Laptop & iPad -> SP3

[PhotoKaz]

I just picked up a Surface Pro 3, and I'm very impressed. I wanted to see if it could replace my trusty Lenovo X1 Carbon and iPad (4th gen), two devices that I use often. Not perfect but overall a great device that saves me carrying two. Nicely done MS.

I wrote about my experience so far here: http://photokaz.com/2014/10/making-the-switch-laptop-ipad-to-surface-pro-3/

Not problem free (pen won't pair, can't get ethernet on the dock working, and the damn thing turns of the screen after 3 min despite best efforts otherwise). I'll try to dig in the forums for those issues before I post more.

Cheers.

 

[ctitanic]

If you click in the Top button, does OneNote open?

The pen is not permanently connected to Bluetooth.

 

[Liam2349]

The pen connects through bluetooth when the top button is pressed. It is not permanently connected - this is to save battery life for the pen, and probably also the Surface.

If the pen is paired, you have nothing to worry about. If it actually won't pair, then remove the batteries and put them back in, and try again.

When the screen turns off, the device sleeps. So for SP3, the time until sleep is the time until display turns off. You can increase these times by going to power options > Change plan settings. Here, you can adjust the sleep timer. You can see more options if you open the advanced settings.

 

[PhotoKaz]

The pen doesn't pair, I have tried a lot of different things. Three calls to MS support, the most recent with Enterprise Support. An MS tech had remote control of my Surface for TWO HOURS! and also could not get it to pair. He collected a bunch of logs and MS is investigating.

Note that I wiped the Surface when I got it and installed Windows 8.1 Enterprise, so I'm not running the OS that came with the device.

Believe me, this is not an easy fix.

 

[PhotoKaz]

When the screen turns off, the device sleeps. So for SP3, the time until sleep is the time until display turns off. You can increase these times by going to power options > Change plan settings. Here, you can adjust the sleep timer. You can see more options if you open the advanced settings.

I have tried every combination of power options, including making my own power profile. Regardless of what I set things to, the screen turns off after 3 min. This is a pain when I'm on webex sessions and watching the screen but not interacting with the device.

 

[GreyFox7]

Not sure you'll find many here familiar with an Enterprise edition installation. what other things were installed besides the OS and driver pack. Have you tried without any additional software installed. i.e. NO 3rd party anitvirus, firewall, vpn. etc. etc.

 

[PhotoKaz]

I'll try removing AV and VPN. I have a lot of software installed now, it replaced my laptop at work so need it to do my job.

 

[GreyFox7]

I'll try removing AV and VPN. I have a lot of software installed now, it replaced my laptop at work so need it to do my job.

Understand... It sounds like you did the build. no?
Did you image it? manual software installs or packaged?
Layering builds makes this a bit easier because things do go wrong. Core OS, Common apps, BU Specific apps, one offs.

 

[ScottyS]

The pen doesn't pair, I have tried a lot of different things. Three calls to MS support, the most recent with Enterprise Support. An MS tech had remote control of my Surface for TWO HOURS! and also could not get it to pair. He collected a bunch of logs and MS is investigating.

Note that I wiped the Surface when I got it and installed Windows 8.1 Enterprise, so I'm not running the OS that came with the device.

Believe me, this is not an easy fix.

My pen won't pair either. At the MS store they gave me a new pen and when the new one wouldn't pair they gave me a new SP3. Still have the WiFi Limited Connectivity at some places at work (we have a WLan covering several buildings) but not all and no problem connecting at home and still very rare and brief pairing of the pen. I've tried to pair it so many time the two little button batteries went dead and the green light wont come on. Waiting to find batteries that size.

Still the pen part of the pen works (just wish I could use the top button to open OneNote) and I love my SP3.

 

[PhotoKaz]

I didn't do the initial build, one of my company IT techs did. We can't image it, no image for the surface yet. We have a few test machines and if it goes well then we will have a broader deployment (and an image).

 

[PhotoKaz]

My pen won't pair either. At the MS store they gave me a new pen and when the new one wouldn't pair they gave me a new SP3. Still have the WiFi Limited Connectivity at some places at work (we have a WLan covering several buildings) but not all and no problem connecting at home and still very rare and brief pairing of the pen. I've tried to pair it so many time the two little button batteries went dead and the green light wont come on. Waiting to find batteries that size.

Still the pen part of the pen works (just wish I could use the top button to open OneNote) and I love my SP3.

Similar issue with me, first pen chewed through two sets of coin cell batteries in a few days. MS sent me a new pen, that doesn't work either. Frustrating.

 

[wynand32]

If you didn't already, you might try installing the full set of SP3 drivers. I remember when I clean installed Windows 10, the pen was one of the things that didn't work until I installed drivers for it.

You can get them here: Microsoft provides an up-to-date set of drivers