but all that comes after the mandatory pressing of ctrl-alt-del…

    • Luke

      12/09/2015 at 2:12 am

      Make sure the Surface Pro 4 is up to date (Firmware/Drivers downloaded from Microsoft). Then you should be able to simulate Ctrl-Alt-Delete by pressing and holding the power button then pressing the Volume-Up button.

      If your not up to date, this wont work as I think it was introduced in one of the updates.

  16. Alan

    12/10/2015 at 3:59 pm

    Purchased a SP4 yesterday for my wife as an upgrade to a quirky old laptop and galaxy tab. She was delighted at first but we have had problems with it locking up our wifi. If the SP4 is on the network all devices slow to a crawl and shortly no longer access the internet though they still are connected to wifi. Turning the SP off and resetting the network and all works fine. Searching the web yields ample evidence others have had similar problems. I tried the remedies with no improvement. Change registry settings, disable 2.4 ghz wifi. It shouldn’t be this hard to get a $1500+ computer to work right! I called Support, already frustrated and when they suggested I call my ISP I said thanks but I am returning for a refund. Very disappointed.

  17. Kwabz

    12/10/2015 at 8:41 pm

    For the lock screen unresponsiveness, I’ve found that pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL instantly opens the password prompt to let me sign in. Another option (what I used to use before the former), is to use the pen to activate Onenote. Because even though the screen is unresponsive, you can still tell when it’s on (and blank) versus when it is completely shut off. If you turn it on (blank) and click the pen, one note will open, and then pressing the unlock prompt in Onenote will also take you to the unlock screen. I find CTRL+ALT+DEL is easier though, just because there are less steps involved.

  18. Max

    12/11/2015 at 5:14 am

    Thanks for this great overview! I have major issues using and switching between external monitors. Desktop icons are jumbled, program windows are annoyingly resized, as are the icons on the task bar. The only solution is to close all programs and to log off and an again.
    Further, my Firefox browser isn’t displayed properly, most of the times some icons from my favorites side bar are not shown (instead it’s just whit there).

  19. Brett

    12/17/2015 at 6:58 pm

    My calendar will not stay open very long. It just keeps closing out. Sometimes I lose everything

    • Clay

      02/08/2016 at 7:14 am

      I noticed this when the SP4 gets hot from high wifi activity, and I have the tablet rotated in portrait. I can see the touchscreen reacting in the corner where the calendar is, which would randomly pop it up or close it. In landscape position, it can randomly close windows by hitting the X… Microsoft re calibrated the touchscreen once, and it got better, but has not disappeared yet. I’ll call them again when I compile more data

      • Crispy Frog

        07/28/2016 at 5:57 am

        I have a similar problem. Did you find a fix before I return this for a new one.

  20. Joseph

    12/18/2015 at 10:01 am

    I was watching videos and it randomly crashed. My screen is frozen and if I do anything nothing will happen. How do I fix tht?

  21. Zara Lum

    12/20/2015 at 10:47 pm

    my surface pro 4 won’t let me use the pen or touchscreen so i have to use the keyboard the whole time >:P, thus making it impossible to use the tablet mode and drawing

  22. Angus

    12/25/2015 at 8:59 pm

    Winking Surface 4 – not booting – completely inadequate online help and support line has a massive queue…

    Everything else in my house is flawlessly Apple and this is my first and last Microsoft device.

  23. Chris

    01/12/2016 at 1:07 pm

    Here’s another maddening issue for you. At work I have the surface dock and dual monitors. I do not use the surface monitor at all while docked, it is off. Every once in a while the touchscreen will activate while it is docked and because the type cover is on and closed it causes my mouse pointer to go crazy and random clicks, etc. It took me a while to figure out what was going on. Now I open the cover before docking. It doesn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason, it just randomly activates.

  24. kblake

    01/14/2016 at 7:01 am

    Same here the keyboard and mouse do not work!! Come on Microsoft for such an expensive product not acceptable

  25. Chris

    01/15/2016 at 5:42 am

    Headphones doesn’t always mute speaker:
    When I plug my headphones in while playing an app (in this case Microsoft’s Skype), it doesn’t switch to them and continues to use the speakers. Very disappointing – this should have been isolated in hardware.

    KB layout keeps changing:
    Why does my keyboard keep changing from US to UK layout? And why is there a shortcut to do this in the first place, right next to the most used icon – the KB popup for when you don’t have a KB attached? Honestly, how many people keep two different keyboards in their bag??

