Closing type cover does not turn off screen?

[Reidar Berntzen]

I might be blind, but I cannot figure out how to force the screen to turn off when I close the type cover.
We are using the SP3 in docking with external monitor at the office but the screen is still lit even though the type cover is closed. (It is a small gap between the type cover and the screen where we can see the light from the screen)

I know it is possible to control this by selecting “external monitor only” at WINDOWS+P, but shouldn’t it be possible to this automatically? What is the point of keeping the screen lit when the type cover is closed?

 

[ruinah]

could be a behavior when in the dock. I've never tried. I pull the type cover off when I put it in the dock. When I use it independently it turns the screen off fine.

 

[Reidar Berntzen]

Thank you for your reply.
Hmm, It does not matter if it is docked or not. The screen is always on until the unit goes to sleep or power off.
The options for closing the cover is "turn off", "sleep mode" or "do nothing".
We have to select "do nothing" since we don't want the two others.

 

[bluegrass]

So you know why the screen stays on with the cover closed. That is how I like to keep mine set so if I want to carry Surface to another worker or to a meeting, it is ready to go. It's hard for me to understand how any screen light seeps out around the cover. My cover closes tight against the screen and overlaps the screens bezel. Sounds like your best solution is to swish your finger in from the right, click on devices, than Project and choose Second screen only. It just takes a couple seconds. I think even your non technical users will be happy with that solution if the screen being on bothers them.

 

[Reidar Berntzen]

Thank you for your reply.

My customer is complaining about this.
Not because of the light itself, but the unit gets even warmer when it is on, and we would like to prevent overheating – and worried customers.
They do not want manually turn it off every time they close the cover. They did not need to do that with their laptops.

I just do not understand why it does not turn off the screen when it is closed.
However, it is what it is. If there are no solution for this, I cannot change that.
Wish you all a great day

 

[bluegrass]

I would just tell your users that the SP3 is a newer hybrid device and that it is designed to withstand heat. I'm surprised that they even noticed it if they are using a remote monitor, keyboard and mouse. My users have the docking station setup off to the side and only touch their SP3 when they want to remove it from the dock.

 

[Reidar Berntzen]

Thank you again.

I was kind of planning telling them something like that until all the overheating articles were everywhere. I have seen a lot similar to this one (and so has the users):
http://windowsitpro.com/microsoft-surface/high-end-surface-pro-3-hit-excessive-heat-problems
I believe one of the first users to notice that the unit was very warm was caused by the fan noise.
Well, we are lucky having the i5 CPU, they do not shut down (as far as I know) but they do get quite warm.

 

[Captpt]

Thank you for your reply.

My customer is complaining about this.
Not because of the light itself, but the unit gets even warmer when it is on, and we would like to prevent overheating – and worried customers.
They do not want manually turn it off every time they close the cover. They did not need to do that with their laptops.

I just do not understand why it does not turn off the screen when it is closed.
However, it is what it is. If there are no solution for this, I cannot change that.
Wish you all a great day

I don't have/use the keyboard but as a shot in the dark if you go to Search and type "change what closing lid does" and tap on the same result then see if Sleep is picked as the option chosen..

 

[Reidar Berntzen]

Thank you for your reply.
My goal is not to make it sleep, but only to turn off the screen.
As I postet earlier:
"The options for closing the cover is "turn off", "sleep mode" or "do nothing".
We have to select "do nothing" since we don't want the two others."

 

[Jason Cliche]

There are numerous threads on this but somebody at Microsoft decided that you can't turn off the screen and have the computer continue to function in the background (except Metro apps). However if you have another monitor attached will it allow you to turn off the Surface screen and continue to function. I believe a developer was going to work on a program to fix this but not until later this year.

Often times I'm just downloading updates or torrents and would really like to turn off my screen.

 

[jnjroach]

There are numerous threads on this but somebody at Microsoft decided that you can't turn off the screen and have the computer continue to function in the background (except Metro apps). However if you have another monitor attached will it allow you to turn off the Surface screen and continue to function. I believe a developer was going to work on a program to fix this but not until later this year.

Often times I'm just downloading updates or torrents and would really like to turn off my screen.

This is due to the Surface Pro 3 is a connected Standby machine and only WinRT is Connected Standby aware, until .NET is updated to support these API Calls there is no way for Win32 Code to stay active in the S0iX Power State so it defaults to a S3 Power State behavior. And moving the SP3 to a non-connected Standby Machine would be a design regression.

 

[Reidar Berntzen]

Thank you for the technical information.
At least this gives me an answer I can give the customer
“Microsoft SP3 do not support that function and what you are asking for is not possible”

I still do not fully understand why having a switch / function turning off the display when the cover is closed will change SP3 to “a non-connected Standby Machine”.
To me this has nothing to do with suspend / sleep or other Power state functions. I am not defining or setting the standards so if it is as this there is not much I can do about it.