Battery firmware updae

[Jesse]

Battery firmware update

I've read that there is a firmware update that increases battery life, and that installs through the windows update center.

How can I tell if this is installed? Looking at installed windows update there is one item that shows firmware update, but it failed. Searching for the error code shows other people with the same error when they didn't have the keyboard attached. I cannot retry the install, and I would like to see if I have the correct firmware improve battery life.

Any advice you can provide is appreciated.

-Jesse

 

[girarcat]

I'm just wondering the same. I have had my Sp2 since Tuesday, and I'm not sure whether or not I have this update installed. Some days before buying my SP2 I read somewhere that with an update you could get about 7-8h of battery life (the update increased the battery life by a couple of hours). My battery has never lasted longer than 5-6h (with brightness at maximum), so maybe with the update i could improve that, providing I don't have it installed yet.

 

[Rvacha]

I think I remember reading that the firmware update was for SP1 and not SP2 but I could be wrong

 

[Jesse]

The firmware update seems to be for the surface 2. Here is a link talking about it: Surface Pro 2 firmware update packs a big battery boost | PCWorld

 

[drolem]

The Surface Pro 1 & 2 FW updates are normally for EC, SAM, or UEFI. I'm not sure if the batteries have FW, but even if they have, I highly doubt that they can be upgraded once the batteries are installed.

The increased battery life was attained by various power saving measures across the board.

 

[Jesse]

drolem,

You are correct. I don't expect the firmware update to have anything to do with the actual battery. My understanding of the firmware update was the it optimized the hardware and used the battery more conservatively. For example I read that it put the wifi in a lower power state when possible, reducing overall power consumption.

 

[Arizona Willie]

My Surface Pro 1 under the battery report shows the BIOS was installed on 8/20/2013 version 1.05.0050.

Since I got it in March, I believe it was, they have updated the BIOS without asking.

My update history doesn't go back that far. Only until Oct of 2013.

There has been quite a few updates for hardware and they don't like to tell you what it was about so unless you go to the trouble of tracking them down via Microsoft somehow ... who knows what they do?

I just cross my fingers and hope to hell they know what they're doing.

So far ... so good

 

[mtalinm]

My battery has never lasted longer than 5-6h (with brightness at maximum), so maybe with the update i could improve that, providing I don't have it installed yet.

There is your explanation. I get 7-8 hours but that is with brightness at about 1/3 of max.

I once got 10.5 hours but that was without WiFi and only running OneNote.

 

[girarcat]

There is your explanation. I get 7-8 hours but that is with brightness at about 1/3 of max.

I once got 10.5 hours but that was without WiFi and only running OneNote.

I'll try and reduce the brightness, though 1/3 of max is quite a dim screen, isn't it?