Surface Pro 3 won't turn on-- battery driver?

[RoyaleWChz]

Thank you thank you for the freezer trick. My God I've had the worst day trying everything to get the damn surface to boot, knowing all my files and email archives were on it and potentially lost. Threw it in the freezer for an hour, left it on the counter for 15 mins, and held the power button for 30 secs.

After that it booted right away, I transferred my files and it's been running for an hour now. Microsoft has a new one in the mail for me anyway, may as well take it and return this thing

Can't thank you guys enough.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[OneSlyFoxGames]

Wow... This actually worked!!!! Mine has been sitting dead for months. Every now and again, I'd come back to it and try every button combination I could find--but nothing! I wrapped it up in plastic wrap, tossed it in the freezer for 40 minutes, let it "thaw" for 20.... Booted up no problem! Can anybody confirm that theirs is still working nowadays? I'm going to sell my newer Surface 3 (non-pro) if this is a long-term fix (barring any other unfortunate circumstances/problems with it).

THANK YOU so much for this solution!

 

[hilmihmy]

My device is also with this problem and my warranty just expired 4 days ago. I tried freezing it in a fridge...Tried the 2 buttons combo...etc...all just give me a temporary solution and suddenly it just went blank. It just died on me for a day.
After a day of trying to revive the surface pro 3... I manage to do it. This is how:
1. It seems that my Surface pro has a crack on top of the screen. Not the screen...but the hinge just on top of the camera.
2. It looks like when we bend the surface pro3, something inside the instrument is bent also and some connection is missing.
3. What I did is just bend is slight inward....
4. I'm not sure why...When I bend it inward...it starts.
5. Then I try the 2 combo button restart.
6. May this help.
Cross your fingers.
-Met-

 

[Roberto Vega]

Is your tablet still working?

Amazingly my SFP3 suddenly exhibited the same exact problem. I used it the night before without any problem. I suppose it went into sleep mode automatically after I went to bed. The next day "nada". I tired every suggestion on the MS site during an entire day and it would not turn-on. I would notice the PS light blink occasionally as I tried the different button combinations. Still nothing, it remained completely dead. I finally tried the freezer trick. I wrapped it up in plastic wrap an in it went. Left it in the freezer for at least a couple of hours. Took it out and unwrapped it. I left it sit for an hour or so and connected the PS. I did not attempt to turn it on for fear of ruining my night. I left it charging overnight. The next morning I pressed the power button, still nothing! I then tried the volume-up-power-button combination and after what seemed like eons, it finally turned-on. Two days later it still seems to be working. However, this morning it would not power on again. After using the volume-up-power-button combination it came back to life. Something is clearly not right. I also noticed problems with the wifi. After these events it looses login info to my wifi router, or it will appear to connect but not really work. It will work normally after uninstalling the wifi card driver. I live in fear.......:angry:

 

[TinaTT]

Thank you for helping me Not Give Up!

My surface pro3 sits on a docking station for weeks at a time without me turning it off or rebooting (I even have windows updates shut down to require a manual reboot, as needed). And Saturday, it went to sleep... and come Monday morning, it would not wake up. This has happened before, but the hard-boot button sequence worked before on about the 3rd try. No luck today.

Tried all the special button pushes multiple times, and left it sitting on the travel charger with nothing else attached for a few hours, until I found your post.

I have a big ice pack (9x13 pan sized) that I pulled out of the freezer, put a towel on, and then laid the surface on that. Let it 'chill' for a few hours, then tried the vol-up/pwr button reset a few times... no luck... let it rest another hour and tried again... on the FIFTH attempt.... LIFE!!!

I quickly sucked my latest outlook files over to an external usb hard drive (all other files were already backed up, thanks to Beyond Compare)... then tried a reboot to see how things were going. So far so good. Reboot went per normal, and the surface is back on it's docking station acting all normal again. WHEW!

Thank you!!!

 

[Andreasliyr]

I know it's really weired but I waked my sp3 up in an opposed way: heat it.
It was seemingly the same problem as others, the tablet cannot wake up after I pressed the power button and left it on my table over night.
I tried all combinations of buttons combo, and also tried to froze it. But it didn't work for my SP3.
Finally I found a weired solution, and solved the problem.

As cheesarah metioned: Please use the method at your own risk.

