Solved My SP4 just self-destructed

[Afy]

So it has now un-self destructed?

 

[wynand32]

So it has now un-self destructed?

With just a little assistance...

 

[Niterider4]

Oh, very dramatic. Reset or Replace.

As if those are mundane options. I'm so sick and tired of being told to reset or reinstal Windows for every little problem, as if it's no big deal. Not everyone has two days to reinstal their OS and put everything back to the way it was, even if they can remember how everything was. This is 2016 and resetting an OS as a basic solution is unacceptable.

How about getting the OS right in the first place, Microsoft? Or is that being too optimistic?

 

[Votality]

When my first SP4 went toes up, it just died - complete black screen. No power or anything. So what you experienced is certainly a strange situation.

Mine too.

 

[Philtastic]

As if those are mundane options. I'm so sick and tired of being told to reset or reinstal Windows for every little problem, as if it's no big deal. Not everyone has two days to reinstal their OS and put everything back to the way it was, even if they can remember how everything was. This is 2016 and resetting an OS as a basic solution is unacceptable.

How about getting the OS right in the first place, Microsoft? Or is that being too optimistic?

See, the problem is that a lot of people install ridiculous rubbish on their computers or they go to horrible websites that covertly install things that might interfere with the normal operations of the device. We don't and can't know everything that a random person on the Internet has installed, knowingly or otherwise, on to their Surface. A large number of problems are actually caused by user error. Most people don't want to admit or even know that so they blame the device or the OS and, in some sense, they're right: if Microsoft made an OS-lite appropriate for casual users (like iOS) that was highly restrictive in what could be installed, a lot of these problems would disappear. I can personally tell you that the OS and device, for typical low-level uses, are fine and work mostly how they're supposed to with sleep issues being the only definitive problem with almost all SP4s. The only way for us to know that you don't have a hardware issue is for you to reset it to factory conditions and try using it without installing any of your stuff on it. If it still doesn't work properly, then you have a hardware issue where you need to exchange it.

 

[wynand32]

See, the problem is that a lot of people install ridiculous rubbish on their computers or they go to horrible websites that covertly install things that might interfere with the normal operations of the device. We don't and can't know everything that a random person on the Internet has installed, knowingly or otherwise, on to their Surface. A large number of problems are actually caused by user error. Most people don't want to admit or even know that so they blame the device or the OS and, in some sense, they're right: if Microsoft made an OS-lite appropriate for casual users (like iOS) that was highly restrictive in what could be installed, a lot of these problems would disappear. I can personally tell you that the OS and device, for typical low-level uses, are fine and work mostly how they're supposed to with sleep issues being the only definitive problem with almost all SP4s. The only way for us to know that you don't have a hardware issue is for you to reset it to factory conditions and try using it without installing any of your stuff on it. If it still doesn't work properly, then you have a hardware issue where you need to exchange it.

I suppose you didn't read my original post where I said the issue I experienced occurred immediately following a factory reset. And I'm curious: how can you "personally tell" me that every SP4 is "fine"? I'd love to see the research backing up that claim.

Very condescending response, I have to say.

 

[Philtastic]

I suppose you didn't read my original post where I said the issue I experienced occurred immediately following a factory reset. And I'm curious: how can you "personally tell" me that every SP4 is "fine"? I'd love to see the research backing up that claim.

Very condescending response, I have to say.

Did I quote you? No? Did you read the post I was referring to, the one that's blaming everything on the OS and is sick of people telling him to just reset? My statement explains the typical "Is it plugged in; is it turned on?" response that you will tend to hear from both official tech support and forums like this: we don't know what's wrong with his specific system or what he has willingly or unwillingly installed on it. The best general solution given very incomplete information is to reset the device and see if it works. If it doesn't, then there's a hardware problem. If it does, then it's very likely that the user is doing something to it that causes the errors.

You have misinterpreted what I meant by (full quote rather than cherry picking) "I can personally tell you that the OS and device, for typical low-level uses, are fine and work mostly how they're supposed to with sleep issues being the only definitive problem with almost all SP4s. The only way for us to know that you don't have a hardware issue is for you to reset it to factory conditions and try using it without installing any of your stuff on it. If it still doesn't work properly, then you have a hardware issue where you need to exchange it.". In the context of my statement, I am literally saying exactly what I said but, for clarity, in general, a functioning SP4 works as advertised since I have what appears to be a functioning unit: I can personally vouch that functioning units do exist and do work as they should. The user in question, Niterider4, may not have a functioning SP4 which is why all of us who are actually trying to be helpful will tell him to reset and see if it works because, if his device still has problems, he could go exchange it instead of continuing to have an incredibly frustrating time. In fact, he should probably go exchange it anyway since it sounds like he has reset it a bunch of times already and is still having problems.

A truly condescending response would be "It's fine. You're just screwing up. Deal with it." That is not what I have said here.