  26. Kimberlyfseder

    01/19/2016 at 6:47 am

    0=9my best friend’s half-sister makes $87 /hr on the laptop . She has been out of a job for eight months but last month her check was $16467 just working on the laptop for a few hours.
    find more info…. See More

  27. BAQ_PL

    01/19/2016 at 6:59 am

    I have a network issue with Surface Pro 4. Local file/printer discovery doesn’t work. I can’t connect to my local printer and NAS drive, I also can’t see any LAN PC’s. I have many other computers on that network which I all manage (win 7 and win 10) and they don’t experience that problem.
    I managed to fix it temporarily by resetting winsock but after while it stopped working and now this fix doesn’t work anymore.

  28. jamie

    01/24/2016 at 12:15 pm

    i have a surface pro 4 brought with in a month,but went to put it on the screen came on with surface on then kept on flashing on and off has any one got an idea what to do

    • Matt

      02/12/2016 at 12:08 am

      Press and hold the power button plus the volume up + button for 10 seconds this should shut your device down. Call Microsoft support they will more than likely recommend a device replacement as something in the firmware update prevents the hard drive from working properly. I had this same issue and I am getting a replacement.

  29. Orlando

    01/27/2016 at 3:26 pm

    I purchased a SP4 on 12/29/15. The Lot Number/Date is 1549 (2015, week 49). I immediately installed the November cumulative update and Dec 2nd drivers patch and firmware update. On my device I’ve experienced the following issues. I just installed the January 26th cumulative update (KB3124262) but there was no accompanying firmware update.

    1) Yes it’s a backlit LCD display with a thin bezel but I’m seeing a high amount of light leakage from around all four edges. It’s more noticeable in low light situations and against dark screen images.

    2) Device continues to drain battery at a high rate while in sleep/hibernate mode and is warm. I found that the Microsoft Edge browser, when left running, is a big culprit as it consumes a high amount of system resources even when the system was supposedly asleep. I also turned off power to the wifi adapter when in sleep mode.

    3) Display: Sudden changes in display brightness. Display adapter driver crashed and recovered message in mid January. I checked Intel’s drivers for the integrated HD Graphics 520 and found that they released newer version 4352 on 12/15/2015 so I manually installed it.

    4) Type cover w/fingerprint reader: Frequently while typing, the cursor doesn’t respond to a key click or touchpad tap until a second click or tap. Occasionally, the fingerprint reader doesn’t respond.

    5) OS: Microsoft Edge is a system resource hog, especially on multimedia rich websites, to the point that it’s mostly unusable. When trying to close an affected tab, the tab title text will flash but the tab will not close. It will sometimes close after a few attempts but sometimes you have to open Task Manager and kill Edge.

  30. Carlos Yo

    01/28/2016 at 9:56 pm

    Reading the comments is making me changing my mind about buying a sp4. Am not a big fan of Apple products,but Microsoft could learn a thing or two about their quality control processes. It is too much money for me to put in a product so great looking and with such great concept but so faulty.

  31. Aidan Craig

    01/30/2016 at 7:49 am

    My wifi has switched off and I cannot get it to switch on again. I’ve powered off several times but it will not on. I gone to settings and turned on wifi but this does not seem to work

  32. Gary Schmitt

    01/30/2016 at 8:03 am

    OMG, I was about to pull the trigger on a sp4 and I’m reading all these problems , no way will I drop 2K on this , looks like someone else will get my money instead , shame on you Microsoft for putting out a poor quality product .

  33. Amy D'Angelo

    02/01/2016 at 6:36 pm

    I had SP3. Due to a problem with the “Rapid Return” of Best Buy. (a different issue), I ended up with SP 4 Pro. At first I was impressed. For some things, I still am. My currently list of problems: 1) Cannot connect to my mouse. Purchased the recommended mouse, downloaded the drivers, and nothing. does not not see the mouse at all. 2) Cannot connect wireless to my printer. No matter what I do, I have to go into my office and connect with the wires. 3) I am connected to the internet but cannot open any programs such as the app store or any of the microsoft based games. have tried rebooting. have tried several things. nothing changes. 5) Has anyone though of a power cord that does not come out when you move even a few inches? Really?

    There are so many awesome things about this machine. The problems, which are basic in nature, are no among them. Too bad I have so much money tied up in this! Probably should have bought a Mac. Sorry Microsoft.

  34. Jan Ekas

    02/05/2016 at 7:53 am

    My start menu won’t pop up anymore so I’m able to shut down my computer correctly

  35. Mary

    02/08/2016 at 12:35 am

    My biggest frustration with the sb4 is short battery life. It said it supposed to get up to 8 hours of battery life. In what universe is that? I get about 2 hours before needing to plug back in. My second frustration is that in tablet mode it will not log out of the application I am in. I have to attach the keyboard or (luckily) use the pen. Most other things have been corrected or I have figured them.

