⟐ Commented March 17, 2026 at 19:30 MST

⟐ Commented March 12, 2026 at 12:41 MST

⟐ Answered March 04, 2026 at 1:36 MST

⟐ Commented February 02, 2026 at 17:26 MST

⟐ Answered January 31, 2026 at 8:26 MST

Also any suggestions on a good place to procure replacement Motherboards, other than eBay, would be greatly appreciated. Seeking an i7/16GB to replace like-for-like for the faulty MB I have, but would also settle for an i5/16. I'm in Sydney, Australia.

⟐ Answered January 29, 2026 at 3:26 MST

What can i do in this case is it possible you fix?

⟐ Edited January 10, 2026 at 16:30 MST

The detach button on the keyboard is constantly lit red and I can't detach the tablet from the keyboard.

I tried the one button and two button methods described by Microsoft to reset the device without success.

The device appears dead if it was not for the red detach light.

Is there another way to hard reset the device or to make it reboot?

⟐ Commented January 10, 2026 at 9:52 MST

⟐ Answered January 05, 2026 at 20:04 MST

I am no stranger to this issue over my 2 years of using this computer. Usually I have to just clean the connectors and it works again. If that doesn’t solve the problem right there, a hard reset (power + volume up held for 30 seconds) usually resolves this. Also I can tell it’s the connectors because moving the laptop around or adjusting the screen pivot usually triggers the issue reliably before I clean it.

However this time I am stumped. I have cleaned the connectors (both the keyboard and computer side) thoroughly with rubbing alcohol. The screen can attach fine no problem and everything is working. Moving the monitor around, shaking the laptop, gentle taps, don’t trigger any upset to the connection. However the computer is now attaching and detaching constantly regardless of the conditions (moving or not moving).

The timing of this can be as fast as 10 seconds apart and as slow as 5 minutes apart between attaching/detaching interruptions. When it is ‘detached’ on many occasions the keyboard and mouse still work. Other times it actually interrupts their functionality.

Things I tried:

• hard reset multiple times
• cleaning thoroughly the connectors
• making sure windows is updated
• making sure drivers are updated

Only thing I haven’t done yet is a full hard reset. Looking to get my files/programs in order to do a full wipe and hope for the best.

The computer was working perfectly until after one quick site visit where I reattached the keyboard and used it as a bulky tablet. Right after I put it back into it’s original laptop form, the issue popped up. I keep thinking it’s physical but I am not sure what the cause could be. My highest suspicion revolves around the cable that runs along the hinge of the keyboard, connecting it to the pins (only a suspicion, I am not sure as tilting the monitor doesn’t cause any detaching issues directly). But I am at a loss as to how to check or deal with that.

Sorry for the long description but if there are any thoughts I can try I would love to hear them. I am out of warranty so dealing with Microsoft is a no go.

Thank you!

⟐ Commented December 25, 2025 at 1:17 MST

⟐ Answered December 18, 2025 at 16:25 MST

⟐ Answered December 08, 2025 at 0:38 MST

My Surface Laptop 5 has a problem that means if I power it off, to start it back up I need to take the keyboard cover off, disconnect the ribbon cable which connects the keyboard unit to power, then put the ribbon back in and the cover back in place. Then the laptop turns on and I can use it.

Will getting a replacement keyboard cover fix this? This one specifically:

Surface Laptop 5 13.5" Top Cover and Keyboard - Genuine

Thanks!

⟐ Answer accepted December 07, 2025 at 18:54 MST

I am looking for a "miracle" solution or a hardware diagnosis for my **Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 1** before I send it in for a standard exchange (and lose my data).

**The Incident:**

My Surface was working perfectly until yesterday. I was having network driver issues (ERR_TIMED_OUT) possibly related to an antivirus (AVG).

I decided to shut down the computer properly via the Windows Start menu (Trackpad -> Shut Down).

The screen showed the "Apps are preventing shutdown" warning, listing AVG. I intended to cancel, but before I could click anything, Windows proceeded to force the shutdown automatically.

It seemed like a standard, safe software shutdown. However, since that moment, the device refuses to turn on. It is completely black and unresponsive.

**The Symptoms:**

• **Screen:** Black. No backlight.

• **Keyboard:** No backlight. Tapping Caps Lock or Fn does NOT light up the keys.

• **Fans:** Completely silent.

• **Surface Connect Charger:** When plugged in, the **LED turns solid White** (indicating it detects the device).

• **CRITICAL SYMPTOM:** When I plug my smartphone into the Surface's USB-C ports to test them, **my phone does not charge**. The ports seem to have no power output.

**What I have already tried (Multiple times):**

1. **Force Restart:** Held Power button for 30s, 60s.

2. **Two-Button Reset:** Held Power + Volume UP for 15-20s (also tried Power + Volume DOWN just in case).

3. **Keyboard Wake:** Tried Win + Ctrl + Shift + B.

4. **Bypassing the Charger:** I tried charging the laptop via the USB-C ports using a 100W PD Charger (MacBook/Anker grade). No reaction.

5. **"Pulsing" Power:** Pressing power rapidly 5-10 times.

6. **Long Press:** Held the power button down for 2 full minutes.

**My Analysis:**

Since the official charger LED is on, the device is receiving power physically. However, the fact that the USB-C ports are dead (not charging my phone) and the Keyboard is dead suggests the motherboard isn't initializing the power rails (No POST).

It feels like the Embedded Controller (EC) is stuck in a "Safe Mode" or a freeze state following the software shutdown.

**My Questions:**

1. Since this happened after a Windows "Fast Startup" shutdown (hibernation file creation), is there a way to force a clear CMOS/EC reset without opening the chassis?

2. Does the fact that the USB-C ports are dead confirm a motherboard failure?

3. I am currently in Tokyo and have important data on the drive. Is there *any* way to revive it just enough to pull data?

Any help would be massively appreciated!

⟐ Answer edited December 03, 2025 at 23:57 MST

⟐ Commented November 27, 2025 at 1:56 MST

My Surface Book 3 was no longer powering up, so I removed the screen manually using a paper clip and i noticed the port connecting the keyboard to the screen is burned. Anyone had this issue? Is this repairable?

Thanks!

⟐ Answered November 24, 2025 at 4:50 MST

⟐ Answer edited November 22, 2025 at 20:35 MST