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Surface 2 Pro startup problem with type cover attached

mitti2000

New Member
Hi there

I'm new to this forum so....hi.
I have my Surface Pro 2 (256GB, 8GB RAM) for a couple weeks now. It is my company Laptop. I used to have Windows 8.1 Pro in the beginning but I had to update it to 8.1 Enterprise for DirectAccess to work.

Since then I have the problem that when I start the surface with the Type Cover 2 attached, there are several problems. I get to the login screen normally but after login, the screen turns black for a while with the mouse curse still visible. After maybe a minute or two I see the desktop. When I open the Start screen, I can't click anything for a while but the mouse still works, even CTRL-ALT-DEL, even tough I can't do much with it. After another couple minutes the Surface works and I can start programs and all.
But there is still a problem. Even tough I have a working internet connection, when I want to, let's say, turn off IPv6 I have to open the connection properties. But there are no connections visible. Shutting the surface down takes forever and at the end I get a "blue screen" with a power_failure message.
There might be more problems but these are the ones I stumbled upon.

Well, all the above doesn't happen when the cover is not attached.
I already updated the drivers.

Did anybody had a similar problem or any solution to this?
Help would be highly apreciated.

Thanks,
mitti2000
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
Hi there

I'm new to this forum so....hi.
I have my Surface Pro 2 (256GB, 8GB RAM) for a couple weeks now. It is my company Laptop. I used to have Windows 8.1 Pro in the beginning but I had to update it to 8.1 Enterprise for DirectAccess to work.

Since then I have the problem that when I start the surface with the Type Cover 2 attached, there are several problems. I get to the login screen normally but after login, the screen turns black for a while with the mouse curse still visible. After maybe a minute or two I see the desktop. When I open the Start screen, I can't click anything for a while but the mouse still works, even CTRL-ALT-DEL, even tough I can't do much with it. After another couple minutes the Surface works and I can start programs and all.
But there is still a problem. Even tough I have a working internet connection, when I want to, let's say, turn off IPv6 I have to open the connection properties. But there are no connections visible. Shutting the surface down takes forever and at the end I get a "blue screen" with a power_failure message.
There might be more problems but these are the ones I stumbled upon.

Well, all the above doesn't happen when the cover is not attached.
I already updated the drivers.

Did anybody had a similar problem or any solution to this?
Help would be highly apreciated.

Thanks,
mitti2000
If you take the cover out of the picture what you described sounds like your companies configuration problems... antivirus, startup scripts, mandatory device screening, etc. Classic symptoms.

So with it only happening with the cover attached... I'm thinking conflict. still related to the antivirus or startup process somehow but conflicting with the keyboard.

I assume you've brought this to their attention... and ... they said???
 
OP
M

mitti2000

New Member
Thanks for your answer

I am our local IT administrator. From what I can see, there is nothing interfereing with our system. All the GPOs and startup processes apply when type cover is not attached too. I can plug another keyboard or mouse or whatever on the USB port on startup and it works normally. So it is a specific problem with the type cover.
I don't rule out that it has something to do with our systems setup I just have no idea where I should start to search. Our setup is pretty open. There are no device restriction of any sorts at all.

Is the Type Cover a "normal" keyboard/mouse combination or is there more. If yes, what else does it do?

Any idea what to look for?

Thanks again
 
OP
M

mitti2000

New Member
Something I just found in the event log are several waring entrys called "Kernel processor power" Event ID 37.

I don't see this error when the keyboard is not attached. Could it be that the keyboard is using too much power for some reason?
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
Thanks for your answer

I am our local IT administrator. From what I can see, there is nothing interfereing with our system. All the GPOs and startup processes apply when type cover is not attached too. I can plug another keyboard or mouse or whatever on the USB port on startup and it works normally. So it is a specific problem with the type cover.
I don't rule out that it has something to do with our systems setup I just have no idea where I should start to search. Our setup is pretty open. There are no device restriction of any sorts at all.

Is the Type Cover a "normal" keyboard/mouse combination or is there more. If yes, what else does it do?

Any idea what to look for?

Thanks again
I guess you only have the one unit??? Or does this happen with multiple units?
I would look at what's in the stack on that crash dump... one of those (typically drivers) is nailing you.

Try without the GPO's, etc. Eliminate everything to start with except the keyboard to see if it behaves normally... definitely sounds like a conflict between something and the keyboard...

Was the Win 8.1 Enterprise install an upgrade or clean install? if a clean install did you get a driver pack for the Surface???
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
Something I just found in the event log are several waring entrys called "Kernel processor power" Event ID 37.

I don't see this error when the keyboard is not attached. Could it be that the keyboard is using too much power for some reason?
I have one of those on my Surface 2 which I'm using at the moment... the text says:
The speed of processor 0 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 87 seconds since the last report.

I'd assume either I wasn't doing anything and it throttled to save power OR it throttled because of a power or temperature parameter was triggered.

I wouldn't think this is your problem.
 
OP
M

mitti2000

New Member
I wouldn't think this is your problem.

I suspected this because the error only appears when the Type Cover 2 is attached.

I made the Enterprise installation over the existing one and recently updated all the drivers.
I just can't think of anything that conflicts with a keyboard.

I'm gonna search the dmp and let you know later
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
I suspected this because the error only appears when the Type Cover 2 is attached.

I made the Enterprise installation over the existing one and recently updated all the drivers.
I just can't think of anything that conflicts with a keyboard.

I'm gonna search the dmp and let you know later
Perhaps open a support case with MS on the dump as well they may see something in there.
 
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