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Surface RT shocking me

pbnationrc

New Member
I was in the airport sitting on the dry, clean, marble floor with the charger plugged in the wall that I was leaning against. Also dry and clean. I had my phone plugged into the Surface charging via USB and head phones listening to music from the Surface. I was sitting cross-legged and the tablet edge was shocking me with quit a bit of force. It hurt. I was surprised it had that much power!

I checked to make sure all the wires had no cracks or bare wire showing, nothing. All looked brand new. I was getting shocked around my wrists. My wrists (both sides but strongest on my right) was touching the edge of the Surface at the same time I was holding it with my hands around the top corners.

I couldn't figure out how it was working. The Surface itself showed no performance issues. I was listening to music and working on an Excel sheet. Anyone else have this?
 

oion

Well-Known Member
The only time I've had issues with shocking my various electronics (PC keyboard, laptop keyboard/case, PC case) was in environments that were very dry. Like an upper-Midwest/Canadian winter. Just walking across carpet in socks was enough to forcibly reboot my laptop at one point when I touched the keyboard (scary as all hell). I think when the device exterior is metal, though, and you happen to touch the outer casing, it acts as a Faraday cage; I had since learned to ground myself before touching things if the environment was that dry, but anyway.

The question is if there's a shock issue in other situations. Did it ever happen while the Surface was on a table? Or not plugged in? Or only plugged in?
 
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pbnationrc

New Member
The only time I've had issues with shocking my various electronics (PC keyboard, laptop keyboard/case, PC case) was in environments that were very dry. Like an upper-Midwest/Canadian winter. Just walking across carpet in socks was enough to forcibly reboot my laptop at one point when I touched the keyboard (scary as all hell). I think when the device exterior is metal, though, and you happen to touch the outer casing, it acts as a Faraday cage; I had since learned to ground myself before touching things if the environment was that dry, but anyway.

The question is if there's a shock issue in other situations. Did it ever happen while the Surface was on a table? Or not plugged in? Or only plugged in?

So far no, it hasn't happened again. I didn't think it was that dry, I was in Shenzhen, China. But I don't know the humility there. It was strange and a little painful. Thanks, I am less worried that my Surface is trying to kill me!
 

beman39

New Member
It was probably not even the surface, maybe the surface just acted as a bridge, but it could have been a bad grounding on the plug to the ground you were sitting on and the surface acted as a conduit... so what ever you were holding was going to give you a shock.
 

oion

Well-Known Member
So far no, it hasn't happened again. I didn't think it was that dry, I was in Shenzhen, China. But I don't know the humility there. It was strange and a little painful. Thanks, I am less worried that my Surface is trying to kill me!

Oh, it's China. I wouldn't be surprised of their facilities simply have no code to follow and thus aren't up to code by Western standards. Chalk it up to a bad outlet.
 

Telstar1948

Active Member
I was in the airport sitting on the dry, clean, marble floor with the charger plugged in the wall that I was leaning against. Also dry and clean. I had my phone plugged into the Surface charging via USB and head phones listening to music from the Surface. I was sitting cross-legged and the tablet edge was shocking me with quit a bit of force. It hurt. I was surprised it had that much power!

I checked to make sure all the wires had no cracks or bare wire showing, nothing. All looked brand new. I was getting shocked around my wrists. My wrists (both sides but strongest on my right) was touching the edge of the Surface at the same time I was holding it with my hands around the top corners.

I couldn't figure out how it was working. The Surface itself showed no performance issues. I was listening to music and working on an Excel sheet. Anyone else have this?

Don't know about the cause, but concrete, stone etc flooring are all excellent conductors.
 

beman39

New Member
Oh, it's China. I wouldn't be surprised of their facilities simply have no code to follow and thus aren't up to code by Western standards. Chalk it up to a bad outlet.

That's exactly what I was thinking, I just didn't want to offend anyone with said statement ^^^ lol
 
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