1/18/14 Firmware Issue 4300U Processor

[MickeyLittle]

Everyone, I'm at a loss here as I got my SP2 long after the botched December firmware issue. I got whatever firmware that was sent out 3-4 days late last week and all was well until today when there was another firmware plus other updates for my SP2. I updated and now every time that I wake or reboot my tablet is real dark for 3-5 seconds until it lightens on up to the correct brightness display that I have set. I also have auto brightness disabled so that is not the issue.

Any ideas before I do a refresh?

 

[jrapdx]

Everyone, I'm at a loss here as I got my SP2 long after the botched December firmware issue. I got whatever firmware that was sent out 3-4 days late last week and all was well until today when there was another firmware plus other updates for my SP2. I updated and now every time that I wake or reboot my tablet is real dark for 3-5 seconds until it lightens on up to the correct brightness display that I have set. I also have auto brightness disabled so that is not the issue.

Any ideas before I do a refresh?

There are some distinct conditions, start up from powered off, wake from sleep, and restart, which seem to involve different hardware/software systems and may not show the same effects like you're describing. Might help diagnose the problem to try it in these various scenarios (and maybe some others I didn't think of) since the results may not be the same in all cases.

Since I just got the first firmware update yesterday, I don't have much to say about what it does. Let's hope additional firmware blobs won't be causing problems!

 

[MickeyLittle]

Ok well things seem to be straightened out finally. I shut it down and waited about 5 minutes before turning it back on. Then I shut it down again and again and now it turns on correctly when it is plugged in or running on battery.

That was strange how it would wake from sleep or from a restart with the screen very dark only to gradually brighten kind of like dark tinted glasses when you come in from the outdoors.

 

[jnjroach]

I had a System Hardware Update today, but not another Firmware...

As a troubleshooting step, re-enable Auto Brightness and test.

 

[MickeyLittle]

I will check this later. I double checked and mine was a system firmware dated 1/18 and downloaded today. But I also got the firmware last week on 1/17 as well so this is not just me getting what others got last week a week late. lol

My Surface Pro UEFI Driver is dated 12/20/2013 and version is 2.4.350.0.

 

[jnjroach]

Yep...that is the latest Firmware, if you check your Windows Update you'll likely have the System Hardware Update...

 

[MickeyLittle]

Yep...that is the latest Firmware, if you check your Windows Update you'll likely have the System Hardware Update...

Unless I'm reading the list wrong (6th one in the list) mine says Firmware...

 

[CreativeLemming]

You have just done a refresh haven't you. Seems to be re - applying everything that you already had before the refresh?

 

[jnjroach]

That is the Firmware, and that looks like last Tuesday's Updates as well, there was another Update I received today for System Hardware..

 

[drolem]

the System Hardware Update...

A "System Hardware Update" ?!? mg: Really?! :excited:

 

[MickeyLittle]

You have just done a refresh haven't you. Seems to be re - applying everything that you already had before the refresh?

I didn't think about that. But I didn't think a refresh would remove updates and firmware updates!

That is the Firmware, and that looks like last Tuesday's Updates as well, there was another Update I received today for System Hardware..

Maybe I'll stumble into a hardware update myself. This update process of Microsoft's seems very random as to who gets what and when they get it in my opinion.

 

[MickeyLittle]

There are some distinct conditions, start up from powered off, wake from sleep, and restart, which seem to involve different hardware/software systems and may not show the same effects like you're describing. Might help diagnose the problem to try it in these various scenarios (and maybe some others I didn't think of) since the results may not be the same in all cases.

Since I just got the first firmware update yesterday, I don't have much to say about what it does. Let's hope additional firmware blobs won't be causing problems!

I thought the problem was resolved but it is obviously alive and well. It only seems to happen when running off battery as I cannot get it to reproduce while it is plugged in and charging. This also does not happen 100% of the time so if I wake it right after the screen goes black there is an excellent chance that it will wake to the level of brightness that I have set. But if I let it sit for 5-6 minutes it seems to wake up very dim and over the next 3-5 seconds have slight flicker increases of brightness to get to the level of brightness that I have it set for which is right around 75% on battery.