Dead Marvel Wireless Controller? Any Ideas?

[RickH]

I am cross posting from here, because I was the 140th reply in that thread and I'm not sure how much viewing that thread is still getting.

Preface: I've had a Surface Pro 3 (i7, 256gig) for about a month. In that time, I have had no problems whatsoever. Wireless has worked fine from right out of the box. Yesterday evening upon arriving home from work, I woke the Surface for the first time since the previous night. As of the prior night, it was working perfectly.

When I woke it last evening, I had no wifi connection established. I opened the networks slide-out and Windows stated "No networks available.".

Here are the steps I've taken so far in an effort to resolve this issue, all of these steps have produced no results. The computer still reports "No networks available":

• First of all, my router SSID's are not hidden, and both bands are named differently. Nothing has changed about my network since the device was working fine the previous night.
  
• I cycled wireless off and back on.
• I cycled Airplane Mode off and on (why not, it was right there).
• I restarted the machine. When I restarted, the power drop-down said "Install updates and restart". Aha, I thought, there is just a wireless update pending and a reboot will solve this. Windows shows the "Installing updates, do not turn off your computer" screen for a bit, I don't touch it, and it reboots. Still "No networks available".
  
• Toggled wifi and airplane mode off and on again.
• Troubleshooter suggests checking my wireless access point. I power cycle both my cable modem and my router. Check my phone, iPad, and ancient Toshiba laptop. Not only can all three of them see (and access the internet via) my dual band router, they can also each see several of my neighbors' wifi networks. The Surface see none.
  
• Believing the problem may stem from the update I just installed, I go to windows recovery and restore back to 11/15. Now there are no updates showing up later than 11/13 under the Programs and Features:Windows Updates list.
• I go to the Device Manager and disable the Marvel Wireless Controller, then re-enable it
• I uninstall the Marvel Wireless Controller, but tell Windows not to delete the software. Reboot, Windows automatically re-installs the Controller. Still "No networks available".
• I uninstall the Controller again, and tell Windows to delete the software as well. Reboot. This time, Windows does not automatically reinstall the device because it has no driver. I go to Surface Support and download the driver pack on my laptop, and manually re-install the Controller from the October driver pack (driver version 15.68.3059.117) - Nothing
• Throughout all of this, the Device Manager reports the Marvel controller as installed and working properly, although it continues to report "No networks available".

I am now at a total loss, other than the Marvel Controller has died. Can anyone think of any step I may have missed? I guess my next step is a complete Windows reload to "Out of the box" configuration and see if that fixes it. I thought I would check in here first to see if there are any other suggestions.

As I type this, I realize that I have not checked Bluetooth connectivity to see if that still works, and I believe it also runs off of the Marvel controller. I will do that when I get home from work. If there aren't any other suggestions by then I guess I will do a complete recovery. If that doesn't resolve the issue, the Surface is getting a one way ticket back to Microsoft, since I am still within my return period.

Thank you in advance for any advice or insight any of you can offer.

Rick

 

[Kif]

Try new update from today maybe?

 

[jnjroach]

I would do the reset...if that doesn't fix it exchange it....

 

[RickH]

Try new update from today maybe?

Well, I can try. I will have to figure out how to download it on my laptop and install it via USB stick. Thanks for the tip.

 

[GreyFox7]

Its dead Jim. Contact Surface Support Chat to get a verification & replacement
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support
Scroll to bottom see link for chat on bottom right.

 

[JimB]

Assuming you have uninstalled and reinstalled the driver make sure under power Management (on the driver settings) allow computer to turn off to save power is checked. Mine will not start without that with my power plan.

 

[RickH]

I appreciate everyone's advice. When I got home, I attempted to check the Bluetooth functionality, and it is as though the computer knows nothing of Bluetooth or a pen. I cannot even pull up Bluetooth settings, it's as though the computer never had it.

I did a complete restore of windows, back to "out of the box" status, including having it overwrite the drive in anticipation of the restore not working and my sending it back. As pretty much everyone expected, it did not make any difference. The Marvel controller still does not see any networks, and the computer will not display any Bluetooth or pen settings, because apparently it doesn't believe it has Bluetooth capability.

