SOLVED: Can't adjust Surface 3 pen sensitivity

[suburbanl3g3nd]

I have just paired my Surface 3's pen. When I open the Surface app to adjust the sensitivity (or turn off the windows button and adjust the audio), I am greeted with the message "The Surface app could not connect to the pen device. There may be a problem with device metadata or drive may be open by another application. From the Start screen type Devices, tap or click Devices and Printers, then tap or click Refresh 3 times (circular arrow next to search box)."

I can click the eraser to open OneNote and take screenshots, apps let me erase by pressing the erase button; but, I can't change sensitivity or anything from the app. I have tried unpairing and repairing the pen, restarting my Surface, reinstalling the Surface app, and installing the drivers.

What can I do to fix this?

Also, I did do a fresh install of Windows 10 and do a fresh install of all of the drivers from Microsoft's support page.

(See my next post for how it was solved)

 

[broughshane]

Re: Help: Can't adjust Surface 3 pen sensitivity

I'm not sure on this now. I only know second hand comments from twitter. That the software on win10 to adjust the sensitivity for the pen with the surface 3 doesn't work . even the last update it got didn't fix it.. so far there no fix and its a waiting game from Microsoft for a fix !

 

[tbsteph]

Re: Help: Can't adjust Surface 3 pen sensitivity

OP - Same problem here with the pen app. Hasn't worked with any version of 10 since 7/29/15. This is the kind of crap that has irritated me with Microsoft for more than 20+ years. Usually they blame the OEM for not updating a driver, etc.

 

[suburbanl3g3nd]

Re: Help: Can't adjust Surface 3 pen sensitivity

I recently got this problem fixed. I was on chat with Microsoft and one of their techs was remote controlling my Surface 3 and noticed that my Surface was missing some kind of software that identified it as a surface after it was freshly upgraded to Windows 10. This caused the Surface to identify as a generic computer instead of a Surface. To see if you need the software/patch thing, go into your devices/printers in the control panel (not the silly settings app). Your computer should show up under devices. If your computer's icon shows as a generic computer instead of a Surface, your Surface is missing the key piece of software to identify as a Surface and Microsoft can give it to you. I don't know how to get it other than chat support though or what the software was because they didn't give me the software to directly install.

My pen and type cover have had 0 issues since this patch was installed though!

 

[tbsteph]

Thanks for the update. My Surface 3 does show up correctly under Devices, etc. Unfortunately, still cannot adjust the pen via the Surface app.

 

[suburbanl3g3nd]

Thanks for the update. My Surface 3 does show up correctly under Devices, etc. Unfortunately, still cannot adjust the pen via the Surface app.

It sounds like a huge waste of time especially when you're great with computers, but, go to their tech support chat. They sent me a new pen for free and let me keep my old one because there was potentially an issue with the pen itself causing the problems, too.

 

[ryland Johnson]

Hi one and all, I am new to the Surface so please excuse my questions and confusion.
Are we debating the pairing of the pen with the device or adjusting the pens sensitivity? If the latter I did not know one could adjust the pens sensitivity? Would one of you kind members mind helping me out? How would I adjust the pens sensitivity?

Kind regards, Ryland

 

[broughshane]

You can find it using the app called surface ! Its preinstalled in the app list. Or use Cortana to find it. It's the pen sensitivity setting that's not working yet.