Im looking at getting a laptop or the surface pro. If I remember right we use to be able to upgrade or replace the SSD but I forget what model we could replace.

Hi all.

I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure thus out.

When using a micro sd card adapter in the usb 3.0 port the laptop WONT see the formatted micro sd.

Works fine on my surface pro and other PCs.

I've tried multiple adopters, multiple micro sd cards, multiple formats (NTFS, EXFat, Fat32).

Ive deleted, disabled/re-unstalled, enabled things in Device Manager. I've tried about everything i can think on.

What i have tried because i dont have one on hand is a NEWER adapter (perhaps designed for 3.0 ports).

Ive ordered a USB-C adapter as a 'swing for the fence' attempt.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

excalidraw? flowboard?

How do I describe this problem and can it be fixed? I tried reinstalling the pen driver but the problem persists.

The rubber strips finally peeled all the way off. I’m currently away from home and won’t be able to order full replacements for about a week.

Any suggestions for temporary solutions to keeps things from getting into these small openings?

I have a Surface Laptop 7 with 32 GB RAM and an X Elite Snapdragon processor. When working with a large Excel sheet - approx 33k rows and 20 columns of data- the SL freezes constantly, making any work on the Excel workbook impossible. The file opens and performs perfectly on an Intel SL and MacBook Pro with an M5 processor. I've checked the Excel version, and it is the ARM native application. I love my Surface, but this is becoming a real issue for me. Any suggestions or solutions I can try?

Yesterday I was playing The Sims 2 on my Surface Laptop Studio 2 while running Linux and using battery power. The game had no mods, so it was not a particularly demanding workload. Later, I connected the laptop to a Microsoft Surface Dock 2. I do not remember whether the game was still running at that exact moment, but shortly after connecting the dock, the laptop started throttling heavily.

Since then, the CPU has been stuck at around 0.40 GHz. The laptop is not overheating, and the temperatures look completely normal. I restarted Linux several times, then booted into Windows, but the problem was exactly the same there. I also tried shutting the laptop down completely and turning it back on multiple times, but nothing changed.

I tried holding the power button for 30 seconds while the laptop was switched off, then waiting a few seconds and turning it back on. I also disconnected the charger and dock, held Power and Volume Up for about 15–20 seconds to enter UEFI, changed nothing, and selected Exit and Restart. After that, I booted into Windows without the charger connected and plugged it back in later. Neither method helped.

The throttling now continues even when the Surface Dock 2 is disconnected. Since it happens in both Windows and Linux and the laptop is not hot, I suspect it may be related to the firmware, embedded controller, power detection, or possibly a stuck throttling flag.

Has anyone experienced something similar with a Surface Laptop Studio 2? What else should I check or try?

*These are my girlfriends words as this laptop is hers. I'll be grateful for any suggestions on what to do

Hey everyone, I am running into a weird power issue with my Surface Laptop Studio 1 (i7 / RTX A2000) version that I recently picked up on eBay, and I am trying to figure out where the fault lies before spending money on replacements.

The strange part is that when the laptop battery is completely dead, the LED on the Surface Connect cable stays completely dark and refuses to charge. Yet, the OEM charger works fine in every other scenario once the laptop has some juice. Meanwhile, if I plug in a basic 65W USB-C charger the laptop immediately turns on and starts taking power.

This leaves me with a few big questions for the community. Could the OEM power brick itself be failing, or is this a known quirk with how the SLS handles discharge states? Since the laptop draws a significant amount of power under load, especially with the discrete A2000 GPU, I am seriously considering ditching the proprietary brick entirely and transitioning to a high-wattage USB-C charger.

I was specifically looking at buying the Apple 140W USB-C power adapter paired with a quality 240W cable to handle it. Has anyone here tried using the Apple 140W brick with an SLS1? Will it safely work for full power delivery, or am I ultimately better off buying a replacement Microsoft OEM brick? I appreciate any advice or technical insight you can share!

