Both windows button and pen stopped working

[bill miller]

I have had my sp3 for a couple of months without problems. Then suddenly the windows key on both the tablet and the keyboard has stopped working. At the same time the top button on the pen has stopped working. I have tried everything to no avail. Finally, I reset my sf3 to factory default. Still neither works.

I will contact Microsoft tomorrow but if anyone has any ideas in the meantime, that would be great.

Bill

 

[GreyFox7]

Windows key issue seems totally weird as the Keyboard and Softkey probably aren't using the same hardware path or mechanism and would seem completely unrelated to the Pen Button also.

The Pen Button uses Blootooth while the keyboard interfaces via a 6 pin USB port, although I'm not sure how the soft windows key is tied in it seems unlikely to be the same path as either of the former.

Try removing and reinstalling the Pen batteries and make sure Bluetooth is enabled and the pen is paired or remove it and pair it again. see...
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en...-and-search/troubleshoot-surface-pen#Clicking


Here's a procedure to disable the Windows button... BUT instead of disabling it, uninstall it. That will cause Windows to redetect and reinstall the Windows Button, should happen almost immediately such that you may not even see it. IF it doesn't come back immediately right click the node above and select Scan ...
http://www.neowin.net/news/how-to-disable-the-windows-button-on-surface-pro-3

 

[bill miller]

Thanks for the response. I had already tried each of your suggestions without success. I accept that the issues should be unrelated, but they all stopped working at exactly the same moment whilst I was using my tablet. I can only think an automatic update went wrong. But returning the sp3 to it's virgin state should have solved the problem but it hasn't. Very odd.

I really didn't want to restore the tablet to it's virgin state because it has taken me a couple of months to set up everything just the way I want it and install and configure my programs. But I knew Microsoft would make me do it anyway because they always do!

Looks like I may have to get a replacement.

Thanks anyway.

Bill

 

[GreyFox7]

Looks like I may have to get a replacement

Seems so...

 

[bill miller]

Now my problem is even more strange. I reset the tablet to default but this time used the nuclear option of choosing the 'as if for a new owner' option. It took an hour but when finished, the pen and windows button both worked.

But as soon as I logged into my Microsoft account, the pen and windows button stopped working again. Presumably, logging in restored some settings which are the cause of the problems but it is hard to fathom as I didn't change anything.

I will try and contact Microsoft tomorrow to see if they can make sense of this but it is quite annoying.

Thanks

Bill