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SP3 Reliability

Bandito

Active Member
Sorry folks, but I need to vent!

I'm really growing tired of the reliability of either the SP3, Windows 8.1, or both.

For example, today, just as I normally do, I set up my SP3 (it's my secondary computer at work), turned it on, and then ignored it for a while. When I went to use it, the screen was dark. I have it set to never turn off the screen when on AC in my power settings, but it did it anyway. So, I clicked on the power button to 'wake' it back up but got nothing. Tried it again in case I didn't push hard enough or long enough, but no dice. So, I figured that I'd try the Windows button on the screen and I got the usual vibratory feedback from the system. This indicates to me that Windows is running, but the display is completely disabled. This has happened to me several times, but not consistently. To recover, I have to hold down the power button for about 10 seconds to reset and power off the computer. Then, I wait a few seconds and press the power button again to restart it. This is where I have to hold my breath and hope that it will actually restart, as occasionally, but rarely, it will not.

When that happens, I have to do a volume up and power button restart a few times to get it to eventually come up again. As I said, this rarely happens, but it does occasionally occur and certainly keeps me wondering whether or not the system will work when I need it.

Yesterday, it displayed its strangest behavior ever! When I turned it on first thing in the morning, or more accurately, woke it from sleep, everything came up normally, but when I went to check for updates, it just hung there with the dots indicating that it was searching. I let it go for a couple of minutes, but it never finished, so I went back to the Start screen and selected restart. Here's where the fun began. It started up normally and brought up the splash screen. I then flicked it up and entered my PIN. After doing so, the dots kept traveling in their circle for about 90 seconds, which normally only takes a couple of seconds. When it brought up the Start page, all the live tiles were in place, but none of them were live. They were all blank. I found that I could run everything normally, both in the desktop and the new UI, but the live tiles and all program icons below the Start page were blank. I then restarted the system again with the same results. Next, I started searching online for solutions and found that this was not an uncommon thing to have happen. I tried a couple of the suggestions to fix it, but nothing worked. I'd reboot and get the same thing. Then I noticed that Windows Explorer was taking forever to display files when going to various directories. I checked Task Manager, but all was calm and quiet there, so I have no idea what was causing all these weird problems. I rebooted twice more and suddenly everything started working normally again. I had no further issues that day.

So, that brings us back to the reliability issue of the SP3. There are continuing WiFi connection speed issues, occasional problems with the Arc Mouse Surface Edition losing scrolling capability, occasional black screens, yesterday's roller coaster ride, and other occasional glitches that I keep running into. Is this really the state-of-the-art machine that Microsoft claims it to be? Do you consider your SP3 to be reliable and always available to you at a moment's notice? I certainly cannot make that claim.

I'm really beginning to lose what faith I had in mine as sometimes it's smooth sailing and I think all is wonderful and then it will go and do something bizarre again. I'd really appreciate your thoughts on your own experiences with SP3 reliability to date.

Thanks for letting me vent. I feel a bit better already and perhaps today's patches will further improve things. See, I still have a little bit of hope left in me! ;)
 

wynand32

Well-Known Member
This isn't meant to blindly defend the SP3, but I'll answer this way: every machine I own has reliability issues at different times. I have a list of what I use regularly in my signature.

I've not found the SP3 to be any more unreliable than the rest, only different. In general, I've found it just as reliable in the sense of picking it up and getting something done as any of the others--in some cases, more so, depending on the task. Right now, my least reliable device is my iPad 3 running iOS 8. If you'd asked me last month, I'd say it was my desktop, due to USB issues with either my motherboard or my case (there was apparently a short circuit somewhere in the combination, it took warranty replacements of both to resolve).

Currently, I don't have any WiFi issues with my SP3 other than the Bluetooth on-2.4GHz connection speed halved problem. But I run at 5GHz, so that doesn't affect me. I used to have the issue of difficulty waking the machine, but not for at least a month now--it seems to have been resolved for me with one update or another.
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
I blame software.

Yesterday, it was harder to wake up the SP3 from sleep than it was to wake my teenage son some years ago. Not the first time. I noticed that if I hold the SP3 with one hand, then touch the Windows logo/sensor/button, I can feel the vibration in the device, proving that it is powered up.

To fix this, I hold the power/sleep button in for a full 30 seconds - and can verify that the Windows logo/sensor/button is not responding. A quick release and press again brings all back up.

A superpower of mine is to believe that Microsoft will respond to my karma of patience and fix the problem. ;)
 

bluegrass

Well-Known Member
Hey. When I'm told about a strange problem by one of my users at work, I generally ask them if they tried shutting down and rebooting. It sounds like I better start asking them if they have tried shutting down and rebooting 3 or more times yet.