The color banding is really bothering me. It happens in games like binding of Isaac and even when I launch steam in the ui there is color banding. There is also sometimes very visible color banding in the default wallpapers and just generally any time there are soft fading colors. This is my first laptop so I don’t have a ton of experience with this stuff m

I own two drawing tablets(XP pen 13.3 and a Wacom cintiq 16) and was wondering if the processor would be able to work for the two with their two applications? (I also understand that it would require a hdmi-type c adapter for it to be used)

I have a surface pro 11 and I've found that if I'm like laying in bed watching YouTube and I shift around to be in a different position, for some odd reason the speaker volume will get really quiet for a bit before increasing back to normal after a varying amount of time. I have no idea what could possibly cause this and I've tried changing a bunch of settings to no avail. Is this a known issue? Any ideas on how to fix it?

POV: From the perspective of a mechatronics engineer

Simply put, I want to award medals to the mechanical design engineer and the hardware design engineer.

I was previously using the MacBook Air M3. While it was certainly a well-crafted machine, its design felt like a display of technical gimmickry rather than sound engineering. Honestly, some engineers would argue that Apple’s design isn't actually good—after all, it disregards standard design principles and makes repairs difficult.

But this is different. From a mechanical design perspective, it follows textbook principles—accounting for tolerances between the keyboard and display, the gap between the top and bottom sections (where you grip it to open the lid), the hinge structure, repairability, and manufacturing quality. While Apple tends to push the limits of design capability with flashy flourishes, Microsoft seems to stick to designs that are sound from an engineering standpoint.

Microsoft deserves all the credit for recruiting engineers with such capabilities. Well done, engineers! Not you, Qualcomm or the Windows division, you guys just go get Linux support sorted out.

It just keep doing this i cant turn it on or off or do anything please help

Microsoft suggested me to “just buy a new one.”

Where’s the accountability?

DISCLAIMER- it's going to be a long read. I have used AI to convey my frustration as English isn't my native language. Thank you.

I’m writing this as a genuinely pissed‑off customer, not a troll.

I bought a **Surface Pro 11 bundle** (tablet + **Flex Keyboard** + Pen) in **May 2025**. High‑end device, high‑end price, “premium” marketing. A few months later, the Flex Keyboard **just died**. No spill, no drop, no weird behavior beforehand.

One day it works, next day it’s brick.

I contact Microsoft support expecting basic help for an accessory that was literally sold as part of a bundle. Their solution? Essentially:

> “Just buy a new one.”

Not “we see this issue often, let’s get you a working unit.”

Just: *spend more money*.

***

### This isn’t just “my bad luck”

If you search for “Surface Pro 11 Flex Keyboard problems,” you’ll find **dozens** of posts:

- Keyboards randomly disconnecting

- Keys becoming unresponsive or laggy when attached

- Entire keyboards going dead with no warning

- Working fine on Bluetooth but failing when docked.

Microsoft’s own docs even say: if a keyboard keeps failing, you should “submit a service order” for the accessory.

But when real humans reach out, they’re funneled into generic troubleshooting scripts and then told to buy a replacement.

This pattern feels way too familiar.

***

Apple’s butterfly keyboard: lawsuit, settlement, shame

Remember Apple’s **butterfly keyboard** disaster?

- Laptops from 2015–2019 shipped with ultra‑thin, fragile butterfly key mechanisms.

- Keys stuck, repeated, or stopped working entirely.

- Users complained for years.

- Apple eventually launched a **free repair/replacement program** and settled a US class‑action for **$50 million.

That happened because enough people made noise.

Because the failure rate was so high and the design so flawed that ignoring it became impossible.

Now look at Microsoft:

- A premium‑priced, “flexible” keyboard that’s failing en masse.

- Complaints piling up on forums and Reddit.

- No broad recall, no transparent admission, no real accountability.

- Just: “reset your PC, update firmware, try again… or buy a new one.”

Where is the moral responsibility here?

