Surface Pro 9 won't enter tablet mode after disconnecting the type cover

This phenomenon is also happening to Surface Pro 8, after I got bamboozled into upgrading to Windows 11 from its original Windows 10

My experience dealing with my own device woes, the observations I have made, and things I have tested should be able to shed more light into this issues (which are very similar in nature). I've done it all like everyone else, REF. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfacepro-surfver_surfpro8-surftop_install/signature-type-cover-keyboard-with-slim-surface/2f4d9649-660b-4126-a5cd-b9eb0ee50784

• Run Surface Diagnostic Toolkit,
• Run System File Checker Tool,
• Reset this PC (Windows built in settings for troubleshooting),
• Hard reboot UEFI start up (Type Cover keyboard and trackpad does not work in UEFI),
• Cleaning of connection points between Type Cover and Pro 8 are clean as if brand new,
• Surface Image Recovery (fully clean the drive) using https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface-recovery-image?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US and Surface Pro8 i7/16/256 - Windows 11 Home Version 22H2
• Installing all current drivers and firmware for the Surface Pro 8 Download Surface Pro 8 Drivers and Firmware from Official Microsoft Download Center,
• I also did the Microsoft tool SensorExplorer test and found sensors related to autorotate stuck in their default values (usually zero).

But I can tell you one thing, your Surface is likely detecting the Type Keyboard, check out Lthe options inside the Surface App app version 61.23060.579.0, the Type Cover shows when attached, and goes away when detached, phenomenon and issues persists (unable to autorotate (regardless of whether rotation lock is engaged or notIt is definitely not the display drivers, as I can manually change from portrait to landscapeI have a high suspicion it has to do with the firmware changes to "get rid of tablet mode" in Windows 11

I am also getting the short end of the stick attempting to do In-Warranty claims

Because my Surface is six months from the purchase date, they are saying this is a hardware issue and tells me to do a In-Warranty Claim and gives me NO OPTION by a Standard Exchange.

So what does Standard Exchange entails? -- in one word Russian Roulette - Google to find out.In Microsoft Support's very own words,

**"**we are only limited to let you know of what we know when it comes for replacing our Customer's devices. It will be the customer's decision if they would go with the In-warranty replacement or not. Before agreeing with the replacement option, just a heads up, the replacement we send out are Genuine Microsoft Refurbished products that have been inspected, tested, cleaned, and refurbished using genuine Microsoft parts. Each product goes through a rigorous quality certification process. Genuine Microsoft Refurbished products help reduce waste, which contributes toward our sustainability goals. Learn more at Microsoft’s commitment to sustainability. r

Products may be replaced with a similar Genuine Microsoft Refurbished product available in your country closest to the original model’s form, functionality, and performance. The color may be substituted if unavailable."

After reading many worrying recounts of these so called Genuine Microsoft Refurbished product replacements, I pressed Microsoft to define that are the standards that the claimed "rigorous quality certification process" entails - they won't provide anything but a repeat of the exact same statement above"

They even added that there is likely to be cosmetic damage to these Genuine Microsoft Refurbished product replacements, essentially "you take it or leave it". And the conversation is such that they would not entertain you if you reject the replacement for "cosmetic condition", even when I countered that my Surface is unblemished and I have the macro shots of every angel to document it.

So, the In-warranty and Standard Exchange processes are NOT AT ALL REASSURING . I also learned I can't get my original device back even when I reject - look closely at the "Microsoft Limited Hardware Warranty", there is a very very sneaky clause they put in there.

It reads, "Microsoft may use either the same unit model or, if unavailable, the model nearest to the original model’s form, functionality, and performance, in Microsoft’s sole discretion*.*"

AND

"The Microsoft Product or all parts of your Microsoft Product that Microsoft has replaced become Microsoft’s property*.* "

And they won't even offer to repair my device In-warranty, only "Standard Exchange"

I was pretty cordial by giving Microsoft the chance to explain what are the policies and protection behind these vague terms like "Standard Exchange", "rigorous quality certification process" and "closest to the original model’s form, functionality, and performance", because such policies will be very helpful when there are disputes Microsoft and I , and arbitration is needed

