Surface RT shocking me

[pbnationrc]

I was in the airport sitting on the dry, clean, marble floor with the charger plugged in the wall that I was leaning against. Also dry and clean. I had my phone plugged into the Surface charging via USB and head phones listening to music from the Surface. I was sitting cross-legged and the tablet edge was shocking me with quit a bit of force. It hurt. I was surprised it had that much power!

I checked to make sure all the wires had no cracks or bare wire showing, nothing. All looked brand new. I was getting shocked around my wrists. My wrists (both sides but strongest on my right) was touching the edge of the Surface at the same time I was holding it with my hands around the top corners.

I couldn't figure out how it was working. The Surface itself showed no performance issues. I was listening to music and working on an Excel sheet. Anyone else have this?

 

[oion]

The only time I've had issues with shocking my various electronics (PC keyboard, laptop keyboard/case, PC case) was in environments that were very dry. Like an upper-Midwest/Canadian winter. Just walking across carpet in socks was enough to forcibly reboot my laptop at one point when I touched the keyboard (scary as all hell). I think when the device exterior is metal, though, and you happen to touch the outer casing, it acts as a Faraday cage; I had since learned to ground myself before touching things if the environment was that dry, but anyway.

The question is if there's a shock issue in other situations. Did it ever happen while the Surface was on a table? Or not plugged in? Or only plugged in?

 

[pbnationrc]

The only time I've had issues with shocking my various electronics (PC keyboard, laptop keyboard/case, PC case) was in environments that were very dry. Like an upper-Midwest/Canadian winter. Just walking across carpet in socks was enough to forcibly reboot my laptop at one point when I touched the keyboard (scary as all hell). I think when the device exterior is metal, though, and you happen to touch the outer casing, it acts as a Faraday cage; I had since learned to ground myself before touching things if the environment was that dry, but anyway.

The question is if there's a shock issue in other situations. Did it ever happen while the Surface was on a table? Or not plugged in? Or only plugged in?

So far no, it hasn't happened again. I didn't think it was that dry, I was in Shenzhen, China. But I don't know the humility there. It was strange and a little painful. Thanks, I am less worried that my Surface is trying to kill me!

 

[beman39]

It was probably not even the surface, maybe the surface just acted as a bridge, but it could have been a bad grounding on the plug to the ground you were sitting on and the surface acted as a conduit... so what ever you were holding was going to give you a shock.

 

[oion]

So far no, it hasn't happened again. I didn't think it was that dry, I was in Shenzhen, China. But I don't know the humility there. It was strange and a little painful. Thanks, I am less worried that my Surface is trying to kill me!

Oh, it's China. I wouldn't be surprised of their facilities simply have no code to follow and thus aren't up to code by Western standards. Chalk it up to a bad outlet.

 

[Telstar1948]

I was in the airport sitting on the dry, clean, marble floor with the charger plugged in the wall that I was leaning against. Also dry and clean. I had my phone plugged into the Surface charging via USB and head phones listening to music from the Surface. I was sitting cross-legged and the tablet edge was shocking me with quit a bit of force. It hurt. I was surprised it had that much power!

I checked to make sure all the wires had no cracks or bare wire showing, nothing. All looked brand new. I was getting shocked around my wrists. My wrists (both sides but strongest on my right) was touching the edge of the Surface at the same time I was holding it with my hands around the top corners.

I couldn't figure out how it was working. The Surface itself showed no performance issues. I was listening to music and working on an Excel sheet. Anyone else have this?

Don't know about the cause, but concrete, stone etc flooring are all excellent conductors.

 

[beman39]

Oh, it's China. I wouldn't be surprised of their facilities simply have no code to follow and thus aren't up to code by Western standards. Chalk it up to a bad outlet.

That's exactly what I was thinking, I just didn't want to offend anyone with said statement ^^^ lol