Surface Book with new Surface Dock

[Spongers8X]

Have you brought your issue to their attention? They don't look in these forums...

Annnnnnd still waiting on Microsoft/Samsung to get a driver together for this Surface Dock/Book to work with two 4K monitors as advertised.

 

[Telex2112]

Oh yes indeed. I've spent hours on the phone with their "tech support" without success. Not only do they know it's affecting a lot of people, I am sure their marketing hounds are scouring the forums for "bad press".

You see, that's the only way to get engineers to expedite fixes. It is sales that drives a company to allocate resources. It's just a game, and I will keep playing it their way until they get it right, on every forum I can find.

 

[zombie0]

Oh yes indeed. I've spent hours on the phone with their "tech support" without success. Not only do they know it's affecting a lot of people, I am sure their marketing hounds are scouring the forums for "bad press".

Thank you for having done so. I am just posting on the public forums and waiting for a solution. But I appreciate you having spent the time to hound them and it's reassuring (I'm not sure if that's the right word, but I'll go with it) that they know about the issue and that it is affecting a lot of people. At least they're not going to tell us that our 4K monitors are anomalous.

 

[Telex2112]

This is a review I posted for their Surface Dock after trying to new firmware/build released last night (11/5/2015). I just called one last time, and they said there isn't even an ETA on it being fixed. I will change my review if their engineers can ever get the product's issues resolved. Until then, I would stay FAR away from this device. If I could give "0" stars, I would have done so.:


As of 11/6/2016 with newest insider Windows 10 and appropriate drivers, this product does NOT deliver. Not only does the USB controller not function correctly, it does not support dual 4k monitors as advertised. I have spent hours and hours with Microsoft technical support and they are unable to help me.

 

[pablosbrain]

On Surface Book with new dock my external displays will only work for minutes at a time before disconnecting and then I have to unplug everything and plug it back in and then reboot to get them to work for only a few more minutes.

 

[zombie0]

The dock is definitely the weak link in my Surface Book experience. Still waiting for two 4K monitor support.

 

[Telex2112]

Still waiting... Come on Microsoft. At least try and help those who are affected by this by releasing a known issues area and ETAs on a fix. It's not that difficult.

 

[BenF]

Glad it's not just me. I have two Dell 4K monitors. Either one of them works plugged into the Surface Book directly, and either one will work plugged into the Surface Dock. But plug the second into the dock and the first won't work. Odd thing is that the monitor still sees that it is plugged in, the error message isn't the no cable message, it's the no signal message. I spent an hour on the phone with Microsoft today, they wanted me to reset the Surface Book! Grrr.

--- Ben

 

[zombie0]

I spent an hour on the phone with Microsoft today, they wanted me to reset the Surface Book! Grrr.

That is the part that gets me mad. I think they are well aware that the Surface dock does not yet support two 4K monitors. And they need to tell their customers and customer support representatives precisely that. They need to prevent their customer service from instructing customers to spend needless time and effort on nonsensical troubleshooting busywork such as "resetting" (which I assume to mean return to factory configuration) their Surface Books.

It shows too much disrespect to the customer to not yet have communicated the known issues.

 

[stefray]

Got the exact same issues with same hardware (i7/8gb) both viewsonic 24in monitors but little twist,, if i do 1 vga, 1 dvi i got working with NO flicker but dvi has big gap of space on the left where vga support full 1980 resolution. if i do both vga connections, then its exactly the same problem, flickering like crazy on only 1 monitor. If i do both dvi, it detected both monitors but wouldn't turn on. I will see if i have latest build of driver and test out tomorrow.. This is not acceptable for almost 2.5k system.. Microsoft should be better than this.

 

[zombie0]

I haven't heard a credible confirmation of two 4K monitors working on the Surface Dock from any real world user, so I find it a bit funny that the new Surface Pro 4 ad seems to show two 4K monitors attached to a dock.

I mean, obviously, that's awesome. That's precisely why I have two 4K monitors! But it doesn't work!

So, Microsoft, let's get that thing fixed up, please?

