New Surface system update coming this week!

[m4600]

Good news! It looks like a new system update might be coming this week! About time!
Here is what a Microsoft rep posted earlier today:

Hi Everyone,

This feedback is certainly well received and improving your experience is our top priority. To this end we will be publishing another Surface update later this week. We will post again in this thread when it is available.

When you go to check for this update in Windows Update you will also notice a Windows 10 November Update being available. This is another update for the Windows 10 OS itself and adds more improvements and new features. For more information on this update, check Windows 10 November update: FAQ.

Thanks for all the feedback!

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...t/87936b0a-0b10-4572-adad-fa5c3e5636ce?page=2

 

[jeffreytz]

Thanks for the post, I just checked and my SP4 found the System Firmware Update - 11/18/2015, so it's out now!

I'm installing it right after hitting "submit" here as I've had terrible problems with my Surface locking up after I disconnect it from the Surface Dock to go to meetings and such. Fingers crossed!

 

[GatsbyGlen]

Thanks for the post, I just checked and my SP4 found the System Firmware Update - 11/18/2015, so it's out now!

I'm installing it right after hitting "submit" here as I've had terrible problems with my Surface locking up after I disconnect it from the Surface Dock to go to meetings and such. Fingers crossed!

Looking forward to testing it tonight. I'm curious to know what changed. Another forum mentioned that the display driver wasn't changed.

 

[kjparfekt]

Too little too late for me. Returning mine tomorrow. Kept saying I'll give it another week but realized I haven't touched it since Friday. It hasn't replaced my original iPad mini as my go to tablet and as a laptop I'm having too many issues for a 4th gen device that often halt productivity. Disappointed but oh well.

 

[mattwilson87]

Just downloaded the update, the first thing I've noticed is a new battery driver (dated 13/11/15)...hoping this will improve battery life!

 

[ttsoldier]

Too little too late for me. Returning mine tomorrow. Kept saying I'll give it another week but realized I haven't touched it since Friday. It hasn't replaced my original iPad mini as my go to tablet and as a laptop I'm having too many issues for a 4th gen device that often halt productivity. Disappointed but oh well.

Funny that you said you will give it another week.... and an update comes out to eliviate problems... Yet.. you won't update to see if it fixes it.. Instead, you want to return it...

Makes sense...

PS. If you surface cannot replace your IPAD mini.. Then it was never the type of device you were looking for.

 

[GatsbyGlen]

Here are the updates, from the answers.microsoft.com forums.

The following updates will be listed as “System Firmware Update – 11/18/2015” within the Windows Update History.
Surface UEFI update (v103.873.768.0) improves system stability.
Surface Management Engine update (v1.0.0.1183) provides touch optimizations.
Precise Touch Device driver update (v1.1.0.217) provides touch optimizations.
Management Engine Interface driver update (v11.0.0.1172) provides touch optimizations.
Surface Touch Servicing ML driver update (v1.0.36.1) provides touch optimizations.
Microsoft Surface ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery driver update (v1.2.0.2) ensures correct Surface driver is installed.

Note When Surface updates are provided via the Windows Update service, they are delivered in stages to Surface customers. As a result, not every Surface will receive the update at the same time, but the update will be delivered to all devices. If you have not received the update then please manually check Windows Update later.

*In addition, please check out the Surface Pro 4 update history page for more details on all previous updates.

 

[mmoran27]

These updates do not fix the display driver crashing all the time. Mine has crashed 4 times already after these updates. This is why no one likes MS. They cant fix a display driver crash? The SP4 is the buggiest device ever.

 

[kjparfekt]

Funny that you said you will give it another week.... and an update comes out to eliviate problems... Yet.. you won't update to see if it fixes it.. Instead, you want to return it...

Makes sense...

PS. If you surface cannot replace your IPAD mini.. Then it was never the type of device you were looking for.

I've performed every update with continued problems. Display driver crashes, screen flickering, keyboard being unrecognized after being disconnected and reconnected, touches not always recognized and poor battery life.

The reason I keep using the iPad mini is the screen turns on immediately, the battery life is still great and the apps allow for easy content consumption such as YouTube, Facebook, NFL Sunday ticket, message boards and flipboard for quick tech news. The weight is also nicer for tablet use and the portability is unmatched.

I tried to use the surface pro for things like Facebook but the screen ended up with lots of blank space. Edge cause multiple blue screen errors (lack of Adblock was a problem too). The battery was maybe 2.5 hours using chrome to browse the Internet. Tablet mode is at best an afterthought.

The problem is the surface could not replace my old tablet for tablet use and the surface had too many issues halting productivity to be my go to laptop. As a 2 in 1 device it shouldn't be substantially less useful at both of the 2 functions and that is why its going back.

The only people I know that like it as a tablet are people that didn't have another tablet they could grab instead. I like the idea of it as a super portable laptop but at that price I can't continue to put up with the issues its been having (as a 4th gen device).

For some people this might be the device for them. I hope updates fix the problems and extend the battery life near the Microsoft claims.

