Can this Surface be saved?

[StephanieD]

A Surface Pro 7 recently upgraded from Windows 10 to 11 has stopped most every function except the screen powering on and I'm at a loss for what to try.

I have the Surface connected to a Surface dock and when the Surface 7 is on the BIOS screen all accessories work. But as soon as the Surface boots into Windows, nothing works.
The screen doesn't work, the mouse and keyboard don't work.
I'm unable to boot to USB (not recognized).
I'm unable to sign into the Surface (no keyboard is recognized).

What works:
It powers on. The Surface displays the Microsoft logo and shows the login screen.
It charges, I think. The charge icon isn't visible on the screen.
The clock advances correctly.
I can boot in the BIOS and the touchscreen works on this screen.
While in the BIOS screen the external USB mouse and keyboard both work.

What doesn't work: Nearly everything else.
When it starts up and goes into Windows:
The touchscreen doesn't work.
The touchscreen keyboard does not appear.
The USB-A port doesn't work.
The USB-C port doesn't work.
The detachable keyboard has no effect on the Surface.
A normal wired USB keyboard and mouse have no effect on the Surface. In fact, they have no power (no lights on either device).
Despite being connected to an ethernet cable on the Surface dock, the Surface 7 does not display an internet connection icon. It stays showing the globe and "no" slash symbol.


What I can I do with this? I obviously suspect some Windows update has bricked this Surface 7 but what can be done?
Is there a way to get it to recognize the accessories? Just getting a keyboard to work would be huge because then I could try different boot methods.
Can I force it to boot to a USB?
Can I get it into recovery mode to erase it without a functioning keyboard?

Any help is welcome!

 

[GoMan]

Did this issue occur at any point during the past three days?

 

[StephanieD]

Did this issue occur at any point during the past three days?

Hello, the user did not use it in the past three days (so I can't say definitely that's when it happened) but picked it up yesterday to start using it. It had just been powered on and asleep previous to that.

It did update from Windows 10 to 11 within the last two to three weeks though.

 

[GoMan]

Hello, the user did not use it in the past three days (so I can't say definitely that's when it happened) but picked it up yesterday to start using it. It had just been powered on and asleep previous to that.

It did update from Windows 10 to 11 within the last two to three weeks though.

Thank you. I'm asking about this specific time frame because Microsoft released a driver update for the Surface Pro 7 on October 21. Even if the update occurred, it's not clear that this is the cause of the problems you are experiencing. It seems that everything you describe is more likely a driver issue rather than a hardware issue.

Since you cannot sign in to Windows with a USB keyboard and mouse, other methods, like installing drivers or resetting the Surface, can't be performed.

We may be able to bring your Surface back to life using a recovery image. Of course, this would mean losing all personal data you may have saved on the device and applications installed over time. Your detailed explanation gives me enough information to indicate that this is possible, and I'm recommending this approach because I believe it's the best solution.

If you would like to proceed, I can create a procedure for you to follow, and we can review other relevant settings and firmware versions in the UEFI interface to ensure everything is correct.

 

[StephanieD]

Thank you. I'm asking about this specific time frame because Microsoft released a driver update for the Surface Pro 7 on October 21. Even if the update occurred, it's not clear that this is the cause of the problems you are experiencing. It seems that everything you describe is more likely a driver issue rather than a hardware issue.

Since you cannot sign in to Windows with a USB keyboard and mouse, other methods, like installing drivers or resetting the Surface, can't be performed.

We may be able to bring your Surface back to life using a recovery image. Of course, this would mean losing all personal data you may have saved on the device and applications installed over time. Your detailed explanation gives me enough information to indicate that this is possible, and I'm recommending this approach because I believe it's the best solution.

If you would like to proceed, I can create a procedure for you to follow, and we can review other relevant settings and firmware versions in the UEFI interface to ensure everything is correct.

Yes, we're willing to erase the Surface to get it functional again. If you can send me the steps, I'll be sure to implement them. Thank you!

 

[GoMan]

Yes, we're willing to erase the Surface to get it functional again. If you can send me the steps, I'll be sure to implement them. Thank you!

Hello! Please keep an eye out for a private message to get things started.