  36. walterbishop

    02/10/2016 at 8:46 am

    Got a replacement device from Microsoft last night. The old one has some hardware issues. But the new one has problems out of the box!!!I cannot sign in to my Microsoft account!

  37. Surface Pro 4 GARBAGE

    02/10/2016 at 7:41 pm

    Garbage device. The battery life is terrible, the keyboard magnet breaks the screen, and Microsoft doesn’t realize why their speed is so much slower than the other tablets.

  38. Andrew

    02/13/2016 at 2:17 pm

    When I hibernate (not sleep), 50% of the time, the SP4 does not re-start. I have to hold Power+Volume-Up buttons and then to does to a IETU (firmware?) screen menu. From there I can navigate to RESTART the device. Bloody hell. I wish I had not bought this.

    • Roshan

      04/25/2016 at 3:01 pm

      Any update on this? I’m having the same problem….

  39. zami

    02/14/2016 at 5:14 pm

    hello, I was searching to solve my mouse/touch pad problem and after reading so many problems I decided just to hang on and be patient about it (-_-)
    But after playing around I found my cursor without restarting my surface pro 4. Use 3 fingers and swipe down, (it minimize your apps *just notice) and swipe it back up. tada my cursor appears, not sure if it works all the time but it did once. might work again right?
    Have a great day!

  40. Paul

    02/15/2016 at 10:25 am

    Bought my surface pro 4 two days ago – dialogue box saying critical error has locked the unit. Turning it off and on I get the same box. Taking it back to the retailer this week

  41. dada

    02/25/2016 at 1:33 am

    1 months ago I got my brand new SP4 and set login with MS live ID by default. At the same time enabled Hello face unlock, + Pin + Picture login + local password enabled. BUT when I carried it out and try to turn it on, it keep asking me to login my live ID. I was at a place free wifi everywhere, and I got my mobile hotspot turning on sharing wifi to all my device. but that stupid MS surface pro keep asking me to login with my Live ID online. you know what? The machine did’t let me connect to wifi (that wifi icon is not a button until you login, ok?).
    Sorry, i really cannot understand this design:
    Step 1: you need to connect to internet and use Live ID to login Windows.
    Step 2: in order to connect to the internet, you MUST login first.
    BIG BIG question, what is the use of offline mode login options (the 4digi-Pin, device password, face recognition, Picture login FOR?

    MS has been making PC for so many years. but fail at the step 1: fail to login.
    And the 2nd most stupid thing: the earphone jack is not working by default. and i have just spend hours to find solution provided by users, the MS CS suggestion are rubbish, at most time their suggestions won’t work but wasting you much time and reset everything. Just make sure you have everything backup more often when you are using MS products.

    Google Drive and Dropbox success should thanks to MS failure. and Apple should thank MS so much!
    The whole world thank MS so much to be alert that nothing is safe and stable using MS.

    Typing this to express the anger when using MS product is so wasting time. so end it here.

    BTW, i have disabled its sleep mode. because at most of time, it just gone dead everytime! YES! Sleep mode = dead mode!” and pressing the power button 30 seconds to RESTART a crashed system SEVERAL time EVERY DAY is never be acceptable!!!

  42. Mace Meier

    03/09/2016 at 7:50 am

    Microsoft is clearly one of the most poorly run companies on planet earth, second only to Intuit. I have software that prevents me from switching to Apple so I am locked in the Microsoft ecosystem… the only thing keeping this lousy excuse for a company alive. I bought the SP4 with 16 gigs of DRAM and 512 gigs of storage. It was fast the first week or two but now, less than 2.5 months later, simple web browsing is a time consuming nightmare. Windows 8 was fine but Windows 10 is horrible. Can’t stand the changes made to alt+tab to switch from program to another.

