Surface Pro 7 trackpad freezes

Anonymous
2020-03-31T15:50:24+00:00

I received a new Surface Pro 7 8GB 128GB on 27/03/20. The trackpad cursor freezes after a very short time of use on mains power. Cursor unfreezes with power cable is removed. My SP7 is fully updated from Windows update and no other software installed.

Going to Microsoft Support and speaking with a chat agent, I completed steps of running diagnostics and resetting the computer. The problem remained just as bad. The agent decided it was a hardware issue and authorised a return. A new SP7 arrived today 31/03/20 and it has exactly the same problem! In fact it is worse, in that the cursor goes into frozen state more quickly after I attach the power cable. Further chat with agents - they are going to send me a new power supply. But I am dubious that will help.

I like the Surface Pro 7, and it works great on battery power, but is frustrating that the trackpad is completely unusable while on mains power. I suspect some manufacturing fault of inadequate shielding of the trackpad from magnetic interference caused by the power supply. But who knows? I have Surface Laptop 2 and have never had any problem with its trackpad while on mains power.

The last Microsoft chat agent told me my case would be escalated to a more advanced technician. I mentioned that there are over 200 people reporting the same problem in https://answers.microsoft.com/. See http://tiny.cc/u5f8lz He said they have nothing about this problem in their database.

Surface | Surface Pro | Power and battery

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  1. Anonymous
    2021-10-21T07:26:20+00:00

    I use a surface Pro 4 at home and have a Surface Pro 6 at work and both display exactly the same symptoms (I have even swapped the device for another which does exactly the same), both have been rebuilt (software) and drivers updated and replaced. It appears to be an intrinsic design fault with the Surface Pro's I'm astonished with my experience that it isn't more widely reported (I've even seen the same issue on a Pro 5). The fault is specific to the track pad, when connecting a USB or Bluetooth Mouse there is no such issue.

    The issue needs to be properly researched in a Lab, you won't fix this problem by suggesting driver or OS updates.

    I haven't replaced the OS completely for another, Linux for instance to determine if the issue is definitively Hardware or Software, it is possible that a core element of the Driver Software is affecting the operation which persists from version to version (drivers are rarely completely re-written from scratch between versions), the power being connected could of course in some way be causing interference with the connected keyboard.

    Because I use a connected mouse at work and generally use my Surface at home off power it has been a minor inconvenience (and I guess most will work the same way) but it is a repeatable and consistent issue that Microsoft ought to research properly.

    The consequence for me is that I won't buy another Surface for personal use as I need reliability, My work has also stopped buying these for the same reasons (I'm CIO at my organisation). Shame really as otherwise the devices are great.

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-10-12T17:58:38+00:00

    Wow, was just having this actual issue on a SP4 and read this post, I pulled the plug on the charger, and Wa-La, perfect mouse again... Yeah. They know its their issue. I doubt they will ever tell you that. They will always make you responsible to just keep buying more PC rather than help you fix the issue.

    Thanks for your post!

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-09-14T15:28:54+00:00

    My issue began when I bought one of the new chargers. If I go back to my old charger it works fine.

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  4. Anonymous
    2021-09-14T15:28:13+00:00

    I very recently started having this problem on my surface. I've had the device for 4 years and didn't start having this problem until a couple weeks ago when I bought a new charger for it. This makes me believe it's an issue with the charger. I can unplug the charger and the mouse begins working properly again. I plan to find one of the old chargers hopefully as mine from 2018-ish never caused any problems.

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  5. Anonymous
    2021-08-10T13:18:49+00:00

    This problem started for me yesterday on an SP5. I've had SP3, SP4, SP5, and SP6 for 7 years, and not had the problem until yesterday.

    What changed?

    I bought a new (3rd party) power adapter.

    Unplug it and the problem goes away.

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