New Surface Pro's random sleep bug: Fix is on the way, says Microsoft
Microsoft believes it has identified the cause of the sleep issue affecting the new Surface Pro and is testing a fix.
Image: Sarah Tew/CNET
Microsoft has finally identified the issue that has caused some Surface Pro tablets to inexplicably enter sleep mode, causing users to lose data.
Shortly after Microsoft shipped its new 2-in-1, some Surface Pro owners reported experiencing a sleep issue that appeared to power down the machine despite it being actively used.
In mid-June, there were a handful of reports on Reddit and Microsoft’s community page, and now several hundred people have posted on Microsoft’s forum with their experiences of the same issue.
The first person to report the problem on Microsoft’s forum claimed to have lost school work because of the issue.
Fortunately, in the past two days a Microsoft representative confirmed on the forum page that the company has identified the likely cause of the bug and is testing a fix that will be delivered soon.
“We believe we have identified the issue, and are currently testing a fix that will be delivered via Windows Update,” the Microsoft representative said.
In a second update, BryanH noted that the fix was not included in this week’s Patch Tuesday update because testing is still underway. The Surface Pro 4 did get an update for the Keyboard to support the new Type Cover, but the Surface Pro hasn’t been updated since June 15.
Microsoft will notify users via the page on its forum and will also update the Surface Pro Update History page once the fix has been released.
Factors Microsoft wanted to know during its investigation included whether the sleep issue happened when using an accessory, such as the Surface Pen or Dial, and what physical position the device was in when it occurred. It also wanted to know whether users had changed power settings.
Users on Reddit have reported the issue happening in various scenarios, for example, while watching Netflix, browsing the web, or using Microsoft’s own apps.
Many have also noted the issue is reminiscent of sleep problems that plagued previous Surface Pro models. The problem also appears to affect multiple configurations of the new Surface Pro.
Microsoft hasn’t specified when it will release an update.