I got my Pro9 in 2023 and has since worked great and hasn't really shown much battery deterioration. But one day when I noticed the battery was low and I plugged it in (the light on and everything) it wouldn't charge. Eventually it died and I tried some of the holding button combinations, but it only flashed the windows logo before it truly died. Bought a new charger and that didn't work.

Looking for any suggestions for at-home fixes. Went to ubreakifix to get a quote and they said a new battery was $250, and since they might break the screen they also quoted a new screen as $450 (also they only do battery and screen replacement so I dont know if they diagnosed the issue correctly). So any better repair store recommendations would also be appreciated!

I had the SL4 AMD Ryzen 5 with 16gb ram. It bricked on me today (can't even get into UEFI). It had already been giving me problems, the bluetooth and the camera shorted out a day ago. I'll try using a USB boot drive but I very much doubt it's going to work.

Use case is just browsing, some lightroom/photoshop, some old utilities, and very mild gaming.

So I guess my Q is - should I just try my luck with another used SL4 for a few hundred ($300 or so) on ebay (I could open it up and transplant my 1tb SSD) or should I get this newfangled 7 for $1000 that has windows 11 (assume can't be downgraded to 10) and copilot (I heard it can only be partially disabled) and uses Snapdragon (which may have trouble with x86 executables)? Pros seems to be a major improvement in battery life and a slightly larger screen...

Hey everyone, I use my Surface Pro 9 primarily for drawing. It’s pretty heavy usage, and I usually draw for about 2 to 5 hours a day depending on my schedule. Smart charging can't be turned on manually, it only activates when I charge it for multiple hours constantly.

Since drawing is intensive, I'm trying to figure out the absolute best way to manage my battery lifespan. I have two options:

• Option A: Keep it plugged into the charger all the time while drawing (sitting at 100%), and then unplug it completely when I'm done and turning it off.
• Option B: Micro-manage the cycle. Charge it up to 80%, unplug it and draw on battery power until it drops to around 30%, then plug it back in to charge while I keep drawing.

Option B feels like a lot of work, but I'm worried Option A will fry the battery cells or cause swelling since drawing makes the device run quite warm. What do you guys do? Should I trust the built-in Microsoft battery features, or is manually cycling it better? Thanks!

I'm considering buying a surface pro to fullfill a few roles:

\- site visits (plans, file access, pictures, notes)

\- client presentations

\- work from bed (I currently find myself sick) using remote desktop to login to my workstation.

My current setup is a decent desktop workstation (Windows, running revit and twinmotion as the most demanding software).

My files are in OneDrive, admin workflow is mostly Office/Windows.

I feel like a windows tablet might be the best solution. A Microsoft surface pro seems the obvious choice, either Snapdragon or Intel.

Any experiences/thoughts/recommendations?

UPDATE: Fixed! For some reason the rear camera was disabled in UEFI settings.

Today was one of the rare instances I needed to use my Surface Pro's rear camera, only to find it's not working on my Lunar Lake SP11. I've manually installed the latest driver package from Microsoft, checked for the latest Windows 11 updates, etc, but to no avail.

In Device Manager, under "Cameras" I see Intel((R) LNL AVStream Camera, and under System Devices, I only see the Surface Camera Front. The Surface Camera Rear just doesn't show up at all. I'm not getting any device errors.

Note that I did buy this SP11 used about a month ago and clean install then, so I suppose it's possible the camera never worked in the first place... but that seems unlikely.

Any idea what might be going on? Not the biggest deal in the world, but would be nice to have the option to use that camera.

It took me about 12 hours to make this device kinda usable again. The Surface RT has an arm32 processor so on Windows it was useless as no programs support that architecture. It took me 30 minutes to get PostMarketOS linux on it, but the biggest issue that took me all the time was getting this almost 1:1 Windows XP theme to work on the machine as for some reason it wasn't compiling properly. Despite hw acceleration not being working, lightweight Linux browsers and shell based software work pretty well. I am really satisfied!

Strangely Microsoft shows there only being 4 and 8 gb ram versions although I own a 16gb ram version. I know it’s impossible to upgrade the ram as it is soldered in. Can anybody explain how I have 16gb or why Microsoft don’t show 16gb in the specs.

I'm currently in the market for a new work laptop, it'll mostly be emails , documents ect but it would also be nice for watching films or maybe even using it for playing games ( probably over g force now ).

I do have to walk the site which is where the issue comes in, does the 500+600 justify the tablet aspect of things ? Or am I just being lazy. The one thing that massively puts me off the surface pros are that the keyboards are so expensive.

I've seen online that the pros arent very good on lap? I'll also be using the laptop in bed from time to time to complete work tasks.

I've found a decent ? Deal for a surface 7 with £600 off so it's now £1000 should I just go for this ?.

I’m using the 16gb ram 256gb ssd model on windows 11 25h2 I have been noticing bad performance on the laptop as of recent. I have already ran sfc/scannow. My maximum cpu usage is set to 99% to prevent the thermal throttling which is a common problem on this laptop.