But there is really nothing. They gave nothing. I feel its just empty words. Their official responses convey this, there is no mistaking it. If yours is a brand new Surface device and if your are wavering between waiting for Microsoft to work on a fix, or getting a refund- my gut feeling says demand a refund before your device is a few months old and they force you to do a Standard Exchange or throw in refurbished parts, for which "rigorous quality certification process" are undefined and **** unmeasurable

with little in way of remedy and roll back after you take up Microsoft's "Standard Exchange" offer

and "Microsoft may use either the same unit model or, if unavailable, the model nearest to the original model’s form, functionality, and performance, in Microsoft’s sole discretion*.*" - so you can totally just skip arbitration in the event of a dispute

I am typing this on my original Surface Pro 3, I even had the RT, and a couple more Surfaces between the family members that I bought, advocated and even converted two Mac users.

My Surface Pro 3 is still chugging along just fine after 8 years of heavy use.

I barely even started working on the Surface Pro 8 for a month ( I bought it to retire the SP3 and make it a media server for my hifi. I also thought it is cute to commemorate 8 years of the SP3, with the 8th device, and SP8 has essentially more value adding new features and innovations than previous Surface Pro iterations)

Microsoft forgot what it takes to build the SP3 and show the world they're still relevant and innovating

This SP8 has immediately thrown out 8 years of my trust, affinity and confidence in the Surface brand.

You would have thought buying an in house device for their own OS would have limited these kind of disruptive issues....but their own updates bricked their own device.....

I guess they will never be able to best Apple Macintoshes

Marrion,

I received my Surface 9 Pro YESTERDAY.

I have this issue right out of the box TODAY.

I have the extended warranty from Microsoft.

Using the Surface App, my device does recognize removal of the keyboard yet still will not go into tablet mode. I followed your instructions, and nothing changed. This should be a high priority for Microsoft since selling a TABLET that is NOT A TABLET is fraud. This is extremely frustrating due to the fact I have very bad carpal tunnel and purchased this device as an accessibility solution for going to school as a disabled veteran. I need the tablet function to succeed.

Hi Wayne Strydom,

Thank you for reaching Microsoft Community and apologies for the inconvenience this has caused you.

Just to make sure: this happens every time you detach the typecover, right? or there are times also that when you detach the typecover, the device is able to detect it and automatically goes to tablet mode? or if you do a re-attach and detach several times, would the device eventually detect it and goes to tablet mode or not at all and you would need to restart the device without the typecover attached for it to go to tablet mode?

Tablet mode in Windows 11 no longer exists as a specific mode. The device should automatically go to tablet mode whenever the typecover is detached. See: Frequently Asked Questions: Windows 11 - Microsoft Community for more details. Considering that a reinstall of Windows were tried already and still issue persists, this seems to be a hardware issue already on the connectors of the device where it is unable to detect that the typecover is being detach and thus, it does not go to tablet mode, but can you please try these steps below first then let me know how it goes:

Detach the typecover (device stays in Desktop mode due to the issue)

Open Device Manager

Click on Action

Select Scan for hardware changes

Check if the device detects that the typecover is detached and goes to tablet mode

Kind regards,
Marrion

Update!

After many hours with Microsoft technical support, the current answer is dumb.

To enter tablet mode:

1. Tap the power button.
2. Remove keyboard.
3. Tap power button and log in.
4. Boom baby, tablet mode.

To exit, just attach the keyboard.

It seems like either there is a programming glitch to not allow tablet mode directly or MS wants to prevent users from accidently messing up open windows when touching the screen to remove the keyboard. Either one makes sense...but say so Microsoft!

This is not a solution.

Microsoft needs to accept this is a bug and remediate it to provide us the functionality we all expect. Saying to turn the power off and back on is at best a workaround and not the performance we should accept from a >$2000 device.

I purchased mine months ago, returned it once over their poor direction it was a hardware issue and have had to live with this bug ever since. @Marrion - you're quite active on this thread, is there not a resource that can be escalated to within Microsoft to identify the root cause and actually release a software update to resolve this issue? Given the tablet mode functionality works briefly as expected from a clean Windows 11 install until the latest updates are applied, it is 100% a software bug.