  43. Thom Piper

    03/11/2016 at 7:21 am

    So, whenever one of the critical functions stops working – and it sounds like there are many common and regular occurrences of this – turn it off and reboot. Yeah, that is a real “fix.” Better idea: don’t buy this pile of crap to begin with. There – that is a fix you can count on

  44. Jym Muller

    03/14/2016 at 2:08 pm

    I have been totally underwhelmed with this product, I received one the first day they came out, i had ordered it directly from MS online and was impressed that they shipped it so I would have it the first day it was released. That is where I stopped being impressed. The first thing that didn’t work was the WI-Fi, after several chats with Tech Support they gave me a work around which involve toggling a bit in the registry. I still did not get the through-put I wanted but it was better than the 1 Gb speed I was getting. Then a month later half the screen went bad. So I got my first replacement. Now two months later I just put in for my second replacement due to keyboard and touch screen issues. The touch screen had phantom spots that was acting like something was touching the screen but wasn’t. then the touch pad pointer wouldn’t show up on the screen. I would love to return this machine for a refund but they only allow 30 days to return the product. So I am stuck with it. I may cut my loses and Ebay it when I get the next replacement. I am tired of fighting the issues. It is a nice design but if it rarely works then it is a very expensive paperweight. It crashes, it is flaky to restart sometimes, i had to reset and reinstall Win 10 multiple times, I am tired of fooling with it. I would not recommend this product to anyone.

  45. ricky davidson

    03/21/2016 at 2:43 pm

    my camera on my surface PRO 4 hasn’t worked once on skype or oovoo apps and is really frustrating all other aspects work perfectly but this is a huge issue since I need to have video conference calls with my team please fix this problem immediately.

  46. E. Goldhammer

    03/25/2016 at 5:57 am

    Picked up my I5-256 SP4 Pro yesterday afternoon. Several immediate problems. Update process would complete for major updates, but several smaller ones, that flash past too fast to see would update over and over again. Multiple restarts no help.

    Next, mail app crashes immediately after adding my gmail account. Suggested solution open store app, go to updates to refresh. Store app immediately crashes upon attempting this.

    Well then Reset is tried. After that lengthy process, exactly the same problems. Last batch of updates won’t take, mail and store apps insta crash.

    Reset again, erase everything option. Not going any further. Returning it today to the MSFT store. Worst new PC experience I have ever had. And I say this as a Microsoft retiree, very loyal to the company. The SP4 and/or Windows 10 or the combo have a serious problem. I really wanted this product, now the whole line of Microsoft hardware is out of consideration for a long tinme and likely never.

    • MM Sethi

      03/29/2016 at 5:04 pm

      It is nothing but a piece of shit. Having spent a fortune for it, I am landed with a tablet that hangs every now and then and then once it hangs it is such a problem to switch it off and start again, Also you have to spend another fortune to buy a key board

  47. magen

    03/31/2016 at 3:49 pm

    I have the Surface Book and had a lot of the same problems as you all are talking about until I got an update. Now it works like a dream and the only problem I still have is that the camera for face recognition doesn’t turn on all the time. I consider it to be just a gimmick anyway as I don’t really need it but still pisses me off that it doesn’t work after paying 2.5K for it. I feel for you guys with ongoing problems. Maybe they should upgrade all faulty ones with The Surface Book.

  48. Derik Wilson

    04/07/2016 at 3:30 am

    I must have gotten lucky. My pro 4 works flawlessly, except sometimes it is difficult getting out of sleep mode.

  49. Chris

    04/07/2016 at 8:57 pm

    It’s gotten JUST a little better each successive firmware update but new ones (olds ones too) keep popping up. I experience MANY frustratingly mysterious problems from failure to wake up (or a very long time like 20 sec to wake up), computer still on when in my bag (so it heats up and drains the battery), taskbar disappearing, pen not working, bluescreen (not as often as surface pro 1), etc, etc. It’s been REALLY frustrating. On top of that…my Powerpoint session often crashes losing all the work especially an hour before my presentation!!!! My personal opinion is that this computer is not ready for real work. It’s OK for casual/entertainment use but not for real work…

    I have owned all surfaces and Pro 4 is hands down the best machine…but worst in terms of these freaky problems. It’s so frequent (at least one incident a day), I am paranoid about using the computer.

    I’m seriously thinking of switching to…something else…but I don’t there is anything like this with a stylus. Sad…

  50. Steve

    04/08/2016 at 12:26 pm

    I bought a SP4 in February, I specifically chose it based on the touch screen and pen features. Unfortunately, my device works perfectly except for the touch screen/pen. Very often (about half the time) upon boot up or after sleep mode the touch screen/pen is disabled. The only way to restore it is to restart and usually it takes several times. I missed my 30 day return window and am now stuck with it or exchanging for another device (used not new mind you). I’ve been on line and in store for help and I still have the issue. I’m afraid if I exchange it, i will just get another device (used) with the same issue, so why bother. I am sorry is bought this and if I had the opportunity to return for a full refund I’d do it and get something else.