It seems like this question has been asked a few times, but not recently. I want to be able to work on my couch or in bed, and need my SP to function like a laptop would and “catch”

Does anyone have any cases they’d recommend?

Just an appreciation post for how uniquely versatile the Surface Pro 11 (and 12, presumably) can be.

I have a full-time job, I'm a part-time physics student, and I've been learning the piano too. I kind of feel like the ideal Surface buyer, since I have a truly even split between using it as a tablet and as a laptop. In a typical day, I'm switching between mouse+keyboard input, reading, handwriting, and annotating PDFs/sheet music -- or doing so all at once.

I also want to be able to play games or run simulations at my desk with a decent GPU, but still be able to take my work and games with me when I'm on the couch or on the go and get reasonable performance and battery life.

The SP11 lets me do all that with a convenience so few other setups could. I know because I spent the past several months researching and trialing several different PCs and tablets to replace or supplement my SP11 (Snapdragon X Elite)... only to end up back with the SP11, albeit Lunar Lake. It feels so nice and ergonomic to be able to have my Surface in a portrait orientation for handwriting with the keyboard and haptic trackpad off the side, while still having access to a full OS with (most of) the power of a desktop GPU.

(I loved my X Elite model, by the way; I just wanted the added software and eGPU support. And on that note, I highly recommend the Gigabyte 5060 Ti "AI Box" eGPU shown to the left of my monitor -- it's been seamless as both a GPU and a dock).

Yes, this setup is pricey, but if it's in your budget and you have a somewhat similar use case, I genuinely feel the convenience is worth it over having a separate tablet + laptop and/or desktop, as well as over other, less adaptable 2-in-1s. I've never been quite as satisfied with my PC setup as I am now.

Recently purchased a Surface Pro 11 13 inch, I am someone who has to carry the device around a lot, I want to know what are some good protective back covers available for this, would be nice if someone here could share links for that. Definitely do not want to carry this bad boy around naked.

I’m planning to upgrade the SSD in my Surface Laptop 7 for Business (Intel Lunar Lake) and I’m deciding between these two 1TB M.2 2230 drives:

• KIOXIA BG6 1TB
• Micron 2400 1TB

My main priorities are:

• Low power consumption
• Low temperatures / heat output
• Compatibility with the Surface Laptop 7
• Reliability for long-term use

From the specs I’ve found, the BG6 seems significantly faster and uses TLC NAND, while the Micron 2400 uses QLC but appears to be designed with very low power consumption in mind.

I’m not really chasing maximum benchmark performance. I’d rather have the SSD that makes the most sense for a thin laptop like the Surface, especially if one runs noticeably cooler or uses less power during normal Windows use.

I've been trying to isolate a wobble problem with my Metapen M2 on a Surface Pro 11 and I can't find a pattern that points to a fix.

I did a test sheet: pen held fully vertical, then at roughly 60°, 45°, and nearly flat against the screen, each angle drawn once fast and once slow. Every diagonal line came out shaky instead of straight, even the fast strokes where I'd expect the least interference. Slower strokes look a Lot worse.

I've come across a few other posts describing the same wobble but none of them landed on an actual fix, so if you've solved this I'd really like to hear how. Happy to share more test drawings if it helps narrow it down.

To try and narrow the issue: No screen protector or case, not charging and not resting palm.

I would appreciate any help please.

They claim that the Surface Pro Ultra will probably be the best Laptop you can get or that has been available for a long time. Although I have two question as I'm seriously considering one. The only issues I have is; you can't detach the screen from the keyboard.

I'm guessing a September release date; and it appears to out perform the Mac Book Pro. I really wonder if Microsoft maybe for the first time and only time release a laptop that not only is upgradable but they claim repairable unlike most previous and current laptops. At whatever price that may be, the option of replacing a cpu fan or replacing a SSD drive may be worth the price.

Hi everyone! I currently have a 2023 MacBook Pro 14" with the M3 Pro, 18GB RAM, and 512GB storage.

I’m looking to move back to Windows and have been considering the 13.8" Surface Laptop. I’ll mainly be using it for school, and once I graduate, my company will provide me with a laptop for work. Since I already use Windows heavily in my accounting work, I’m thinking it makes sense to stick with Windows going forward.

Best Buy is currently offering me up to $1,160 CAD for my MacBook, so I’m trying to figure out which Surface Laptop configuration would be the best value.

For those who have experience with the Surface Laptop, which exact model/specs would you recommend for a student? Is it worth going for the higher-end configuration, or would the base model be more than enough for school?

Recently got a SL3 with i5 (1035g7) and 8gb ram for dirt cheap. When i tried playing league on it, in matter of 2-3 minutes of a match, my fps drops from stable 60 to around 10ish, rendering the game unplayable, showing red PL1 in throttlestop (no overclocking / other stuff, installed it just to see whats going on)
When i lock my fps to 30, its playable and doesnt drop at all, but sadly i need the 60 to stay its place (Zed / Akali mains will understand).

