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Windows 10 on Surface Pro 3 Keeps Asking to Verify

Ask

New Member
Currently I am having an issue with Windows 10 on my Surface Pro 3 asking me to verify my Microsoft account inside windows 10 (ie. Re-enter credentials Notification pop-up), even though I verified previously when I setup me Windows 10 on my Surface Pro 3.

This is my second replacement Surface Pro 3 (this one is with Windows 10 pre-installed) and still it prompts me to verify every now and then. I think I have found the cause however Surface support do not seem to have any way to escalate this, so I thought I would post this here for other people to check.

What I have found is sometimes when I boot my Surface Pro 3 and login to Windows 10 that the Surface Pro 3 serial number is not accessible to the Operating System. This can be checked by either running the Surface App (from the MS Store) and going to the page with all the system info (serial number will be all zeros) and/or going to a windows command prompt and typing: WMIC CSPRODUCT <Enter> (and it returns No Instance(s) Available, instead of all the system details including the serial number). When this happens after boot 100% of the time I am asked to Verify Windows and enter my PIN (since I have PIN entry enabled). Then should I reboot my Surface again and this time the serial number is available, via the methods mentioned above, then you guessed it Windows 10 prompts me to Verify again. Obviously if the Surface boots in the same state (when the serial number is available or not) then I do not need to verify (ie. it is only when the serial number switches to not available from available and also from available to not available that the verify prompt is raised). Is it possible for other users with this problem to test my findings to see if you see the same? Perhaps then Microsoft Surface support will not keep saying this problem is just my problem.

FYI: I currently have an open case with Surface Support (for the Australian region). I have tried a complete reset of my Surface Pro 3 and still the problem happens. I have tried switching to a local account then back to my Microsoft account and still the problem happens. So no solution as yet. Currently my SP3 is running the firmware dated 15th September 2015, since Windows Updates currently does not provide to me the 29th September 2015 firmware and I cannot manually download this firmware to try it out.
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
Welcome, @Ask

Your Microsoft account is probably confused.
Let's try to get you fixed up.

1. Sign-in on www.microsoft.com
2. View Account
3. Devices

Inspect the devices named there. Delete devices you no longer own or no longer will be using.

Then verify your PCs. Have a good and reliable internet connection for at least 20 minutes.

If you wish to clean up your device list by deleting ALL, this will work, also, though your PC will need longer.

You may lose some settings in this process, because of sync issues to PCs you no longer use. But you should not lose files.

Let us know...
 

Hunter1974

New Member
I have kind of the same problem. My surface pro 3 (win10) ask me all the time to validate my account.
When I look at my MS account I see a lot of Windows10 devices added (I also see my Surface pro 3). My surface is the only win10 device I have. It looks like when I verify my account Win10 adds a device. I can delete them. But next time the show up again with no reason.
I don't have any issues with my serialnuber.
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
@Hunter1974

1. Power down/disconnect your PCs
2. Delete all your devices using another computer or smartphone.
2. Wait 20 minutes
3. Power up and Verify your Windows 8/10 PC.
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
Great I give it a try. Can I also delete my current Surface pro 3? Doens't this give any problem?

Yes, you should also delete the current computer. Will not cause a problem. Your Device list will start anew.

This device list is not a proof of ownership, but merely a catalog of devices for which Microsoft will use for synchronization of settings. You will be asked to re-connect OneDrive, but files will remain on your PC.
 
OP
A

Ask

New Member
I should have also mentioned inside my previous post about what I have done with my Microsoft account. I have tried what you (sharpcolorado) have suggested (in fact this was the first thing I tried). Also I have reset my Surface Pro 3 with all the Microsoft account devices removed and also "remove all trusted devices" done.

This still shows the same issue when my serial number is not available on boot-up that the previously trusted device is now a "different" device (since the serial number is not accessible), hence the prompt to re-verify my credentials. Obviously, like I said, when I restart again (this time when the serial number is available) it prompts me to re-verify again.

I have two other Windows 10 workstations using the same Microsoft account and they are rock solid (never prompting to re-enter my credentials (verify) unless I remove all trusted devices from my Microsoft account (which is the correct action in this case)).

Please note: It may take 5 to 20 cold or warm boots for the serial number to not be available at boot-up, I cannot seem to force this to happen in order replicate the issue quickly.

FYI: My internet connection is very stable.
 

Spectrum7glr

New Member
Hello Ask! I'm having the same problems of yours with Surface Pro 3 that i bought for my father: every now and then he gets the notification that he's required to confirm his identity.
Until now i hadn't realized that indeed when this happens in the previous session the command WMIC CSPRODUCT couldn't find the serial number....after reboot WMIC CSPRODUCT retrieves serial number correctly and in a few seconds i'm asked to verify identity.

looking at my father's Microsoft account page there are more than one Surface pro 3 registered: one is with the serial number and the others are with blank serial number...this is consistent with your finding! in addition i've found out that when i connect from remote to his pc (to help him out) using a program like TeamViewer i get 2 different IDs: in case you don't know Teamviewer's ID is assigned when you first run teamviewer on a PC and should remain the same from session to session so getting 2 different IDs depending on the session is weird...but again is consistent with your finding: probably i get an ID when the Surface is without serial number and the other one when the Surface has its serial number.

Let me know if you have other ideas to do some testing :) (i'm from Italy and i don't have access to my father Surface everyday so it might take a few days before i could report you the results of my testings)
 
OP
A

Ask

New Member
Spectrum7glr, thanks so much for your response and I appreciate that I am not alone in my findings. Currently I do not have a solution and Surface support have escalated my case to their "back office team" (whatever that means) and I am awaiting a response. It has already been 5 working days. I have also asked them if I can try the new updates for the Surface Pro 3 firmware (29/9/2015) since currently I only have the system firmware dated 15/9/2015 installed from Windows Updates and I am not being offered the later firmware. Also their manual download firmware pack does not include this later firmware, so currently I have nothing I can try out myself. Obviously if I find a solution I will post it here ASAP.
 

jasqid

New Member
ask and spectrum, i too have experienced this issue. i also noticed that the surface app had all zeros in my serial number area, activation was failed and asking me to verify my ms account, and my devices page listed two surface pro 3. one with my serial and one with zeros. i just deleted the one with zeros. this was happening a lot but i havent seen the issue for weeks now. because
 
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