  51. jared

    04/09/2016 at 6:32 am

    I tried to do a factory reset on my surface pro 4 and once it started it stopped on 7 % , I thought that if I left it for a while it would work it out .I came back to it about an hour later, and it was as hot as the flames of gahenna , I didnt know what to do , so I unplugged the charger and as soon as I did that the screen went black and started the start up screen , then went black again , then the start up screen … I cant even turn it off ITS STILL DOING IT

    • Eugene Goldhammer

      04/09/2016 at 10:00 am

      I found that it can take a VERY long time. Plug it back in and just wait.

  52. Steve

    04/09/2016 at 3:15 pm

    Biggest piece of shit I ever bought, endless problems…newest: phantom screen touches, cannot get any work done on this paper weight, STAY AWAY!

  53. Kathryn

    04/09/2016 at 7:57 pm

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  54. JEL

    04/12/2016 at 9:20 am

    Microsoft ought to pay apple to make their machines

  55. E. Goldhammer

    04/12/2016 at 10:41 am

    I note that on update day today Microsoft finally made the Version 1511 (Build 10586.164) available again. It installed fine on my desktop, and several of the problems that I had running Win 10 apps seem to be fixed. I will probably wait a month, and then try the SP4 again.

  56. E Scott

    04/13/2016 at 5:06 am

    We are using SP4 and SP3 at work and after adding these devices to the domain UAC defaults to never notify and the firewall disables itself we think it has something to do with Group Policy when the firewall is disabled the Store wont open also we found out that some attachments cant be opened in outlook if UAC is set to never notify

  57. breakingzeus

    04/13/2016 at 8:55 am

    I’ve been testing this device extensively for one of our associate deans, and have come across all of these issues. At first i thought there was no way this thing was so buggy. However i soon found out that it definitely was this buggy. Its crazy how microsoft would put out such a flawed product to market at such a high price point.

    Don’t ever buy this device!!!

  58. Sail away

    04/19/2016 at 8:32 am

    On my third POS sp4. I’ll state here that Best Buy has been awesome in dealing with this POS. That said, ms has not. Upon opening the third unit, I was excited that it came with a different power supply. It actually maintained its power while sleeping and during power off. All seemed to be good for about two weeks then it wouldn’t wake up, I could see it was trying. The battery stayed warmer then normal (2 weeks) until it was fully discharged at which time I applied power and was able to get back in and get my files that was going to cost me many days to re-work.

    DO NOT BUY THIS POS SP4 PERIOD, DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING A SURFACE PRO 4.

    I’ve been duped into thinking that ms would actually want to compete in the world of great products but how wrong I was. I’ve now tried three new units. The fact that they keep selling this POS (mine is two weeks old), not admitting to failures and not taking care of the crappy units they keep shipping, tells the tale that nothing should be bought from ms.

    Do not buy the SP4, as it is a complete failure, after three tries I have the right to state that. With all of the complete failures I have had to deal with, no boot up for 6 hr PPT presentation, lost data, high blood pressure, etc, I will do all I can to let people know that the Surface Pro 4 is a microsoft piece of s….

  59. Nicole

    04/21/2016 at 7:03 am

    Bought an sp4 and on day two windows wouldn’t fire up, just the black backlit screen. Not to mention for the brief moment it worked, the email program and paint program kept crashing and kicking u back to the desktop screen. Returned it for a new one and was in the middle of just the basic set up on the new one and IT froze up. Turned it off and it won’t turn back on. Totally dead. So frustrating! I’m done with this product!

  60. Nick

    04/26/2016 at 4:15 am

    Surface 4 Pro, Connecting an external monitor via the mini-Display Port (mDP) to either a Display Port or an HDMI connector will interfere with WiFi if the WiFi is using 2.4GHz. The Display will work but the secured WiFi connection is dropped. The Connection will re-establish on removal of the cable. The problem is not evident when using mDP to VGA.
    There is no proper fix at the moment. It is not known if this is a hardware issue or a driver issue.
    Solution 1 – Use an external WiFi connected to USB3 port.
    Solution 2 – Use a wired network into the USB3 port.

  61. AR

    05/05/2016 at 11:39 am

    After applying a recent update (maybe a week ago?), my SP4 loses all wireless connectivity for a few seconds, several times a day. Losing internet inetermittently is bad enough, but I use a BT key/b and mouse, which is even worse as I can’t do ANYTHING (even just type in Word) when this happens.

    Any suggestions?

