Solved Pen not writing - Purple button working

[Zo Shah]

Hey guys. My Surface Pro 3 pen is currently not working. It worked fine for the few weeks I've had it. The purple button still opens One Note, but the pen doesn't write. I can't tell if the other buttons are working since I haven't been able to write anything. I'm not sure what happened. Any tips to fix this? I tried pairing the pen to the tablet again, but no luck. any help would be appreciated! Thanks

 

[ctitanic]

Pairing wont fix anything because the purple button is working. The pen has two parts that work separately.

Try removing and putting back the AAAA battery.

 

[malberttoo]

Yep sounds like the battery.

 

[Tellen]

I had the same problem, set up my new SPro3 on Friday left it on my desk over the weekend, came back on Monday to find the pen still pairs with the surface but wont write. Turns out the AAAA battery died, confirmed it with a voltmeter, don't know where I'm going to get another AAAA battery.

 

[sharpuser]

The writing part of the pen does not use Bluetooth. It operates by inducing an electrical field around itself and your hand. The screen then finds the center of that field. Replace that battery.

AAAA batteries are not common yet.

For choosing the AAAA instead of an AAA, I give Microsoft a CCCC

... minus.

 

[GreyFox7]

The writing part of the pen does not use Bluetooth. It operates by inducing an electrical field around itself and your hand. The screen then finds the center of that field. Replace that battery.

AAAA batteries are not common yet.

For choosing the AAAA instead of an AAA, I give Microsoft a CCCC

... minus.

AAA would have been too fat for a pen.

 

[sharpuser]

AAA would have been too fat for a pen.

Okay, that's fair. But i kinda would like a fatter pen. That's why this works for me:

 

[sharpuser]

Meanwhile...

@Zo Shah ,
Let us know if you fix the inking problem with a new AAAA battery. Otherwise, we will begin troubleshooting.

 

[bluemoongreg]

@Tellen- Was able to pick some AAAA batteries up at my local Best Buy.

 

[JoshB]

I purchased a bunch of AAAA batteries from Amazon, and just had them overnighted ( I am on prime so cheaper)

http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Alk...qid=1431436467&sr=1-1&keywords=aaaa+batteries


Edit:
Just noticed there is an Amazon Basics Brand too(http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-...qid=1431436467&sr=1-3&keywords=aaaa+batteries)... I think I might get those if I every make it through my first 24... I have yet to touch them. I guess my battery that came with mine was not a defect.

 

[sharpuser]

I use my pen often - and am on the same AAAA battery for 7 months, now. Got a good one, I suppose.

But at that rate, @JoshB, by time you are finished with your 24, the batteries might be available from a shop on Mars.

 

[JoshB]

Same here sharpcolorado. It is interesting how many battery problems I have seen, and have not come across it myself, especially with how much I use my pen! I think Microsoft bought some bad batteries from somewhere, heh.