Actually the method is quite simple.
1. Find a hair drier or heat gun. (I used a heat gun, 350`C, 20cm away, 4 mins)
2. Blow the back of the tablet, and when you feel it become warm, you could start to press power button regularly (in my case, I pressed it even 10-20 sec.).
3. If the method works, after a while (3-5 mins, or when you feel it really warm, around 65 degree centigrade I guess), it will turn on, and the fan will run like carzy.
(The guy who teached me this method said, in his case, the surface displayed sth like "the temperature is too high to run the system", so he has to wait it cool down, and then press the power button)

I think the risk in this method is to balance the time and temperature. You know, if you heat it too hard, the tape at the back of display will fall off.

Good luck! Hope you all could solve the problem~

 

[hopmedic]

I had the same problem before. They gave me a replacement device but after 10 months it happened again. Im wondering if all the models (sp3 i5 8gb ram) only have this type of problem because replacement device wont guarantee that this issue wont happen again. Im so frustrated

If you have a Microsoft Store nearby, and you have the money and desire, talk to a manager about the problems you've had, and see if he'll give you credit for an upgrade (SP4, Surface Book). I had a hardware failure with my third SP3, where it would no longer detect a TypeCover. I took it in, thinking it would be a bad keyboard, but instead it was a bad PC (their TypeCover was also not detected). I went home, backed up info and wiped the PC, then went back the next day. I tried to talk them into letting me upgrade to a Surface Book, but no. I got a replacement (refurb) SP3. The assistant manager did give me his card, though.

Got home that evening, and when setting up the new SP3, it would not detect my MicroSD card. Called the asst. mgr., and told him about it, but it was too late that night for me to get there by close (I live an hour away). I told him I was doing updates, but in all honesty that would not fix it, but I'm doing it to satisfy the need for them, but to expect me in the AM.

I was there within a few minutes of open, and again asked about a Surface Book. He said ok. I chose the i7/512/16 with power base, because the 1TB model was still on preorder status. He went into the back, came back with a box in hand and said that he had bad news, that they were out of that model, but they do have this model, and proceeded to show me that it was the i7/1TB/16GB with Power Base. YES! That's what I really wanted.

I got credit for every penny, tax included, that I paid for the SP3 AND the TypeCover that I bought more than two years ago (it was still under warranty because I didn't buy the warranty until I had the third SP3). I had to re-buy the warranty, of course. Now THAT is a sweet deal.

 

[WrongWayJerry]

Tried every combination of power-on options and nothing worked. 20 min in the freezer, 1 min to warm up turned on on the first try. AMAZING! Thank you so much we were able to recover some files that would have been priceless to recover - Baby pictures and milestone journal of her first 6 months!

 

[Jonathan Leor]

Unbelievable. The freezing trick works ( 50 min freezing). Thank you very much.

 

[darlene rogers1]

I know it's really weired but I waked my sp3 up in an opposed way: heat it.
It was seemingly the same problem as others, the tablet cannot wake up after I pressed the power button and left it on my table over night.
I tried all combinations of buttons combo, and also tried to froze it. But it didn't work for my SP3.
Finally I found a weired solution, and solved the problem.

As cheesarah metioned: Please use the method at your own risk.

Actually the method is quite simple.
1. Find a hair drier or heat gun. (I used a heat gun, 350`C, 20cm away, 4 mins)
2. Blow the back of the tablet, and when you feel it become warm, you could start to press power button regularly (in my case, I pressed it even 10-20 sec.).
3. If the method works, after a while (3-5 mins, or when you feel it really warm, around 65 degree centigrade I guess), it will turn on, and the fan will run like carzy.
(The guy who teached me this method said, in his case, the surface displayed sth like "the temperature is too high to run the system", so he has to wait it cool down, and then press the power button)

I think the risk in this method is to balance the time and temperature. You know, if you heat it too hard, the tape at the back of display will fall off.

Good luck! Hope you all could solve the problem~

Woah!!! Thanks SO much. Tried the button thing and it didn't work. Your idea did! Heated it with hair blowdryer for @ 4 minutes and poof ON it went. Lifesaver or at least $ saver

 

[darlene rogers1]

You are AWESOME!!!

 

[tutone]

Thank you for that tip! My SP3 shut off during an update, and would not power back on using any method. I even tried disconnecting power, and taping the power button down, and draining the battery with a USB light. The light on the power cord would occasionally blink, but that was it.

I stood it on end with the easel opened up 1/2 way, and heated the right side of the Surface (the side w/ the Microsoft soft button) from the back with a hair dryer for about 30 seconds. It really was not very hot, just warm, but pressing the power button turned it on! I honestly don't know why this works, but it certainly does for some of these units. Since finally turning back on, I have not had the problem return.