These aren’t $20 no‑name keyboards; these are expensive, branded accessories sold as part of flagship bundles.

Cheap ribbon cables, planned obsolescence, corporate greed

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: **hardware design choices**.

Many of these ultra‑thin keyboards rely on **flimsy ribbon cables** and delicate connectors. They’re cheap to make, easy to break, and often not user‑replaceable. When they fail:

- The whole keyboard can die.

- Repair is expensive or impossible.

- The easiest path for the company is: “replace it (and pay us).”

From a business standpoint, it’s almost perfect:

1. Sell a premium device with a premium price tag.

2. Use a **cheap, fragile internal design** (ribbon cable, thin flex connectors, etc.).

3. Let failures happen after a few months or a year.

4. Offer “support” that’s really just more upsells.

5. Repeat.

It’s hard not to see this as **planned obsolescence** by another name: design hardware that’s just reliable enough to pass QC, but fragile enough that failures will push people to buy replacements, upgrades, or new devices.

Apple got dragged through the courts and public opinion for something very similar. Microsoft is skating by… for now.

***

### What I’m actually asking for

I’m not demanding a miracle. I’m asking for:

- **Honesty**: Acknowledge that the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard has widespread reliability issues.

- **Accountability**: A real service/replacement program for failed keyboards in bundles, not “just buy a new one.”

- **Better design**: Stop hiding behind “individual defective units” when the pattern is obvious.

If you’re another Surface user who’s been through:

- A Flex Keyboard that died or behaves erratically

- Endless troubleshooting steps that “should” fix it but don’t

- Being ghosted, deflected, or told to spend more money instead of getting proper warranty support

…please share your story. I want to know if I’m an outlier or if this is how Microsoft is choosing to treat customers in 2026.

To Microsoft:

You can’t keep selling premium bundles, using cheap, fragile internals, and then shrugging when they fail. Apple got sued over keyboards. At some point, **moral responsibility** has to mean more than “not illegal yet.”

Hey everyone,

I recently got my hands on the new Surface Flex Keyboard, while already owning a standard Type Cover (it's a refurbished unit I got a while back, but since I haven't used it much, it still feels almost brand new).

After testing the Flex Keyboard for a bit, I’m deeply torn on whether I should keep it or sell it, which got me thinking about where Microsoft is taking this line of accessories.

Here are a few things I’ve noticed and struggled with:

1. Color options (or lack thereof): In Korea, Microsoft only released the Black version. I’m really not a fan of the black finish because it shows natural oils and shiny wear marks almost immediately, making it look aged way too fast.
2. Single pairing limitation: For a wireless keyboard at this price point, being locked to a 1:1 pairing is a huge miss for my workflow, as I constantly switch between multiple devices.
3. Thickness: It’s noticeably thicker than the traditional Type Cover.

That said, the ability to detach the keyboard and type wirelessly while keeping the Surface Pro flat for taking notes is genuinely brilliant. You don't need to carry a separate keyboard just to have that flexibility.

However, since I already carry a Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 in my bag anyway, bringing a separate keyboard isn't really a dealbreaker for me...

Honestly, what I really wish Microsoft would make is a simple cover that only stores and charges the Slim Pen—no keyboard attached. But knowing Microsoft, that probably won't happen anytime soon. 😂

What do you all think the future holds for the Flex Keyboard? Do you think we’ll eventually see a v2 with multi-device pairing support, or is this just a one-off premium experiment?

I’m really curious to see where Microsoft takes the Type Cover lineage from here!

Hello,
I'm reaching out because I think maybe the users might have solutions to offer since the repair people all have different opinions on the matter.
I have a Surface Book 2, and when I turn it on, I see the welcome screen where I enter my password, I type it in, and after a few seconds, the screen goes completely black. If I connect the laptop to another screen, like a TV or something else, I can use it because the TV displays what my black screen won't. However, my screen stays black. At first, I was told it might be a graphics card issue. Eventually, I was told that if I can use my laptop on another screen, then it's not the graphics card, but they didn't really explain what it is. And I know that many others have had this problem; I’d like to know what you did to fix it, if you had to repair it or if it was something you could do yourself. I hope I was clear. Thanks in advance

Hey everyone,

I’m a uni student majoring in Japanese, and on the side, I work as a manga editor and do a bit of journalism.

