MS Surface App just crashes :-(

[mmo]

I wanted to figure out my Surface Pro 8's serial number. The MS website told me to install the "Surface" application from the MS Store: Surface - Official app in the Microsoft Store
I did so, download and install worked fine, but when I start the app I see the splash screen "Welcome to your Surface Pro 8" and a rotating donut for maybe 10 seconds and then the just disappears.
I seems to just crash... I already went through an uninstall / reboot / re-install cycle but same result. :-(

How can one get this crap to stay and do it's job, i.e. show me details of my device, etc.

 

[CoconutColonel]

Often, the first question I ask is when the last time you've reinstalled the operating system (i.e. reset the device) is. On computers (including smartphones, tablets, etc.): It's good to reinstall the operating system once every few years. That helps prevent errors and keep the computer running smoothly. Of course, you need your files properly backed up before you go reinstalling an operating system.

However, the Surface Pro 8 only came out in 2021. I doubt your problem is that your computer's overdue for an operating system reinstall! Still, you might want to start by performing maintenance on your computer which would be good to do anyway: Run a virus-scan, run checkdisk, etc. Maybe you'll get lucky, that will fix whatever's causing the Surface app to fail. But even if you don't get lucky: As I said, that's maintenance which would be good to do anyway.

 

[mmo]

sfc /scannow shows no anomaly, nor do MS Defender nor disk error-checking.
And I certainly won't re-install my system for some buggy MS tool. So I'll leave it as is.

 

[CoconutColonel]

And I certainly won't re-install my system for some buggy MS tool.

I would only advise that, if it'd be good to reinstall the operating system anyway. In other words: I would not advise reinstalling the operating system simply to fix that buggy tool!

So I'll leave it as is.

I don't think you should give up, simply because a few chores which ought to be done anyway (such as virus scans) didn't fix this problem! If you need the serial number, we should look into ways to get it to you. However, if you have other reasons for giving up (such as not needing that serial number after all), that's another matter.