You just saved me $450 for a Microsoft "repair"!

 

[Angelo Trotta]

Thank you! I used a heat gun on the back then my surface turned on! I had this problem once again and I reused the heat gun, after this second time I've never had this problem again!

 

[jacqueline chan]

ive had similar issue for the past 3 months but I was able to turn it back on by pressing for 20 seconds on the power button. Now that it's not responding I've surfed around and tried the below methods:
Hold the power button for 30 seconds
Hold the power plus volumn up button for 15 seconds
Press the window key, ctrl, shift and b key
Let it charge for 30 minutes and try again

None of the above worked
I've called Microsoft they said my warranty had expired so I need to pay a whopping $700 for repairement...

It's only been 4 months passed warrenty obviously I wouldn't wanna pay for that, especially a brand new one is only usd$850, any other suggestions guys?

 

[hopmedic]

Did you try the freezer trick discussed in previous posts? Or the heat gun trick (This one I'd be a lot more cautious about)?

 

[jfourman]

I had the same issue happen yesterday to my SP3.

Tried: Hold Power 30 sec, then Power and Volume Up 15 sec, then Power after 10 sec as described on the official MS Support sight...tried this about 100 times. ...No joy.

Tried: Freezing in freezer bag for 3 hours, allow to get back to room temp for 2 hours.
Tried this twice ...No joy.

Tried: 3 different power adapters. ...No joy.

Tried: Heating in front of a portable room space heater with blower until SP3 was very warm. ...No joy.

Tried: Putting 2 rubber bands around SP3 screen to hold power button down. During this time, the LED on the charging connector would blink off every 10 seconds. After about 15 minutes, the Surface logo appeared on the screen. I quickly removed the rubber bands and...drum roll...JOY!!!

It is funny how one or other of the methods above have worked for different people. Maybe each of these methods is just a placebo and the real solution is just persistence. The next time by SP3 bricks, I am going to try the "stand on your head and cluck like a chicken" method. I'll report back if it works. :wink:

 

[nombresanchez]

Hello,

My Surface Pro 3 had also quit powering on back in December. I had tried all the Microsoft recommended button-press combinations while powering on the device without any luck for three months. I would periodically retry every other day or so without any response from the device. I would leave it powered on for weeks at a time to ensure it was fully charged. I also cleaned all of the contacts on the device with rubbing alcohol and this still had no effect. I had also attempted to wake the device by touching the haptic feedback Windows button, but no response. The only method that seemed to work was pressing ctrl + shift + Windows Key + B buttons while also pressing power button. Using this method the device powered on once and then immediately died. I was not able to repeat the method with success for another month or so.

Then I came across this post on the freezing method and thought I would give it a try since my warranty expired six months prior. So I put the Surface into Zip Lock baggies and froze it for three hours. After removing it from the fridge I immediately tried the Microsoft recommended button press combinations without any luck. I placed the Surface on AC charge overnight and tried again in the morning. This time I held down the ctrl + shift + Windows Key + B buttons while holding down power button. When doing this I would notice a very quick flash on the keyboard illuminations. So I continued to hold the power button while rapidly pressing ctrl + **** + Windows Key + B buttons in succession and noticing the keyboard would briefly illuminate three or four times within the 30 seconds of holding down the power button. On about the third time doing this the device just turned on.

I don't know if the freezing method is what was part of the fix or not. It has since not failed to boot once. It's hard to nail down a solution if the problem doesn't repeat. I hope this may help somebody. I love my Pro 3 when it boots!

 

[marionts]

Omg the freezer trick worked, I am so happy,

 

[Brenopin]

There have been a few times I thought mine had died and would need to be replaced, however every time I eventually got it to come back on. The most recent, I remember making sure the keyboard and any other devices were disconnected including the power; holding the power button for a full two minutes; release it for 30 seconds; press and hold power button again until I saw a blink from the screen, about 5-10 seconds or so; it booted up shortly after that.

Got to turn on my with your method, thanks very much.

 

[surfacepro34]

I had the same problem, except when I left it unplugged for some hours or days, it would eventually decide to turn back on. Some of the tech people at my work looked at the event logs and said that the problem appeared the last few times the computer had hibernated (as opposed to simply sleeping). I turned off the hibernate function (Run 'Command Prompt' as administrator, then type "powercfg.exe /hibernate off" and press the Enter key, exit the Command Prompt program), and the problem hasn't returned. Hope this helps! Good luck!