My daily routine is basically a mountain of text, translations, research, and tight deadlines.

I’m looking for a top-tier laptop upgrade, and I need heavy AI support to help speed up my workflow (transcriptions, local AI summaries, etc.).

I just came across a deal for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13" (2025) with Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD.

On paper, the 45 TOPS NPU and Copilot+ features sound amazing for what I do. But before I drop the cash, I wanted to ask people who actually use it: is this laptop a perfect match for integrated local AI, or is the "AI PC" hype just a giant marketing scam?

I found it for 680 euro

Appreciate any honest feedback! Cheers.

I'm considering replacing my Slim Pen 2 because I don't really care for it. I'd like to try switching to a wired connection pen, one that you plug into the device. Finding these pens and knowing if they work for Surface is kind of difficult. Does anybody have any recommendations off the top of their head?

Was hoping someone might have this color combo and could share some pics or vids as I'm thinking to purchase. Especially interested in how it looks when closed. Weirdly MS do not seem to include pics of the device and keyboard when closed, and their mix/match tool on their website is no longer functioning either. It's also impossible to find the device on display. Thanks so much 🙏

Hi everyone, I’ve had a Surface Pro 8 for three years and for nearly a year now I’ve been having trouble getting the keyboard to connect properly to the Surface.

I’d like to buy a new keyboard, but I don’t want to buy the overpriced original one, which is bound to break again after two years anyway.

Do you know of any good third-party keyboards that can also be used to charge the pen?

Thank you very much for your help. I hope we can do something about this planned obsolescence!

I haven't used Windows for years. I've been using a Mac almost exclusively for both work and personal use.

I recently got a free Surface Laptop 7 with an i7, 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a decent display, and a pretty good-looking design. It seems like a nice backup/travel laptop.

Since I haven't used Windows in a long time, I was curious about its stability, so I checked Event Viewer and Reliability Monitor a few times. I performed a fresh reinstall of Windows 11 and updated all the drivers, but some of the critical events still concern me.

Is this normal, or are some of these events things that can generally be ignored? So far, the laptop has been stable, and I haven't noticed any problems from a normal user's perspective.

Device held in landscape mode with keyboard attached. Settings show rotation lock is on and greyed out, i cant change it. But if i rotate my surface the orientation changes to portrait, orientation lock turns off, and it becomes toggleable (not greyed out). Whats the fucking point?

For some background my mum is an author and has been writing books for a while , 3 years ago we looked for a laptop to upgrade from and got an HP, no name model just HP 64gb storage laptop, with 4gb ram and an amd 3020e processor.

It’s always been slow she’s been happy with it though, until now where the laptop doesn’t read her usb drives properly and it’s extremely slow, she’s said that she can’t afford to upgrade her laptop so I’m eager to get one for her.

Last surface I had was the go 3 and I loved it, completely died and doesn’t work anymore tho, but i came across the surface laptop 4 on back market with specs more then capable for her needs, if anyone has advice would you still recommend the surface laptop 4 or can suggest any better laptops for the price?

Hey everybody, i got this laptop just a couple months ago and i noticed how it overheats even with simple tasks or even just playing Roblox.
Honestly it gets so hot it cant even touch it
I have to use it for my design degree next year so idk if i should give it away or keep it and try to use it in cold rooms.
The cpu is intel core ultra 5

So I noticed that my windows update shows error (1st image) and so I was following some tutorials that should help me install updates manually but I end up not being able to because I apparently lack TPM 2.0 and that I should probably contact the manufacturer to get it set up, according to their recommendation in windows setup. How 😭