  62. John n

    05/13/2016 at 4:30 pm

    Recently purchased a sp4 with an expectation that I could operate dual monitors from the dock which has two dedicated ports specifically for monitors but no, after many attempts only one monitor can operate from the docking station and the other monitor has to plug directly into the SP4 to operate

    • A R

      05/13/2016 at 5:25 pm

      I’m able to operate 2 external monitors through my dock, and still use the sp4 screen as a 3rd. Maybe you’re doing it wrong?

    • EScott

      05/13/2016 at 6:04 pm

      On the SP3 I found out that Tripp-lite adapters don’t work in the sp4 dock , Startech , Ravie works fine though

    • Fursch

      08/18/2016 at 7:30 am

      Had same problem, found Mini DPI to HDMI cables fixed the issue. Was using Mini DPI to DPI adapters and they did not work.

  63. Judithgarnold

    05/15/2016 at 8:52 am

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  64. V N

    05/22/2016 at 8:11 pm

    I had a problem with Surface Pro 4 and dock not working when reconnected. Ethernet (GigE) and USB device drivers would error (Code 28). Reinstalling the drivers would get the dock working until the next time I needed to reconnect. The problem was with Cisco VPN software. Uninstalled Cisco VPN software and dock works correctly now.

  65. CECELIA JONES

    05/25/2016 at 7:17 pm

    Microsoft surface is the worst computer I have ever owned. I brought it on Sunday and May 22 the battery would not charge. I took it back and exchanged it. Today after owning it 3 days, I restarted it and an update came through and now it won’t start at all. And there is no phone at all to call. There’s an easy phone call support for my Samsung and every other computer that I have owned.

  66. mark aal

    06/05/2016 at 1:51 pm

    I have a new surface book and am having an issue I have not found yet while reading through this forum. I am having intermittent issues with what looks like multiple lines of text on a various web pages having been redacted with a black marking pen that was running out of ink at the time it was used. I only wish I could paste screen shots I have captured of this issue occurring. Any others ever had this issue?

  67. surface pro4 is a piece of junk

  68. G. MD

    06/06/2016 at 10:00 pm

    during an update the display crashed and does not come up. pro4 does not reboot and is completely dead. anybody knows what to do with this piece of junk?

  69. Microsoft Lemons

    06/16/2016 at 9:01 am

    DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT buy the Surface Pro 4. It is a very expensive lemon and Microsoft customer service will not help you. I have spent hours on the phone with them, they just put you through a script and hang up on you. You will have no recourse but arbitration. I wish someone had warned me. Neither the device nor type cover work anymore and they are less than six months old.

  70. Teri

    06/19/2016 at 10:03 am

    I have an SP4 that my husband bought me last Christmas, I have the support package. The camera worked fine for a short period then stopped working altogether, Cortana has never worked properly. I phoned the support guys who transferred me to North America (from the UK) and the time delay made it impossible to have a conversation. I was then put through to some online chat person who didn’t speak good English and each response took about 20 minutes. My hubby finally got through to someone in Ireland but they couldn’t help either! I was told to change all my settings to US English to use Cortana but that messed up my keyboard and other stuff and stopped working after a few minutes anyway. I am totally hacked off with it!

  71. Michele Peckham

    06/20/2016 at 5:44 am

    I brought an S Pro 4 yesterday,mworked okay on start up, now won’t let me get past the sign in screen, it keeps saying device is offline log in with pin, and nothing happens, camera flicks back up does not recognise me, won’t go on wi-Fi. Have tried holding the start button for 30 seconds and reset, still same fault – anyone got any ideas ?

  72. Chibuzo

    07/06/2016 at 2:16 pm

    Best option ctrl+alt+del. Anyone selling his used surface pro 4,pls contact me

  73. Dhanoo Khusrokhan

    07/15/2016 at 10:21 pm

    When I am working on my surface pro 4 and leave it, for something urgent, or without shutting it down, when I return to it after 4-5 hrs or even a day, the surface pro4 does not start when i press the start button.
    I then have to press start and volume button for 30 seconds before Surface starts. I dont know why this happens?

    However if I shut my surface down every time when I am finished working, then it starts when i press the start switch.

    In other laptops eg Lenovo, the machine commences everytime you switch it on. There seems to be something wrong with Surface.
    Please can you help?

  74. CECELIA JONES

    07/16/2016 at 3:07 am

    I took two brand new machines back to best buy within one week. I went back to a Samsung tablet.

  75. Gerald Winik

    07/18/2016 at 6:09 pm

    Microsoft did a poor job..shame on you Microsoft.

    • CECELIA JONES

      07/19/2016 at 6:18 am

      Do not buy Surface pro!!!!! Buy a Think Pad or Samsung tab with keybroad. I replaced the 2 new surfaces that I returned with a week trying to get one that would work, with them and saved money!!!!

