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Is this normal?

David Caporale

New Member
On my second SP3 tablet, same things keep happening and I am not sure if the issues are Windows 8.1 or the hardware. I have spent at least eight hours with MS support, have had the tablet replaced and my docking station replaced. My Windows updates are current and after reboot I check again.
  • Touch screen work 70% of the time using my fingers. I have calibrated.
  • Pen just doesn't work as a stylus, is it supposed to?
  • Keyboard touch pad pointer moves when you let go and hard to fine tune to an on screen selectable button. I have the proper setting enabled to snap to, enhance position and I have played with size and speed settings.
  • Attach the keyboard and touch screen gets worse, works 60% of the time.
  • Put the tablet in the docking station and touch screen works less than 20% of the time. I am on my second one.
My question is: Is this normal or do I need to go for a third tablet?
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
Umm, how is the power where you are??? Do you live under high tension lines, near a military radar installation or airport, next to a leaking nuclear reactor, or perhaps inside the loop of a large hadron collider? :D

Not normal.
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
Part of your issue is you calibrated your touch screen.... reset it and see if it works better.
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
Have you had your capacitance level checked, you may have an unusually high or low capacitance level or do you wear silk clothing over nylons? :)
Is there a Radio transmitter nearby?
Perhaps your neighbor is a mad scientist conducting Tesla coil experiments??? :D
 

jpfive

New Member
On my second SP3 tablet, same things keep happening and I am not sure if the issues are Windows 8.1 or the hardware. I have spent at least eight hours with MS support, have had the tablet replaced and my docking station replaced. My Windows updates are current and after reboot I check again.
  • Touch screen work 70% of the time using my fingers. I have calibrated.
  • Pen just doesn't work as a stylus, is it supposed to?
  • Keyboard touch pad pointer moves when you let go and hard to fine tune to an on screen selectable button. I have the proper setting enabled to snap to, enhance position and I have played with size and speed settings.
  • Attach the keyboard and touch screen gets worse, works 60% of the time.
  • Put the tablet in the docking station and touch screen works less than 20% of the time. I am on my second one.
My question is: Is this normal or do I need to go for a third tablet?
 

jpfive

New Member
This is not facetious. The suggestions of radio magnetic interference of some kind are legitimate. I returned two SP3's because of a disappearing cursor. It would bury itself in the upper left corner of the screen. I could pull it down with the touch pad, but it would snap right back. This was an intermittent problem, but was destroying my love for the machine. I purchased the third directly from Microsoft, thinking the BB store had a defective batch - this time with the support plan. Problem went away for a while...then resurfaced (sorry)... I found the problem by accident. My wife uses a Verilux fluorescent reading lamp which, when on one side of her chair is immediately adjacent to me. I had a hunch - moved to the other side of the room - and my problem went away. I no longer have this problem, but I also no longer work adjacent to this lamp. I don't use the pen generally, but had tried it to override the cursor when it was malfunctioning. No luck. I also tried the wedge BT mouse and also the ms mouse that uses the usb dongle. They worked no better - unless I moved away from the lamp. I expect that the pen will work now also - but haven't tried it. Hope this helps. Jack
 

kundas1

Well-Known Member
personally I would get rid of that lamp! wondering what kinda health problems that thing will cause you and the wife further down the road lol never heard of a lamp able to directly affect electronic devices in such a way
 

jpfive

New Member
Well, I would never expect such a thing from an incandescent lamp. The only frequency associated with those is the generated power coming to the lamp. Fluorescents are a little different - ballasts and all - but who knows. I only offer my own observation and experience. Of course we all realize that EM interference is a part of our modern world. I have remote controlled lights/ceiling fans in my rec room that sometimes come on by themselves. I noticed this happening on one occasion as my neighbors garage door was opening - but not always - perhaps just coincidental. At any rate I think I'll keep the lamp... :)
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
Well, I would never expect such a thing from an incandescent lamp. The only frequency associated with those is the generated power coming to the lamp. Fluorescents are a little different - ballasts and all - but who knows. I only offer my own observation and experience. Of course we all realize that EM interference is a part of our modern world. I have remote controlled lights/ceiling fans in my rec room that sometimes come on by themselves. I noticed this happening on one occasion as my neighbors garage door was opening - but not always - perhaps just coincidental. At any rate I think I'll keep the lamp... :)
Their garage door was probably responding to the same EM pulses as your lights & fan.
 

Telstar1948

Active Member
...the neighbor's are probably wondering why their garage door keeps opening and closing without their input...it's the lamp...it's the lamp!
 
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