 

[BenF]

Follow-up: I spent 2 hours on the phone with Microsoft yesterday, they had a group of engineering folks there, and I gave remote control of the machine. They tested every which way, installed newer (unreleased) drivers, messed with settings, all while having me plug cables in and out for them. When all was said and done they acknowledged the problem, said they were going to look into it, and asked if they could contact me when they had something else to test. So, no resolution, but at least some acknowledgment of the problem.

--- Ben

 

[Spongers8X]

So it sounds like only those with 4K monitors continue to have the issue, am I reading that correctly? Ever since the firmware update I have had zero issues with my dock(s), and have been extremely happy overall. Though my monitors are 1080p not 4K.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[zombie0]

The following write-up by a SP4 owner was sent to me:

https://www.petri.com/run-two-4k-monitors-surface

Note that the Surface Pro 4, unlike the Surface Book, does not obscure its internal mini-DisplayPort port while docked. So its possible for SP4 users to use the built-in port while docked. Us poor Surface Book chumps are not so lucky. If you care about 4K support, please let Microsoft know this needs to be dealt with!

 

[zombie0]

Based on the link above, I have gone to the length of filing down one of my DisplayPort connectors:



Unfortunately, this configuration does not work on the Surface Book. If the Surface Dock is connected, the monitor that is attached to the base (keyboard) is powered off. Once the dock is disconnected, that monitor will be powered up. In other words, even with this configuration, the Surface Book only powers a single 4K monitor at a time.

 

[tdf2001]

I have a few more data points. Using a couple of ASUS cheapo 1080p monitors and along with two mDP to HDMI adapter cables I was not able to get both monitors to work using the monitors' HDMI ports. When I switched one cable to DVI, I got both working, if I follow a specific power on order. I ordered a couple of Dell P2415Q 4k monitors and set up one up. One works fine in 4k mode along with one of the ASUS in 1080P, again only if I use the DVI port and follow a strict power on order. I have not tried dual 4k yet (I am missing on mDP to DP cable) but after reading all these posts, I am not even sure I will try...

 

[Lgodt]

I am having a similar problem. I have one HDMI monitor and one DVI. I can get either one to work individually, but not both at the same time. I am interested in your 'special power up sequence'....willing to try anything!

 

[tdf2001]

This works for my two identical 1080P Asus monitors but only if the first monitor uses HDMI and the second monitor the DVI port.

1. Reboot Surface Book with dock disconnected. Power off/on dock.
2. Connect dock to Surface with only the hdmi monitor attached to the dock
3. Wait for it to recognize the monitor
4. Disconnect dock
5. Connect DVI monitor to dock
6. Reconnect dock to Surface Book

At this point the Surface recognizes the second monitor and I can configure them via Display Settings. This configuration works with the Surface screen in use (3 monitors total) or the Surface shut.

I ordered two Dell P2415Q 4k screens. I am able to get one Dell and one ASUS to work following the same procedure starting with the Dell first. This gives me one 4k monitor and one 1080P. I had no luck getting both Dells to wrok at the same time but have not tried much yet.

 

[zombie0]

Thank you tdf2001 for posting a procedure that works for your configuration. I've given it a try with my two 4K monitors and unfortunately, at step #6, the "panic" state that I am familiar with sets in.

In this state, all of the monitors slowly cycle on and off repeatedly. The first 4K will briefly show a desktop and then turn off and repeat, the internal display will do the same. The second 4K will cycle between indicating "No signal" and "Sleep imminent." (To be clear, the second 4K monitors never shows a glimpse of the Windows desktop). Meanwhile, the USB devices are power cycled as well, and the USB detach and attach sound effects are repeatedly played.

It's as if the dock is attempting to power up the second 4K monitor, encountering an exception, and "rebooting" itself (the dock), causing all attached devices to be re-recognized. Which then re-recognizes the second 4K monitor, which it attempts to power up again, and the process repeats.

 

[Lgodt]

Thanks for the help - unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I can get all three screens (SB, HDMI, DVI) to work in duplicate mode, but in extend I can only get one of the externals to work...either will work when the other is unplugged. When both plugged in, it is just the DVI that works - very frustrating!