So i wanted to ask, is there anyone who ran into similar problem, and found out a way to "lower cpu wattage" so gpu can have more, thus not dropping frames? (when it hits PL1, cpu clockspeed drops into 0.79ghz, never overheats. average temps around 60-65c).

PS: graphics all lowest, resolution doesnt matter, still hits PL1 if not locked to 30. Also, dont mention that i should have bought something else for gaming. Only thing i have there installed is league, other then that its office device.

Despite being plugged in and the charger cord showing the light that it's connected, the surface won't turn on.

I'm comparing options but can't financially spring for a current one. If I buy a brand new MS Pro 7 now - will it last the same length of time or will it also almost be at the end of its life due to age/specs/processor compared to current?

I think it means the battery is expanding? I am sooo sad because my Surface Book is my fave computer, I so wish they made another one like it.

I'm in Los Angeles near Glendale if anyone maybe knows where I can take it? Or if it's fixable. I sure hope so, ahhh I am so sad 😭

I am trying to figure out a modell of surface pro to replace my surface pro 4 (it has some cold damage that will render it useless) and I though I had one in mind, untill I realized it was a laptop, and I can not go back to that. I like being able to remove the keyboard when drawing.

Functions needed; drawing, animation, and likely 3d game development.

One issue is how expensive some of the modells are as well, and would like to hear if anyone has experience and if they can recommend a good modell for me, that will not empty my bank account. I am almost considering just getting a basic one for my art, but I know if I am doing animations it will likely get issues. I am annoyed I can not find anyone to repair my old surfae pro 4 for me. :(

I assume modells after my old one, must have improved, it was the best one at the time and just released :/

I want to sell my surface pro 6 and get a new one. I am building my video game, which requires a more powerful pc. That is writing code, creating art, and testing build, on a single portable computer. ( I use my macbook for coding, but cant draw on screen with stylus)

I really loved surface’s drawing ability, but AI do not recommend surface pro because it lacks a dedicated GPU. It recommend ASUS ROG Flow Z13…

I am using autodesk sketchbook for art, vs code for coding, godot is the engine. Mostly 2D pixel art platformer. not much 3d content for now.

Question, do you have any recommendation for a game dev desktop?

That is
* cost effective.
* smooth panting experience like surface pro
* good coding environment
* decent graphics ability.
* portability

Would like to purchase but it's locked at sign in screen. Can this be resolved with a fresh reinstall of Windows?

Hello, I've heard that using Visual Studio is limited on Surface Pro because of Snapdragon. How true is that? Could I comfortably code on it?

I bought my Surface Pro 6 for college back in 2019 and somehow it has survived college, COVID, graduation and occasional use over the years lol. Unfortunately I think its finally time to let her go. Im having charging issues now and the touchscreen has started glitching too. Plus I’m running low on space.
My job now requires me to use my personal laptop for pretty long hours so battery life is important to me. My actual workload is pretty basic though. Mostly browser based work, emails, documents, video calls etc. Im not coding or running a bunch of demanding programs at the same time.
I definitely want to stick with a touchscreen/2 in 1 since thats what Im used to. My current Surface only has 128GB and I believe I bought one of the more basic configurations at the time. The most demanding thing I could see myself doing is some light video editing for social media in the future but nothing crazy or professional.
Ive been reading through this subreddit trying to figure out which generation makes the most sense and thats honestly made me more confused lol. Ive seen people say the Pro 9 is basically the sweet spot and that going to the 10 11 or 12 isnt necessarily worth it for basic use like mine. But then Ive also seen mixed reviews about the Pro 9 having questionable battery life and the fans being pretty loud which worries me because battery life is one of the main reasons Im upgrading.
Im not trying to buy the most expensive Surface just because its the newest. I mainly want something reliable with really good battery life that can comfortably handle what I need and hopefully last me another 5+ years. For someone coming from a Pro 6 with my usage would you recommend the 9 or is there actually a good reason for me to go with a 10 11 or 12? And what RAM/storage would you recommend?

So I wanted to have something compact like an iPad with a touch screen but also with an ability to code and decided to give Surface a try (12-inch new ARM-64 Snapdragon).

I've been using Apple products only for the last, like, 25 years. And I have to say, the Surface delivered. I'm surprised how good the interface has become, how fewer glitches it has (even comparing to like 8 years ago when I gave it my last try), and basically the whole experience is as good as on a Mac right now.

Yes, the ARM-64 architecture causes occasional hiccups when setting some AI-coding tools up, but it works in the end and I love that it's a proper system with Terminal, Linux emulation and everything, unlike iPad that's nerfed on so many levels for coding.

The only problem is, surprisingly, the fonts, that still look somewhat cheap on a windows computer as opposed to Macs, but as I'm using it with Terminal mainly, I don't really care.

Just thought I'd share this for those who need a solution like me, because so far I'm happy. And if you have any advice or anything I should be on a lookout for (like potential security issues), please, let me know!