  76. Wendy

    07/28/2016 at 8:45 am

    the issue that I am having is that when I open the remote server desktop, the words are very puny. I can’t figure out how to fix this.

  77. Aamir

    08/05/2016 at 3:52 am

    When copying file or folder … It’s very very slow

  78. justin

    08/05/2016 at 6:20 am

    For issues with the type cover not working: hold the + on the volume button and the power button down for about 30 seconds. Then simply power it back on. That gets my type cover working 9/10 times

  79. James Barry Ryan

    08/10/2016 at 6:02 am

    I regret not having done enough research before making the purchase of a Surface Pro 4. I am very happy with the device. Given it’s premium price all of these user workarounds should not be necessary. I have experienced many of the issues outlined in this article. When will MS address the issues? Potential buyers need to be aware of the many quality failings in this product. My advice, avoid this product. Why pay a premium price for an inferior product.

  80. JAmes Barry Ryan

    08/10/2016 at 6:05 am

    I meant to say very unhappy

  81. Peter

    08/22/2016 at 5:30 am

    Very nice! This website knows many Surface problems. The real question is, WHAT IS MICROSOFT DOING ABOUT IT?

  82. Lucas Ninard

    08/28/2016 at 9:05 am

    Thanks for helping out, but an article about solving problems wich most reccurent solution is to reboot is not helping.

  83. mylife90210

    09/03/2016 at 7:03 am

    This is frustrating to hear. So far it has been a great product except for the freezes that happen periodically. The whole machine freezes and I’m stuck trying to wait for something to happen. If Microsoft did a fix for this and I have installed the latest updates – has this also been installed? If so, it doesn’t work and is Microsoft still working on the issue (s)?

  84. Neo_RS

    09/07/2016 at 1:08 am

    I have bought 2 Surfaces Pro 4 for the company since december last week, and we are very satisfied with it…
    small remarques here & then, but nothing so critical, on machines which are connected to another screens and which are used 14h a day.

    I am quite satisfied, but the one I use last week started with something I can not understand…
    Using Acrobat Reader DC (used it quite for some time), is now a problem, as when opening it CPU usage is 40%, and if I have 3 pdf files open it goes to 100% CPU USAGE which is a problem as temperature increases and I can now hear the fan working.

    Already uninstalled it, re-install, correct instalation, but this problem is always happening…anyone here as the same problem?

  85. Simon JOSOLYNE

    09/22/2016 at 1:03 am

    Its good to know its not just me, but that’s the only good news. This is more buggy than anything I’ve ever owned and the updates sometimes make it worse (e.g. recent one made previous expansion storage unreadable and had to go back one update to fix). I shouldn’t have to be using workarounds all the time. Microsoft should have beta tested longer.

    • Srikanth Reddy

      10/31/2016 at 3:39 am

      Why do think so? They’re still beta testing… on You, Me and all the commenters here

  86. Geoff Read

    09/24/2016 at 1:04 pm

    I occasionally have 1 or 2 of these problems, but just sporadically. My most common problem is that when the Surface 4 is unplugged the screen flashes… which makes ir pretty much useless as a tablet. Any suggestions^

  87. Texas

    10/03/2016 at 1:00 am

    Wrost money spent in my life. The keyboard is allways stopping to work… Have to restart the computer to work again… The charger only charges when he wants… Tired of it. Not buying any more thing from Microsoft.

  88. Jim Slater

    10/31/2016 at 3:47 pm

    I have had my surface pro 4 for about 2 months now and it has new problems daily. Todays issue is that the on screen keyboard has reversed the shift key, so when I shift to caps I get lower case and vice versa. I wish I had never bought it.

  89. David Horsley

    11/02/2016 at 10:04 am

    After many months, 50 or more calls and email exchanges with Microsoft, and 4 Surface Pro 4 replacements, I am still encountering problems. The most annoying is that all open apps crash every time when the monitors switch off (simple fix is to defeat this function by changing the power setting to never turn off – but that means they are always on and consuming energy). My Surface Pro 4 I5 256 is fully updated (both software and firmware) as is the bespoke docking station. Microsoft has been reasonably good about following up, but their technicians don’t seem to be very knowledgeable so you need to be careful taking their advice and steer them away from actions that have recently been tried. For example, the standard recommendation is to reset the device, which is okay but be aware that the type of reset may cause all software/settings/files to be erased, and this then takes several hours of your time to restore. Thankfully Microsoft is able to deploy installation of Office 365 efficiently, and OneDrive (both personal and business editions) seem to work flawlessly, leaving only the odd software to install manually e.g. Adobe Reader.

