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dead after Feb. Update - they did it again!!

reach

Member
Hi there,
I have installed the Feb. update on my SP2 and I'm having worse issues than ever.
50% of the time it doesn't power up, needs a hard-reset.
A regular reboot takes ages and often has a BSOD in between.
Every now and then the fans are on - have never heared them ever before.
This morning after reading the news at home I closed the keyboard and packed it in. When I took it out in the office it was hot and battery just died. Just like the previous bug, just that it looks totally different in the eventlog.

I see people here have a Firmware dated 11.2., I don't have that. Depending on which FW component I look the latest on is from 14.1.2014 (System aggregator FW).
So one might object my post, that I'm moaning about the update while not even having the latest FW, but what shall I say? I have updated it yesterday, I DID recieve a "new" FW and the device is close to unusable, worse than ever. If it happens to me, it might happen to others as well.

I hate this crap. I really hoped they would make it right, give what's on stake, but I was wrong again.
 

mennogreg

Active Member
Unfortunately I can't provide much help, only to confirm the System Aggregator firmware you have is the latest one from February. I continue to believe some of the issues (by no means all!) plaguing the Surface Pro are due to the keyboard. Overall system stability on mine is markedly different with keyboard unattached (pertaining to hibernate, sleep, and waking on its own for no reason); know it sounds crazy, but try detaching the keyboard before you power down, hibernate, sleep, or pack it away and see if there is any difference in alleviating those issues.
 
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reach

Member
I continue to believe some of the issues (by no means all!) plaguing the Surface Pro are due to the keyboard.
you're bloody right! I just rebooted it 5 times in a row without Keyboard and all is fine, no Errors in the log. Doing the same with Keyboard leads to BSOD and endless reboot times.

BTW: I have the Keyboard on now and folded under the stand and just again had the SP2 turning it itself on a few seconds after switching it off. Crazy!
 

mennogreg

Active Member
you're bloody right! I just rebooted it 5 times in a row without Keyboard and all is fine, no Errors in the log. Doing the same with Keyboard leads to BSOD and endless reboot times.

BTW: I have the Keyboard on now and folded under the stand and just again had the SP2 turning it itself on a few seconds after switching it off. Crazy!

Glad you're able to find a temporary (hopefully!) workaround. Out of curiosity, when you installed the firmware, was your keyboard attached?
 
OP
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reach

Member
Glad you're able to find a temporary (hopefully!) workaround. Out of curiosity, when you installed the firmware, was your keyboard attached?

Yes it was.
I wouldn't consider it a workaround, I barely use the SP2 without Keyboard.
I will get a call from MS next week to ask if my 4th replacement unit finally works. Let's see what they say to the new issues...
 

mtalinm

Active Member
my new problem is that my external monitors go blank after a few minutes, apparently until I push the cursor to those external monitors. these are daisy chained.
\
never happened before yesterday's update (not firmware). maybe it's a fluke. b ut it fixes when I sleep the machine and reawaken
 
OP
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reach

Member
Hi guys,
am I really alone this time with my issue?
It's really dramatic this time, much worse than after the first bad firmware. With the keyboard attached it's behaving totally weird. It did so since right after the update. Not that I noticed something strange a few hours later, no, I closed the lid after the update and it went crazy. There's no doubt it's the FW.
 

mennogreg

Active Member
Hi guys,
am I really alone this time with my issue?
It's really dramatic this time, much worse than after the first bad firmware. With the keyboard attached it's behaving totally weird. It did so since right after the update. Not that I noticed something strange a few hours later, no, I closed the lid after the update and it went crazy. There's no doubt it's the FW.

You can try uninstalling the keyboard driver through Device Manager and then run Windows Update to get the latest driver, but I don't know the exact instructions to do so, better to wait for someone else to chime in.
 

GoodBytes

Well-Known Member
I have no issues on my side (well on some occasion the system wont' wake up from sleep, but that is a known problem.. this is also my only problem that I am experiencing and noticed. I use my SP2 daily).
But many people that had issues seams to have everything good again once they replaced their keyboard. I would do the same.

My guess, is that the keyboard was faulty (faulty firmware chip used, is a possibility 'cause it does have one), and that the firmware was miss installed because of that, so that is screwing up with Windows, which results in these strange behaviors.

If you could return the keyboard at the store and buy a another one, it would be best. You'll also make sure you have the latest revision. If not, head to a Microsoft store if you have one, they should give you a new one under warranty.
If not, then you have to no choice to send it under warranty which you may or may not have a refurbished.
 
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reach

Member
But many people that had issues seams to have everything good again once they replaced their keyboard.

Sounds interesting. Thx. I haven't followed the forum since a while, so this info is new to me. Is this related to the Feb update, or a general thing?
 

GoodBytes

Well-Known Member
I don't have much info on it. But I think it's a general thing. I have affected by this.

I recall my keyboard (Type Cover 2) causing issues with my Surface Pro 2, the touch and was also not responsive. I taught the issues I was facing where just the Surface Pro 2, and firmware updates in the future would fix them, but hold and beyond, the new keyboard I got has fixed all the issues I was having, and the track pad works really well.

I don't know if it's Microsoft that made some large bad batch of keyboard or just happened that the quality control isn't great for the manufacture that makes the keyboard, or what. But it is what it is.
 
OP
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reach

Member
Wooohoo it seems to be ok now!
I have deleted the "Surface Type Cover 2 Firmware Update Device". The keyboard was still working but I could reboot without BSODs. Tried it some 10 times with no issues.

Then I checked for new updates and it showed the Feb-update again. I installed it and after that I had this "Surface Type cover 2 Firmware Upgrade Device" again in the device list, but it was still ok. Rebooted another 10 times without issues.

I haven't checked for the other strange things like fans spinning up and device turning itself on spontanously, but I tend to believe it's good now.


I hope nobody jumps at me for shouting at MS while it could be fixed by myself. I have done nothing but installed an update which anybody else did as well. Only thanks to many hours of trying and ultimately thanks to GoodBytes' hint I could fix it. No normal user should ever have to do this.
 
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