Keyboard on new Surface Pro 11 does not always pair with unit upon startup

I wanted to provide a detailed update to this community of users about my very disappointing experience with customer tech and sales support over the last week. The beginning of this missive describes the background.

I purchased it on December 1, 2025 directly from Microsoft; it was delivered on December 5.

In just a few days I discovered that after shutting down the machine and then restarting it, the keyboard was not recognized by the computer; i.e., none of the keys worked. It took me a while to discover that detaching the keyboard and then reattaching it to the computer solved the issue, temporarily. Each time I shut down the computer and then restarted it the keyboard was not recognized, and on at least one occasion leaving the computer on overnight (with the keyboard cover closed) resulted in the same problem.

I found a way to contact Microsoft support directly via the Surface app: follow prompts under “Help & Support” to identify the keyboard as the issue, describe the problem, and then request a phone call from a support specialist. I first made contact on January 7. The specialist generally was unhelpful, and did not seem to be trained to address the problem. She had me on hold for most of 1 hour and 17 minutes. Near the end of that time she came back on the call and told me she needed to take another call (this is after I had been waiting to be connected with a different specialist), and told me she would phone me back in 3-5 minutes. She never called back.

I made contact with a different service support specialist on January 8. She was much more knowledgeable, took control of my Surface Pro with my permission, and examined the drivers for the Keyboard. She indicated several were corrupt, and she downloaded and installed new ones. We then did a test of shutting down and restarting the computer. The keyboard was recognized. I believe we also tested to see that the keyboard was recognized after a brief sleep mode with the keyboard cover closed—it worked again.

While I had the specialist online, I reported that I had tried to download drivers for my Brother printer/scanner but was not successful. I told the specialist that I had interacted with Brother technical support, who sent information indicating that with my version of Windows 11 (24H2), the scanner drivers could not be uploaded. The Microsoft support specialist did some investigating, but after a while told me that she would need to check with a colleague to determine whether there was a fix. She wrote an email on January 9 indicating she had attempted to call me, but I was on another call. I wrote back the same day to ask if she was available for a call from 12:00 noon-3:00 PM. She eventually wrote back to ask for the best number to reach me, which I provided just before 3PM eastern. I had not heard from her by 5PM, and so wrote to her to ask her if she was available for a phone call from 3:00-5:00 PM on January 10. She replied early in the morning on January 10 indicating 3:00-5:00 PM was beyond her shift but that she would try to extend it to help me.  I did not hear back from her that day, but on January 11 she wrote early in the morning to see if I was available for a phone call. I replied I was available at noon Eastern. She wrote back and let me know she was available from noon to 3:00 PM Eastern. I waited for a call but heard nothing from her. At about 5PM I sent an email indicating that her telling me that she was available (essentially asking me to hold the time from noon to 3PM) and then not contacting me was not acceptable customer support. She apologized by email on January 14 and told me she had been helping another customer, and it took longer than expected, and she was already on overtime. She asked if I was available for a call that day (Jan. 14). I was not available until late that afternoon, so I suggested that she call me on January 15, 2:00-4:00 PM Eastern. And this time I asked her to commit to phoning me then. She wrote back, “…I assure you that I will call you back on Wednesday 2PM Eastern time.” I took this response to mean she would phone me at 2:00 PM. On January 15 at 2:15 PM I had not heard back from here so again I made contact with Microsoft Customer Support and connected with another tech, Chris. (That first tech wrote an email at 2:19 that she had just tried to call me.)

Chris examined my file (there is a case #) and suggested two ways to try to resolve the problem. First, a factory reset, essentially resetting the Surface Pro software back to what it was when the machine shipped. I inquired whether I would lose all the software changes I made (e.g., loading the app and setting my default browser to Firefox), and he indicated I would lose all of the changes I had made. The second solution was to replace the keyboard. On this suggestion I grilled him as to whether this solution had resolved the problem for other users. And I asked him repeatedly whether Microsoft knew about this keyboard issue on the Surface Pro 11. I pointed to the number of users of Surface Pro 11 machines having this same issue on the Microsoft Community. His response was not entirely understandable or articulate. He seemed to indicate it was not a recognized problem for the 11, but that engineers at Microsoft recognized it for earlier versions of Surface Pros, and he told me that replacing the keyboard had worked for other users. I elected to have the keyboard replaced. He put me on hold, then came back on the phone to indicate that tech support would have to replace my keyboard with a refurbished one. I was upset and refused given that my machine is less than two months old. He put me on hold again then said he would connect me with sales so that I could get a new keyboard. I would need to process a refund of my keyboard, then purchase a replacement. I agreed to be connected to sales.

In a short time, a sales representative came on the phone. She had absolutely no idea why I was connected to her, so I had to tell her what was going on, and that tech support indicated I needed to get a new keyboard to replace my keyboard that was giving me problems. The sales rep then told me that the company policy is to supply a refurbished keyboard after receiving my problem keyboard from me. In other words, I would not get a new keyboard, and I would have no keyboard for some time while the return was processed. At this point I told her this was unacceptable and asked to speak with a supervisor. She put me on a brief hold then came back on the call to let me know she could arrange for a sales supervisor to phone me back. I provided my phone number and asked how long it would be before receiving a phone call. She said generally within 24 hours. It’s been more than 48 hours, and I have had no reply.

I am wondering whether it is even worth pursuing this technical issue. I could put up with disconnecting and then reconnecting the keyboard, but in principle Microsoft should not be selling machines with a defect like this (especially if this has been an ongoing issue over multiple versions of the Surface Pro, and the service tech Chris indicated). I am incredibly frustrated at what feels like "deflection" from technical support and now sales support -- I think no one in tech support has a solution (otherwise they would have incisively solved the issue), and I think the policy of supplying refurbished keyboards to replace brand new ones is unfair. My warranty indicates Microsoft will replace with new or refurbished parts. One wonders under what conditions a new replacement could be provided.

So, should I just put up with this? What do you think?

Yes I have the same problem. Occasionally the keyboard does not respond and I have to detach and reattach it to the main processor. Most annoying as it occurs maybe once every week. i have had the Surface Pro 11 about a month and it has occurred maybe 4-5 times. I think it is mainly on startup but not exclusively. I'm going to monitor it more closely. As yet I have not tried any of the suggested fixes apart from re-attaching. I previously had a Surface Pro 5 and did not have the problem. It seems to be a common problem looking at all these responses. Over to you Microsoft.

I have that same issue and what bothers me most is the fact that Microsoft doesn't react to this issue.

I have successfully used the Surface Pro 6 for 5 years before I bought the Pro 11. This issue, however, makes the latest and most expensive Version of the Surface Pro appear just underdeveloped.

Microsoft should at least make a statement that they know about the issue and are working on it.

This issue is quite disturbing to me because Microsoft is quiet about it. I spent on a flagship product which has recorded a consistent issue on a large scale. My sure guess is that many owners of the same product are suffering in silence.

Microsoft needs to establish the actual issue without which we will continue herding cats.

What I thought was a fix with the new drivers downloaded and installed by a service tech at Microsoft has not lasted. Two days ago, I did not shut down my Surface Pro 11 overnight. Yesterday when I opened it the keyboard was not recognized, and I had to detach then reattach the keyboard for it to be recognized. I have another call scheduled with Microsoft later today.

Thanks for letting us know. I was about to go through that lengthy process! Let us know if the next call fixes anything. Paul.