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

[megaminich weristdas]

Tried: 3 different power ada
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!!!

I was about to try either the heating or the freezing method, when I saw this. Decided to make one last attempt and after holding the power button for about 10 min and it worked! It might really be just about persistence. Thx for sharing your experience might well have saved me some$

 

[Daniel van der Veen]

Freezing trick worked for me as well, thanks a million to everyone who suggested it. I didn't believe it until it actually turned on. Hope it will stay alive for a bit longer.

BTW weird how it's 2017 and we're using freezers/hair dryers to keep the Surface Pro's alive...

 

[SurfaceNovice]

Sorry, i know this post is old but I was having the same exact problem a week ago and wanted to share how i revived my Surface Pro 3 in case anyone out there is having this problem.

I wrote this on the microsoft answer help page too but oddly, they removed it...

Maybe because the method i tried was not to microsoft standards. Please use my method at your own risk.

Anyways, i had the exact same problem just a week ago. I was only away from my laptop for about 3-5 hours and when i went back to it, I found that it couldn't turn on anymore. I tried every method on the internet. After a whole week of frustration and trying, i finally made some time to visit a microsoft store and booked a technician. I left my surface at the store with the microsoft technician for the day too.

In the end, nothing worked, they couldn't fix it. My surface was labeled as "dead". Microsoft offered me to exchange it with a new one but i couldn't do it as I had all my work data saved on the surface! So I decided to take it back home and think it over a few more days.

Because my surface was already doomed, I finally decided to use the crazy method of freezing the surface in the freezer fridge.

Here are my detailed steps in reviving my completely dead surface:
1. I used a Foodsaver vacuum wrap machine that i borrowed from my mother's place (She bought it on Amazon for $100 a month ago). You could also try using a ziplock baggy and sucking out all the air from it so that it won't create condensation/liquid damage on the surface. I also wrapped it with an additional plastic bag.

2. Then i place it in the freezer fridge flat (surface screen facing up) on top of a pizza cardboard box so that it doesn't touch the actual freezing fridge. I left the surface in the fridge for 3 hours - nothing more than that.

3. After 3 hours, I placed the surface flat (surface screen facing up) in room temperature for 2 hours.

4. After 2 hours in room temperature, I plugged the charger in. Then I did the usual power button and volume up button for 15 seconds, 2 second pause, and then 2 second power button. By now, It should start to flash.

5. If it doesn't flash yet, don't give up, keep repeating step 4. Once it starts flashing, the surface logo will start appearing but may shut down again a couple times. Keep pressing the power button down with 2 second intervals until the surface logo STAYS.

6. Once it loads further, WAIT for the AUTOMATIC UPDATE. After that, everything should boot up as it used to! I haven't had any problems since

7. Make sure to do a backup of your surface in case this happens again!

Hope this works for you too!! GOOD LUCK!

OMG! I was willing to try anything to retrieve my data. Like you, my Surface Pro3 would not turn on and made an apt and traveled two hours round trip to the Microsoft store. They offered me a replacement Pro4 but I would have to surrender my Pro3 which I was unwilling to do. I could only hope that one day it would miraculously start working again. I proceeded to purchase a HP laptop to replace the Pro3 and as I was setting it up today I realized how much data I really lost and became desperate (it's been 14 mos since I last backed up - no lectures, please). That led me to your post.

Again, willing to try anything, I proceeded to follow your instructions (even after being made fun of by my husband and children). I inserted my Pro3 into two Ziploc gallon bags; one on each end. Then I inserted that into a two gallon Ziploc bag (folded over) and then wrapped that in Saran wrap a few times. I placed it in the freezer screen side up and flat. I waited two hours (not the three because I started feeling a little nervous about putting it in the freezer). AFter the two hours, I unwrapped the Pro3 completely, placed it face up on my counter and patiently waited a full two hours for the thawing process. The moment of truth was nigh. As my husband and two sons gathered around, I pushed the power button once and THE Pro3 TURNED ON. We couldn't believe it! A miracle has happened! Thank you so much! You are my guardian angel! I encourage anyone who has experienced the same issue to try the freezing method. Everyone to whom I speak states that they have no idea why this would work - but it does!! I still can't believe it! Thank you! Thank you!

