System Firmware Update - 12/10/13 fails to install

Anonymous
2013-12-10T19:14:53+00:00

Got the updates on todays patch Tuesday, but the firmware update failed to load.  Rechecking for an update does not give the opportunity to try and reinstall.

Anyone else having this problem?  I do notice that my telemetry driver is now loaded. so not sure what is going on here.

Surface | Surface Pro | Install and update

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2013-12-19T06:53:02+00:00

Josh,

We are working through the holidays to deliver a fix for the small number of customers that have experience decreased battery life and booting/sleeping problems as a result of the December update.  We took the update down to prevent additional customers from ending up in this state. All hardware failures, none of which are known to be caused by the December update, are being handled promptly through our warranty exchange policy.

The UEFI firmware that we released in the December update prevents some devices from entering sleep mode (and other low power states) properly during periods of inactivity. In order to release an updated version of the UEFI firmware we need to test the new version with the other drivers in the set to make sure we are not releasing yet another unknown state to customer machines. We certainly feel your pain and assure you that we are doing everything possible to make this right, as quickly as we can.

Thank you,

Tim

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Anonymous
2014-02-15T00:49:31+00:00

Greetings all,

We understand that the February Firmware Update has fixed the Battery gauge issue and the Firmware showing as failed. However we can see that there are some customers who are still experiencing issues with their Surface Pro 2 going into Sleep mode and Hibernate.

So we can better track those particular issues, we have decided to close this thread off. We encourage you to create a thread related to your Surface Pro 2 not going to sleep or not going into Hibernate. Please give as much detail as possible to your scenario.

We understand that the February Firmware update did not resolve the issue with waking from Sleep or Hibernate, as it was not intended to fix that particular issue. We are continuing to work to deliver a high quality solution. More updates will become available as this effort progresses.

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Anonymous
2014-02-13T22:35:08+00:00

The February update has resolved all issues for me.  The firmware installed with no issues.  Prior to this, I had all sorts of problems with the December firmware.  Sleep and hibernate issues were rampant.  The January update helped a bit, but the battery meter was always getting off calibration. 

With the February update, all issues have been resolved and my Surface 2 128gb is working as it was prior to the December updates.  Very solid and all is back to normal.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-01-03T04:07:36+00:00

    the processor was upgraded to a i5 4300U

    First I've heard of it, but you're not alone:

    http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Surface+Pro+2

    Maybe I should pit in for a replacement instead of waiting for this fix. It would be worth reinstalling everything if it guaranteed a specs bump.

    Does CPU-Z agree it's a 4300? http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html (download link on right hand side)

    If this is true, I and any other early adopters will be extremely angry.

    well time to get angry.

    http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5266988/surface-pro-2-intel-i5-processor-updated-specifications

    can this get any worse? my surface is limping and it's resale value just went down. seriously!

    Yup, I was just about to post this: http://www.winbeta.org/news/replacement-surface-pro-2-devices-being-sent-out-upgraded-specs-includes-newer-cpu

    I could understand if it was, say, six months (perhaps), but this really annoys us early adopters.  I had mine pre-ordered and delivered on day one.

    It's not that the people who got 4200Us were unlucky or wronged in any way; it's simply that the people who got the 4300Us were lucky. There's a difference.

    We all bought the machine having seen it advertised as 4200U. That people are now getting a 4300U shouldn't make us upset, even if it's notably faster.

    We should focus on getting answers and fixes for the firmware problem. That's a complete screw-up, and for that, we deserve better answers.

    Absolutely agree... technology eras have short term lifespans. For those who received upgraded CPUs good for them. By the time these arguments ended, Surface Pro 3 with Core i7s will be out. It's best to focus on demanding Microsoft for the firmware fix.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-01-03T04:02:16+00:00

    Confirmed i5 4300U. I don't notice a difference in performance. The CPU benchmark improved 4% increase. In real life, fast is fast, and Surface Pro 2 is fast. 

    Battery life is great too - solid 8 hours and 12 minutes today at work with 11% left at the end of the day (I sell real estate - Excel, Word, Acrobat Pro, Word Press, Outlook, Microsoft Dynamics, Internet Explorer, Bluetooth, WiFi). Power profile is default "power saver."

    I had clients sign a Purchase Contract today "write" on my Surface Pro using the digitizer pen. I know, we could have used "docusign," but it was pretty cool to do, seemed natural, quick and easy for my clients. I have done this in the past on the iPad; but, it was awkward and required resizing each initial and took more time.

    BZ to Microsoft for taking a big risk with Windows 8 and the way we "touch" and interface with technology. It is nice to see a high quality piece of hardware push the envelope and challenge the "norm" and challenge Apple. I am confident Microsoft will continue to refine and improve Windows 8 and the Surface. Also, I love my Nokia 1520 phone. I must also Tout, that I have been very impressed with Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics CRM 2013.

    I like technology. I am an Apple and Windows fan. Together they make each other stronger, and better products for us. I am in Sales and have a sales team of 19 and looking to expand to 50 over the next 24 months. Two years ago we gravitated to the Apple Trio (iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Care and MS office). Going forward we are going to outfit our teammates to two devices- Nokia 1520 type device and a Surface Pro. Going from 3 devices to two devices will simplify life and will save us $900 in cellular bills in 36 months and $1200 in hardware expenses when we are bringing on a new teammate (that will save us over $60,000).

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