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

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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
    2014-01-16T15:14:53+00:00

    Would an MS rep please post to this forum! A few brave souls posted here around the time the 12/10 firmware issue was first being recognized.

    Now that patch Tuesday has come and gone, we need to hear from MS what the plan is and some sort of ETA on a fix.

    +1

    I am also one of the people that has been waiting very patiently over a month for a firmware fix.  The day came and went and nothing.  Not even an update from Microsoft with an ETA.   What do they advise us to do?  I've been leaving my machine at home in fear of its random start-ups causing the machine to melt in it's case while in transit.

    If you are in the same boat, please keep bumping this thread and not starting new ones.  Maybe we can get an actual MS representative to give us an update.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-01-16T15:10:37+00:00

    You know, there are only a handful of companies in the US that can claim, the size, $$ and impact of many of the individual divisions within Microsoft.  If we look at any of the 'Giants' of the industry, the HP's, Lenovo's, Dell's, etc,, they, individually would fit inside any one of the Major divisions within Microsoft.

    I don't know whether I consider that good or bad, but I mention it to try and make a point when comparing the actions of one of these 'Giants' and gauging it against what Microsoft can or should do.  I don't think 'Stonewalling' is in the Microsoft dictionary or playbook.  I think if this issue was big enough, Senior management would have a response.  But this issue, though it strikes us hard, is still only a few thousand units at best.  A few thousand units does not create a Stonewalling issue or ignorance by Senior management at Microsoft, type of situation.

    Again, I'm not sure whether that's good or bad.

    Last week I mentioned the 'Fix' would not be available on Patch Tuesday.  yeah, it was a guess on my part, but a guess based on a gut feel. 

    Surface is a small team within Microsoft.  Heck, its not even one of the Minor divisions.  With smaller teams, faced with multiple scenario's like we see right now with the Surface Pro, to go from Problem recognition, root cause, fix, test and release, in 4 weeks, is pretty good.  For you and I, it sucks.  But this is not a normal everyday fix.  When we see 'breaks' and 'fixs' occur normally, especially around release, its a pretty good bet the 'break' was known, and the 'fix' was in the works, prior to release.  We see this with no product releases all the time...having updates ready on release!.

    But this December update I think was a mistake.  They did not anticipate this. Besides the negative impact, I think this was a breakdown in internal process.  There will be an internal impact because of this.  Whether it was Surface management or Surface Testing, or Release Management.  Something broke and they did not expect it.   In the November update it was the ordering of the individual updates.  With the December update, ( guess here) it was the readiness of the drivers and other components to an unreversable Firmware update.  When I say firmware, I mean Firmware, not a driver.  When this update went in, it broke stuff, and the stuff stayed broke.

    I think we'll see the Fix shortly.  I'm guessing by tomorrow...maybe even today.  I think we'll see our Surfaces restored to the brilliance they had before December 10th.  I think Microsoft, Surface specifically, will not let this happen again.  I don't believe this was just the next in a long line of questionable releases.  I think this was a pure break, an expected and unaccounted for mistake. One in which they had no answer or response. If Microsoft is the company I believe they are....this type of breakdown wont happen again.  

    Now, I wish I could use my Surface today....

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