After the Windows reload, I noticed in the device manager that under "Universal Serial Bus Controllers", there is a device showing an error. This was there before the reload, but since I have plugged a number of USB peripherals into the Surface while I've had it, I figured it was just left over from a bad install for one of those. The device is listed as "unknown USB device (device descriptor request failed)". Under the General tab of the device detail screen, it says "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported a problem". Just an interesting aside, I suppose.

I will be boxing it up and sending it back in the next couple of days. Hopefully, Microsoft switches away from this Marvel controller for the Surface 4, because I definitely will be back. I'm in love with the Surface concept, enough I was willing to overlook the backlight bleed through and the pretty awful black levels on video playback (how can such an otherwise gorgeous screen have seemingly only 4 or 5 levels of gray between pure white and pure black?). But the wireless controller giving up the ghost so soon is the final nail in the coffin for me on this round. Not at a $1,900.00 price point. But damn, do I want to own one!

Thanks again to everyone who responded with advice, this is really an awesome forum. I know it looks like I just came and went, but I did a lot of reading and research here before I dropped that kind of money. And I will definitely be coming here first when the next generation comes out to see if they have hammered out these last few issues.

Rick

 

[GreyFox7]

I would suggest just exchanging it for a new one. Hardware failures like that are pretty rare your response seems a bit extreme. OTOH maybe you're just looking for an excuse in which case any reason is fine, see ya.

 

[GeorgeA]

Having the exact same issue: took my SP3 out of the dock station on Tuesday and getting 'No Networks found' since. No Bluetooth settings either (though I haven't found them on another SP3 we have in the office that seems to be fine with wifi, which is weird). And the unknown USB device is also there.

P.S. Mine is i7 512Gb

 

[RickH]

Having the exact same issue: took my SP3 out of the dock station on Tuesday and getting 'No Networks found' since. No Bluetooth settings either (though I haven't found them on another SP3 we have in the office that seems to be fine with wifi, which is weird). And the unknown USB device is also there.

P.S. Mine is i7 512Gb

Now this is really interesting. You noticed the same problems that I experienced, on the same day mine developed. However, I see from another of your posts in a different thread that your Surface had been docked and on a wired connection, so maybe your wireless had gone away before Tuesday and it hadn't been an issue until you undocked. I also see from that other post that you too have an unknown USB device in Device Manager and no Bluetooth as well. I was amused to see you had tried pretty much the exact same things as me in trying to resolve the problem.

Do you recall having a pending Windows update to install when you went to reboot your machine? I am wondering if that update had anything to do with my problem, and for some reason it was an update that windows didn't/couldn't rollback when I did my restore back to 11/15.

GreyFox7 had a useful suggestion upthread (before I announced my intention to return the device and then you'd think I called his only child ugly):

Its dead Jim. Contact Surface Support Chat to get a verification & replacement
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support
Scroll to bottom see link for chat on bottom right.

Even if you aren't prepared to return it right now, at least they could probably save your pulling out your hair trying to decide if the problem is hardware or software related.

I would suggest just exchanging it for a new one. Hardware failures like that are pretty rare your response seems a bit extreme. OTOH maybe you're just looking for an excuse in which case any reason is fine, see ya.

Nope, don't need an excuse. I'm a grown man spending his own money, answering to no one about how I spend it. The sole reason I purchased directly from the Microsoft store online was so that I could have a full 30 days to evaluate it; because after spending an hour playing with one at Best Buy and reading some of the headache stories and rave reviews here, I was still on the fence. At the end of those 30 days, I was unhappy enough about the black levels, throttling (not terrible, just annoying) and the backlight bleed that I decided if I kept it, I would regret it as soon as the return window closed. So, I initiated the return online, expecting to ship them the following day.