Sorry about your problems. I imagine though that we all have occasional problems with our systems. That's pretty much life using computers. Mark that date on your calendar and note how long it's been when the next event occurs.
 

Liam2349

Active Member
Sorry folks, but I need to vent!

I'm really growing tired of the reliability of either the SP3, Windows 8.1, or both.

For example, today, just as I normally do, I set up my SP3 (it's my secondary computer at work), turned it on, and then ignored it for a while. When I went to use it, the screen was dark. I have it set to never turn off the screen when on AC in my power settings, but it did it anyway. So, I clicked on the power button to 'wake' it back up but got nothing. Tried it again in case I didn't push hard enough or long enough, but no dice. So, I figured that I'd try the Windows button on the screen and I got the usual vibratory feedback from the system. This indicates to me that Windows is running, but the display is completely disabled. This has happened to me several times, but not consistently. To recover, I have to hold down the power button for about 10 seconds to reset and power off the computer. Then, I wait a few seconds and press the power button again to restart it. This is where I have to hold my breath and hope that it will actually restart, as occasionally, but rarely, it will not.

When that happens, I have to do a volume up and power button restart a few times to get it to eventually come up again. As I said, this rarely happens, but it does occasionally occur and certainly keeps me wondering whether or not the system will work when I need it.

Yesterday, it displayed its strangest behavior ever! When I turned it on first thing in the morning, or more accurately, woke it from sleep, everything came up normally, but when I went to check for updates, it just hung there with the dots indicating that it was searching. I let it go for a couple of minutes, but it never finished, so I went back to the Start screen and selected restart. Here's where the fun began. It started up normally and brought up the splash screen. I then flicked it up and entered my PIN. After doing so, the dots kept traveling in their circle for about 90 seconds, which normally only takes a couple of seconds. When it brought up the Start page, all the live tiles were in place, but none of them were live. They were all blank. I found that I could run everything normally, both in the desktop and the new UI, but the live tiles and all program icons below the Start page were blank. I then restarted the system again with the same results. Next, I started searching online for solutions and found that this was not an uncommon thing to have happen. I tried a couple of the suggestions to fix it, but nothing worked. I'd reboot and get the same thing. Then I noticed that Windows Explorer was taking forever to display files when going to various directories. I checked Task Manager, but all was calm and quiet there, so I have no idea what was causing all these weird problems. I rebooted twice more and suddenly everything started working normally again. I had no further issues that day.

So, that brings us back to the reliability issue of the SP3. There are continuing WiFi connection speed issues, occasional problems with the Arc Mouse Surface Edition losing scrolling capability, occasional black screens, yesterday's roller coaster ride, and other occasional glitches that I keep running into. Is this really the state-of-the-art machine that Microsoft claims it to be? Do you consider your SP3 to be reliable and always available to you at a moment's notice? I certainly cannot make that claim.

I'm really beginning to lose what faith I had in mine as sometimes it's smooth sailing and I think all is wonderful and then it will go and do something bizarre again. I'd really appreciate your thoughts on your own experiences with SP3 reliability to date.

Thanks for letting me vent. I feel a bit better already and perhaps today's patches will further improve things. See, I still have a little bit of hope left in me! ;)

What antivirus are you running?

I haven't experienced these issues, but on a couple of occasions it has taken about 10 seconds to login, which is a relatively long time when 99%+ of the time it's instant.
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
Apologies, baseball on, TLDR. Have you Refreshed? if you have and still having weird problem, contact support for a replacement.
 

nipponham

Active Member
I totally understand where the OP is coming from. I bought SP3 because I subscribed to its marketing message. However, the number of little bugs make it somewhat frustrating. No one issue makes it a dealbreaker for me, but when they are aggregated, it does make for a stressful experience. I don't regret the purchase (yet), but I do wonder how much better the experience might have been had another company with better QC manufactured and released the product.
 

kristalsoldier

Well-Known Member
Its not nearly as reliable as my Surface 2.

In my experience, thus far the SP3 has been as reliable as my Surface 2. But of course, people's experiences will vary.

Edit: (Sept. 02, 2015)

While I still maintain my SP3 is as reliable as before, however, the effect of W10 on it has not been positive. More precisely, I mean that the SP3 now warms up more than it ever did under 8.1 and the fans are audibly on. Moreover, I ran a battery life test just now and I notice that where I used to get anywhere between 8 hrs 45 mins and 9 hours on the SP3 with W8.1, with W10, that number is down to just about 7 hours! For me that is a significant drop and I am attributing this to W10. I hope in due course (and quickly) W10 is fixed!!!!
 
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