 

[SurfaceNovice]

Freezer trick worked! Wish the techs at Microsoft store would have told me this instead of trying to get me to turn it in (and lose all of my data). So glad I declined. Strange that the problem occurred after a forced update. In my research on the internet, it seems like Microsoft acknowledged at one time that there was a battery issue with the Pro3 and offered to refund money, etc. Then, from what I could tell, this was retracted and Microsoft went silent. Makes me wonder if the update causing the failure was Microsoft's natural selection to rid the world of Pro3s. Hmmm...

 

[four-candles]

Hi (intro - I rarely post on this sort of website, but I will because I'm so grateful for all the helpful advice people have put here before my contribution).

My SP3 just conked out . When it happened some months ago I think it eventually started up again after a variety of button pushes as described by other people. Didn't work this time though and I hadn't backed up files I spent a few hours on in the last 3 days.

After 48 hours I got desperate enough to try the freezer technique. I wrapped it in cling film having no ziplock bag to hand and thinking it was now just a piece of expensive land-fill and that I just didn't care if it filled up with water. 2 hours in the freezer, just the tablet, screen up. Took it out and unwrapped it though later I thought I should have left it wrapped because the coldness might cause water vapour in any gaps inside (like the air vents for the fan for instance) to condense into water droplets.

2 hours later I gingerly carried it to the "test area" noticing it was still cold to the touch. Attached the type cover, a USB stick to copy off the files I wanted just in case it worked, plugged in the power lead, checked the LED light was on & pressed the power button. Nothing happened.

So prepared to try all the button holding tricks again, including rubber bands to hold the power button on for 6 hrs which I did before, and I held the power button down for 30 seconds.

Blow me down if it didn't start up in 10 sec! :grin: And it all looks pretty much the same as it was last working. So I rescued my files, started backup all files again (Windows recovery & backup), and set hibernate & sleep to come on NEVER. I'll power it down each time in future. Then decided to write this to encourage other people with Surface Pros which won't turn on to keep trying.

But much as I love my SP3 I'm going to buy a Dell which can be repaired and I'll put my SP3 & docking station on Ebay. I think it is a really poor show that Microsoft manufactures a beautiful piece of tech like this which just cannot be repaired. Also the battery life ends up being far worse than what it was when new. Plus Microsoft should come clean with purchasers of the Surface range and take back dead machines and replace them with new ones for no/low charge. Microsoft should be trying all these tricks like freezing & heating then they could sell them as reconditioned.

Best of luck if you're still struggling...

 

[mkvyang]

A year and a half ago my SP3 would not turn on. I tried everything and nothing worked. I gave up on the darn thing and stored it in a box in the garage. Today, my son needed a laptop to type up his assignment. I was ready to go out and purchase a new laptop. I remembered that I had the SP3 stored away. I went out to the garage and dug it out of the cold garage. I bring it in and let it sit for about 10 mins, then I charged it and turned it on. Lo and behold, it turned on!! My boys were playing on it when it died again and now it won’t turn on. I will have to put it in the freezer to see if it will turn on again.
My question is, is there any way I can prevent my SP3 from crashing like that again? Or will I have to continue to use the freezing method?

 

[Karamurat3000]

Had same problem with my Surface Pro 3 (i5/8gb/256gb). This worked:
1- No keyboard, usb, micro sd and power cable attached.
2- Hold your surface with both hands carefully horizontal to the ground.
3- Shake it strongly and quickly up and down 5-10 times
4- Press the power button to boot up

Hope this might help someone with the same issue. All other methods such as volume up and/or down with power button for 15 secs or 2 mins failed.

 

[tigermaple]

Sorry, i know this post is old but I was having the same exact problem a week ago and wanted to share how i revived my Surface Pro 3 in case anyone out there is having this problem.

I wrote this on the microsoft answer help page too but oddly, they removed it...