To my surprise, the return instruction email I received stated that I needed to postmark the packages by January 5th. I had another 60 days in which to ship the device. Elated, I decided to keep it a little longer and see if I could convince myself the problems were outshone by the features. Which I did. Once I was no longer "under the gun" so to speak, I realized the minor issues I had with the Surface were liveable, and it would completely suffice as my only Windows computer (the laptop I have is on its last leg). I decided I wouldn't return the device, and I was ready to order the docking station.

And then the wireless controller bit the dust, less than six weeks into ownership. So yeah, after having already convinced myself I could live with a couple of issues, which others may not have or may not care about, having an unserviceable part of the device shoot craps on me was the last nail, as I said before. I could exchange it, but what if I got one with the "yellow streak"? Or worse backlight bleed-through? Or a rough patch on the glass? Etc., Etc. You can bet I was glad I had clicked that "Return" button on the thirtieth day! I printed my shipping labels and boxed up the Surface and Type Cover this evening.

Do I think the Surface is a bad device? Absolutely not! There are definitely some bad ones out there, though. If someone has one, and they are happy with it, I am very happy for them. At no time did I say "All Surfaces are bad! And if you have one, you're a bad person!". I merely stated my personal experience and intentions. I also indicated I have every intention of checking back in for the next generation, simply because I am now bitten now on this gen. I wouldn't even discourage someone else from trying a 3rd gen if they were so inclined, but I would suggest they do so where there is a generous return policy.

I've noticed in my reading of this forum, that while you often have very helpful advice, you (and a few others) usually meet even the slightest criticism of the Surface line-up as though someone had insulted you personally. Perhaps you should step back and evaluate why? Or whether you are actually winning any converts by attacking them? And to be sure, the snark you directed at me was mild compared to some I've seen. Just some thoughts. Thank you again for your helpful input earlier.


Rick

(Edited to correct typo and add that I boxed up the device for shipping this evening.)

 

[GeorgeA]

Now this is really interesting. You noticed the same problems that I experienced, on the same day mine developed. However, I see from another of your posts in a different thread that your Surface had been docked and on a wired connection, so maybe your wireless had gone away before Tuesday and it hadn't been an issue until you undocked. I also see from that other post that you too have an unknown USB device in Device Manager and no Bluetooth as well. I was amused to see you had tried pretty much the exact same things as me in trying to resolve the problem.

Do you recall having a pending Windows update to install when you went to reboot your machine? I am wondering if that update had anything to do with my problem, and for some reason it was an update that windows didn't/couldn't rollback when I did my restore back to 11/15.

GreyFox7 had a useful suggestion upthread (before I announced my intention to return the device and then you'd think I called his only child ugly):

I didn't see a pending update myself, no. I saw some discussions and even workarounds like here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/2klxz4/check_here_if_your_surface_3_wifi_card_stops/ (and this one tells me my guesses something's wrong with power management may be right) but I didn't have it myself.

Will try the support link, thanks, though I don't expect them to actually help...

 

[RickH]

I didn't see a pending update myself, no. I saw some discussions and even workarounds like here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/2klxz4/check_here_if_your_surface_3_wifi_card_stops/ (and this one tells me my guesses something's wrong with power management may be right) but I didn't have it myself.

Will try the support link, thanks, though I don't expect them to actually help...

Wow, the description of the problem in that Reddit thread pretty much matches the problem I had exactly. Did you try the recommended solution of disabling fast start up?

I'm assuming you tried it on yours and it must not have worked or you would have said so. That is too bad. I hope you have found a solution to the problem, I know you said you are far away, but if you can be without the device for a few weeks, maybe MS will still honor their warranty. After all, they can't hold it against you if you are just on an "extended travel stay outside the United States" can they?

I halfway wish I had seen that thread before I returned mine, but on the other hand, I'm glad I don't have it to worry about anymore. Mostly, I would have just liked to have had the satisfaction of knowing if that solved the problem. I've spent the last couple of days researching a replacement. As I decided before purchasing the Surface, there really is no perfect alternative out there for this device. If it didn't have all the niggling issues I see here, I'd have gladly exchanged mine for another one. Looks like I'll be settling for a laptop this go around.

Good Luck!


Rick