  90. Janet

    12/06/2016 at 11:28 am

    I use SP4 with 4 screens. It now will randomly repeat multiple letters or numbers as if key is stuck but the key is not stuck. It is so frustrating when trying to type in word or excel especially.

  91. Sammie

    12/07/2016 at 3:50 am

    I was considering a Pro 4, but it looks like it has all of the same issues as my Pro 3. Sceen freeze, keyboard stops working, Won’t turn on sometimes, charging issues, wi-fi awful….my old dell would pull in wi-fi at twice the distance.
    No reason to buy a new one if it is no better than the one I have.

  92. Andrew

    12/13/2016 at 10:06 pm

    I think it’s stupid to choose sides or be a fanboy of this brand or that brand, so I’m 100% open to using any platform that works. I’ve used my iMac for years and it is a fantastic machine and still is to this day. When it came to needing a mobile device for editing photos and video, Apple didn’t have anything I liked. Purchasing this MS Surface Pro 4 was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. I wish I didn’t give it time and returned it when I had the chance. This is the last Windows machine I’ll ever buy. I spend 90% of the time trying to get it to work than actually working on it. I’m so done.

  93. David

    02/01/2017 at 4:13 am

    “Here in 2017, a lot of those issues are gone, but some still remain.”

    “Some”. And then pages of problems which only scratch the surface. Just now I’ve had Hello fail to recognise where it worked an hour earlier, followed by a blank Improve Recognition window coupled with the Start button not working (no menu shown) followed by a restart that has killed the headphone audio even though the headphone audio device is fine.

    SP4 is a glitchy, awkward experience, made all the worse by the ‘professional’ positioning and price-tag. MS’s own OS on their own hardware and they still can’t get it right, patch after patch, firmware after firmware.

  94. John

    02/14/2017 at 12:51 pm

    OK, maybe someone here can help with this, or suggest something… I recently bought a docking station for my Pro 4. If I leave it plugged into the docking station at night, the next day it will have shutdown (crashed really…) during the night, but not if I leave it plugged into the original charger. Really strange!
    The Event Manager says there was a “Kernel-Power” Error.

    The Docking Station is a Microsoft Product and not a 3rd party…

    Any thoughts?

  95. Roger

    02/20/2017 at 8:59 pm

    “Type Cover Mouse and Keyboard Won’t Work”
    The solution here doesn’t quite work for me. I have a sp3 and sp4. Both experience the exact same problem.
    When this problem arise, the devices simply won’t restart. They just stuck at the restarting screen forever. A hard restart would be needed.
    I did factory resets many times and that wouldn’t help.
    I finally exchanged my sp4 and problem solved. Unfortunately, my sp3 is out of warranty.

  96. Janice Archer

    03/18/2017 at 6:40 pm

    I am have several of the problems you mention.. I am trying to get my accounts ready for my accountant, Igt is really anoying, and I should not have to stop to take the steps you talk about to FIX issues. why doesn’t Microsoft fix them? I would love to return the thing but it is too late. Best Buy doesn’t take returns after four months. Also the key board is NOT as nice as you state If flops around and often moves. I learned that I have to disconnect is when things freeze, or the mouse doesn’t work, I donot like taking time when i have important papers to get out.

    thanksfully I have a Mac also, But the State of RI wants windows pltform to renew professional lisens, etc.

  97. Rainamary

    03/29/2017 at 5:50 pm

    My screen is buffering and I tried turning my device off for a number of hours and still it is buffering. It has been going on like this for many days.

  98. C.J.

    04/13/2017 at 11:15 pm

    Owned an SP4 about 2 weeks, but have had to send in both the original and a replacement charger because they are so shoddily built they fail almost immediately when placed under what I would consider normal-use strain. It’s very disappointing on what is otherwise an extremely nice product.

  99. Kathleen

    04/22/2017 at 9:36 am

    My keyboard won’t recognize my password. So to login, I have to detach the keyboard and use the built in keyboard. After I’m logged in, then I reattach the keyboard, and it works fine. What needs to happen to get this to work correctly?

  100. Cliff

    05/16/2017 at 1:53 pm

    I have a problem getting SP4 to recognize any micro SD card.

    Works fine in other computers. SP4 doesn’t show a drive letter in Computer, but the device manager lists the card under Disk Drives, but Device Manager also shows Storage Volumes with one Volume, and it has a yellow exclamation mark next to it.

    Tried a 16GB sdhc and a 64GB sdxc card.

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