Microsoft Surface Won’t Turn On? 7 Ways to Fix

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Your Microsoft Surfacelaptop or tablet might fail to bootdue to battery failure, overheating, a damaged charger, or a faulty power button. Temporary system glitches or failing hardware can also prevent your Surface from coming out of sleep mode or hibernation.

Fortunately, power supply or battery issues are often easy to troubleshoot. We’ll show you seven troubleshooting steps to try if your Microsoft Surface won’t turn on.

1. Charge Your Surface Fully

Your Microsoft Surface won’t turn on if its battery’s completely drained. Does your Surface flash a battery icon when you press its power button? That indicates a critically low battery.

Plug your Surface into a wall outlet using its original power supply for at least 15 minutes. Ensure the connection is sure and the LED indicator on your Surface’s charging connector is lit.

Your Surface’s power cord is likely faulty if the LED light doesn’t come on or if it flashes a white light when connected to a power source.

Note:If your Surface battery is completely drained, a Surface Dock might not charge or power your device. Charge your Surface with its original power cord instead.

2. Check the Power Connection

Your Microsoft Surface won’t charge or turn on if the power connection is loose. Ensure the power adapter or cable fits securely in the wall outlet or socket.

Also, ensure the power connector fits securely in your Surface’s charging port. If nothing changes, your Surface power supply is likely faulty or damaged.

Try a different charging cable or buy areplacement power supply from the Microsoft Store.

3. Use Authentic Charging Accessories

Third-party or knockoff charging accessories may not power your Surface or charge its battery. They could also damage your battery or cause your Surface to overheat.

Connect your Surface to a wall outlet using its original power supply or a compatible Microsoft-branded power cord.

4. Leave Your Surface to Cool

Computers sometimes shut down randomlyand won’t turn on if theCPU temperature is too high. If your Surface feels hot, disconnect the power supply and leave it cool for some minutes before turning it on.

5. Disconnect External Accessories

Leaving external accessories connected to your Surface might prevent it from booting. Disconnect USB drives, SD cards, type cover, and any external accessory from your Surface and try turning it on again.

6. Wake Your Surface with a Keyboard Shortcut

Does your Surface make a whirring noise when powered on but freeze on a black screen? If so, there’s likely a problem with your Surface’s display or graphics adapter.Restarting your Surface’s graphics adaptermight get the screen working correctly again.

Press theWindows key+Ctrl+Shift+Bhotkey and release the keys when your Surface makes a beep. The screen should come on five to ten seconds after.

In tablet mode, press theVolume UpandVolume Downbuttons three times simultaneously.

7. Force Restart or Soft Reset Your Surface

If your Surface still doesn’t turn on, press and hold thepower buttonfor at least 20 seconds. Release thepower buttonwhen the Windows logo screen appears.

Try the two-button force shutdown method to force-restart your Surface device. The two-button shutdown works on select Surface models—Surface Book, Surface RT, Surface 2, Surface 3, Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, Surface Pro 3, and Surface Pro 4.

Don’t release any or both buttons until after 15 seconds, even if the screen flashes the Surface logo.

Get Your Surface Up and Running

If you get your Microsoft Surface to boot, use the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit to check for power supply and battery issues. You can also chat with a Microsoft Support specialist via the Surface app.

Open the Surface app, expand theHelp & supportdrop-down menu, selectGet help, and follow the prompt.

You should also update your Surface’s operating system anddownload the latest updates for its drivers and firmware. Send your Surface to a nearby or local Microsoft Store for service, repair, or replacement.

Sodiq has written thousands of tutorials, guides, and explainers over the past 4 years to help people solve problems with Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices. He also enjoys reviewing consumer tech products (smartphones, smart home devices, accessories, etc.) and binge-watching comedy series in his spare time.Read Sodiq’s Full Bio

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