Surface Pen pen tip unresponsive

[bowenarrows]

Hi. My pen (with Surface pro 7) is functional with the eraser button, but completely unresponsive with the pen tip. I can't write or scroll with the pen tip, but I can erase, open programs, and scroll using my finger.

I have restarted, updated, and disconnected/reconnected everything. I have replaced the battery, removed/replaced the tip, and uninstalled/reinstalled the driver. I can't think of any other troubleshooting, but I've only had the pen since the start of the year and that's a ridiculously short time span for this thing to be working, I don't want to replace it. (even it was free, getting to a store is a bit difficult with social distancing and staying at home! )

Any help would be really appreciated!

Thanks.

 

[sharpuser]

It would be rather easy to simply declare your pen to be broken. Rather than do that, it is worth waiting until you can find someone with a Surface computer who would be willing to let you test either their pen on your device, or your pen on their device.

Meanwhile, let's try to figure this out:

When you turn Bluetooth off, the pen and eraser should still work (not pressing the eraser button, but tapping things on the screen with the eraser). This works similarly to the way the point end of the pen works.

Can you test using the eraser end of the pen to select things on the screen? You should see the screen respond to the eraser end being close to the screen.

 

[bowenarrows]

It would be rather easy to simply declare your pen to be broken. Rather than do that, it is worth waiting until you can find someone with a Surface computer who would be willing to let you test either their pen on your device, or your pen on their device.

Meanwhile, let's try to figure this out:

When you turn Bluetooth off, the pen and eraser should still work (not pressing the eraser button, but tapping things on the screen with the eraser). This works similarly to the way the point end of the pen works.

Can you test using the eraser end of the pen to select things on the screen? You should see the screen respond to the eraser end being close to the screen.

Thanks for trying to help. No one else in my household has a surface, so that idea will have to wait until we're all able to leave our houses.

Yes, that works. Hovering the eraser (with bluetooth on or off) makes the cursor appear, and I can select things on screen. The pen tip does neither.

 

[sharpuser]

Aha!

The pen seems to have a broken connection to the tip. The battery is fine, as you supposed.

1. Take the pen apart and remove the battery.
2. With a lens wipe (or isopropyl alcohol), clean the exposed and protruding chrome-colored conductor on one side of the pen, and the three copper-colored conductors on the other. Also clean the copper-colored ring connector and central connector on the newly exposed butt end of the eraser portion. With a cotton swab, try to clean the three small copper-colored conductors on the inside of the pen barrel.
3. With your (dry) mouth, try to blow air in and out of the long battery barrel of the pen. Will require some pressure. This is to possibly break loose any debris.
4. Re-assemble the pen with battery and test.

Let us know ...

 

[bowenarrows]

Cleaned all of those with the isopropyl, but the pen is still unresponsive. Eraser still works.

 

[sharpuser]

Sorry to conclude your pen must be broken - some short or fracture to the tip emitter.

 

[bowenarrows]

Drat. Well, thank you for your help! Good to know I at least exhausted all the options.

 

[sharpuser]

Drat. Well, thank you for your help! Good to know I at least exhausted all the options.

You haven't exhausted the "jiggle the handle" option. Get a little rough with the pen. Maybe it broke from a drop, and you can get it working sometimes the same way.

 

[hak]

I have the same exact problem. They eraser works. I put in a new battery. The tip is completely unresponsive of my surface pen.

 

[jnjroach]

I have the same exact problem. They eraser works. I put in a new battery. The tip is completely unresponsive of my surface pen.

Remove the nib from the pen and put it back in and see if that helps, if not your pen may have failed