 

[StevoPhilo]

These updates do not fix the display driver crashing all the time. Mine has crashed 4 times already after these updates. This is why no one likes MS. They cant fix a display driver crash? The SP4 is the buggiest device ever.

That is an Intel problem. Not Microsoft. This even happens on a lot of laptops I sell instore. HP, Dell, Toshibas.

 

[GatsbyGlen]

FYI - This update made no difference to the battery drain during sleep. 16% GPU/12% CPU. Eats about 1500 mW per hour, or roughly 4%. I do have Wi-Fi, Hello and Notifications turned on.

 

[CygnusOrion]

That is an Intel problem. Not Microsoft. This even happens on a lot of laptops I sell instore. HP, Dell, Toshibas.

I never hear about Macs crashing due to Intel display driver.

 

[Devhux]

I never hear about Macs crashing due to Intel display driver.

Are any Macs using Skylake processors yet?

 

[boltman2013]

Hint: Mac users are few and don't know how to post complaints or do any math

 

[TheCudder]

I never hear about Macs crashing due to Intel display driver.

Are any Macs using Skylake processors yet?

^^^He makes a great point CygnusOrion.

I haven't gotten to use the device a lot , but so far the latest firmware update seems (knock on wood) to have resolved the display driver & sleep issues for me (it felt great to take my SP4 out of sleep without a hard shutdown this morning!), but now Edge is being weird in other ways --- ignoring touches to open links, touch zooming isn't consistent, I'm having a struggle typing on the on-screen keyboard (it basically ignores some letters I'm clearly pressing) & the keyboard some times fails to auto load). Anyone else seeing these issues in Edge with the latest firmware & cumulative update?

 

[mmoran27]

I have multiple apple products and have never had a display driver crash. Apple writes drivers for all their hardware. Of course they work with Intel to do so.

Never had a crash just scrolling up and down on a web site.

Poor quality control. Period.

 

[GatsbyGlen]

I think it's a combination of Intel and Windows. I purchased a Lenovo W541 in March and never had a driver problem with it. After the November update, I periodically get the same display driver error we see with the SP4. Hmmm ...

 

[dkp23]

Updated the sp4, battery drain while in sleep modes still there quite significant in just a few hours.

The battery usage a little inconsistent, i see it drain pretty fast when using edge like 5% in like 10 minutes and then the next 10 minutes went down by 2% just consistent normal surfing no videos. Up and down here..

I wanted to test edge witht he new update and did for about an hour and luckily no display errors once, looks like many still have that issue, but will continue to test and see. I tried watching videos on youtube, from forums, opening up 5 tabs, scrolling up and down quickly and no crashes as of yet. so we'll see.

 

[tennisfan#AC]

^^^He makes a great point CygnusOrion.

I haven't gotten to use the device a lot , but so far the latest firmware update seems (knock on wood) to have resolved the display driver & sleep issues for me (it felt great to take my SP4 out of sleep without a hard shutdown this morning!), but now Edge is being weird in other ways --- ignoring touches to open links, touch zooming isn't consistent, I'm having a struggle typing on the on-screen keyboard (it basically ignores some letters I'm clearly pressing) & the keyboard some times fails to auto load). Anyone else seeing these issues in Edge with the latest firmware & cumulative update?

I am experiencing the issues with Edge. And like you, so far, I have not had to do a hard reset thus far since the update. Now I have given Edge another try this morning after a full shut down since the update and it is performing very well so far. I will not get too excited but so far so good.

 

[chattoe]

I've performed every update with continued problems. Display driver crashes, screen flickering, keyboard being unrecognized after being disconnected and reconnected, touches not always recognized and poor battery life.

The reason I keep using the iPad mini is the screen turns on immediately, the battery life is still great and the apps allow for easy content consumption such as YouTube, Facebook, NFL Sunday ticket, message boards and flipboard for quick tech news. The weight is also nicer for tablet use and the portability is unmatched.

I tried to use the surface pro for things like Facebook but the screen ended up with lots of blank space. Edge cause multiple blue screen errors (lack of Adblock was a problem too). The battery was maybe 2.5 hours using chrome to browse the Internet. Tablet mode is at best an afterthought.

The problem is the surface could not replace my old tablet for tablet use and the surface had too many issues halting productivity to be my go to laptop. As a 2 in 1 device it shouldn't be substantially less useful at both of the 2 functions and that is why its going back.

The only people I know that like it as a tablet are people that didn't have another tablet they could grab instead. I like the idea of it as a super portable laptop but at that price I can't continue to put up with the issues its been having (as a 4th gen device).

For some people this might be the device for them. I hope updates fix the problems and extend the battery life near the Microsoft claims.

I totally agree with this post and I'm in the same boat and bought the pro 4 to replace my iPad and laptop,

In know way is this going to replace my iPad for the same reasons as you have stated.

I then thought I'll keep my iPad and get rid of the Mac and use it as a replacement for that but there are way too many issues to even do that.

I love the form factor, and I m liking Windows 10 but I feel it's going back as it's just not ready and for the money I paid I shouldn't have issues like this.