Maybe because the method i tried was not to microsoft standards. Please use my method at your own risk.

Anyways, i had the exact same problem just a week ago. I was only away from my laptop for about 3-5 hours and when i went back to it, I found that it couldn't turn on anymore. I tried every method on the internet. After a whole week of frustration and trying, i finally made some time to visit a microsoft store and booked a technician. I left my surface at the store with the microsoft technician for the day too.

In the end, nothing worked, they couldn't fix it. My surface was labeled as "dead". Microsoft offered me to exchange it with a new one but i couldn't do it as I had all my work data saved on the surface! So I decided to take it back home and think it over a few more days.

Because my surface was already doomed, I finally decided to use the crazy method of freezing the surface in the freezer fridge.

Here are my detailed steps in reviving my completely dead surface:
1. I used a Foodsaver vacuum wrap machine that i borrowed from my mother's place (She bought it on Amazon for $100 a month ago). You could also try using a ziplock baggy and sucking out all the air from it so that it won't create condensation/liquid damage on the surface. I also wrapped it with an additional plastic bag.

2. Then i place it in the freezer fridge flat (surface screen facing up) on top of a pizza cardboard box so that it doesn't touch the actual freezing fridge. I left the surface in the fridge for 3 hours - nothing more than that.

3. After 3 hours, I placed the surface flat (surface screen facing up) in room temperature for 2 hours.

4. After 2 hours in room temperature, I plugged the charger in. Then I did the usual power button and volume up button for 15 seconds, 2 second pause, and then 2 second power button. By now, It should start to flash.

5. If it doesn't flash yet, don't give up, keep repeating step 4. Once it starts flashing, the surface logo will start appearing but may shut down again a couple times. Keep pressing the power button down with 2 second intervals until the surface logo STAYS.

6. Once it loads further, WAIT for the AUTOMATIC UPDATE. After that, everything should boot up as it used to! I haven't had any problems since

7. Make sure to do a backup of your surface in case this happens again!

Hope this works for you too!! GOOD LUCK!

I don't know who first discovered this freezer thing but it worked perfectly for me today, 2018.07.01. Microsoft wante me to hand them $599 for a non-warranty replacement and I still wouldn't have my files.
THANK YOU

 

[ChadBH]

When all else fails make sure to try Microsoft Support before going the freeze route. Find a store, call them, and see if they have technicians that can help you.

Freezing should be the second-to-last option before throwing it in the trash. If you do, it should be on a day with low humidity to minimize the chance for condensation.

Note that if the battery is completely dead, a dock won't charge it. You have to use the original charger.

 

[Jonathan Blau]

The rubber band trick completely worked for me.
https://forums.windowscentral.com/showthread.php?t=456016&p=3777243&viewfull=1#post3777243
My surface pro 3 wouldn't power on. I left the band on the power button for four hours, took off, couldn't power on. Left the band on overnight, came to work this morning, lo and behold, it powered on!
Last year I had the motherboard replaced in this thing for close to $500 because it wouldn't power on - now I'm wondering if this would have solved the problem?

 

[pkcable]

The rubber band trick completely worked for me.
https://forums.windowscentral.com/showthread.php?t=456016&p=3777243&viewfull=1#post3777243
My surface pro 3 wouldn't power on. I left the band on the power button for four hours, took off, couldn't power on. Left the band on overnight, came to work this morning, lo and behold, it powered on!
Last year I had the motherboard replaced in this thing for close to $500 because it wouldn't power on - now I'm wondering if this would have solved the problem?

This totally reminds me of the paperclip/business card BlackBerry Storm trick. Some of us had trouble with our clicky screens not being very clicky, BUT when you put a paperclip, business card or part of a credit card inside the back, between the back cover and the battery, all of a sudden you had a VERY clicky screen! lol

 

[timothee_revil]

Thank you cheesarah! I was skeptical, but it revived my SP3 (for now), that would do absolutely nothing when I pressed any combination of buttons. Microsoft Support told me it was probably a battery issue, and that my Surface was dead.

This is a very bizarre fix...