Surface Pro 3 battery degradation

Anonymous

I've been using Microsoft Surface Pro 3 for a year, and shortly after the warranty expired I noticed my Surface Pro 3 can only last about 1-2 hours after a full charge. At first I thought this was a problem with background process draining the battery so I disabled everything running in the background. It didn't helped. Then I found out about the powercfg utility and run powercfg /batteryreport on it, and this was the result:

A full charge capacity has degraded by over 80% in just few weeks and continue degrading. I tried to "recalibrate" the battery by doing full charge then full drain multiple times, and it didn't helped. Talk with Microsoft via chat support and they insist this was a software problem and reinstalled the driver and asked me to wait few days to see if things improve. Not only it didn't improved, but now my Surface can only last 30 minutes.

Few days after chat (today), I called Microsoft support and they were being extremely unhelpful. Insist that this was a software problem (which the chat support person already did) and it's "perfectly normal" for battery capacity to degrade. I insist that I've already done the software "fixes" and it didn't work and tell them this is definitely hardware problem, but the person on the phone tell me there's nothing I could do except to order the out of warranty exchange (which cost about $560 in my local currency).

Is there anything else I should do? My country has no Microsoft Store which I could take the machine for them to take a look. Phone/online support were the only option, and none of them could understand the issue.

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Anonymous

Hello everyone,

Thanks for your continued patience here. We have now completed our testing of the update and it has passed our quality assurance process.

The update, “System Firmware Update - 8/29/2016”, is now available to install from Windows Update.

Before installing this update, ensure that your Surface Pro 3 is plugged directly in to AC power using the standard AC power adapter (do not use the Surface Docking Station), disconnect any USB devices or external monitors, and check that Windows shows a 40% charge or greater when you hover over the icon in the taskbar before you begin.

Once you install the update, please select Restart now (do not shutdown). After your Surface restarts, please manually restart it a second time to complete the process. For more information, please see our Surface Pro 3 Battery FAQ article.

If you’re having trouble charging your Surface, you get a low-battery error, or your Surface turns off when you unplug it, the steps in our Surface battery won’t charge article can help you pinpoint the problem. Should you need any further assistance, please contact us.

Thanks again.

Greg

Updated 8/29/16.

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1,459 additional answers

Anonymous

2016-08-07T12:53:54+00:00
I live in the UK and bought my Surface Pro 3 in the UK. I had no idea there were battery issues until my Surface suddenly died stone cold dead and nothing will revive it. The very negative, disinterested written response I received from Microsoft (posted earlier in this thread) has prompted me to send my details to the US law firm gathering names and details of everyone with the problem.

I also bought 2 Windows Nokia Lumia 820 mobile phones a few years ago. Checking the mobile phone settings mine was very clearly made by a different manufacturer to my son's. Mine was a nightmare from the start with power/processing/software updating issues
- freezing/jamming/dying. I had to send it in for repairs several times, they refused to ever tell me what was wrong with it or to replace it and the "repairs" made no difference! It died just out of warranty. I then resorted to using my son's identical phone (made by a different manufacturer and runs/handles totally differently). I am still using it. I am now wondering if my Windows Nokia Lumia mobile problems are a similar issue to the Surface Pro 3 problems.
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Anonymous

2016-08-07T14:18:46+00:00

I've just returned mine for a partial refund at PC world in the UK. (Approx 50% of the purchase price, which seems fair given that I've had 19 months use out of something that is realistically only going to have a 3 year life)

A long process and a lot of persistence required to get the refund, but I can appreciate why PC World are resistant to accepting returns at this stage. They have been heavily dropped in the firing line by Microsoft's faulty product and by Microsoft's silence on the matter. Kudos to PC World for finally offering the refund and I hope the cost of this is passed on to Microsoft.

Interestingly they ran a diagnostic test in the store, and within 2 minutes they stopped the test and declared the battery was 'faulty'. That doesn't necessarily mean it is the physical battery that is faulty, but it does mean there is a simple way of quickly checking if it is performing properly.
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Anonymous

2016-08-07T21:54:55+00:00

Make sure you all take a minute and go to the Microsoft store to post your review of the product and the support you've received so far on this issue.

https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en\_US/pdp/Surface-Pro-3/productID.300190600
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Anonymous

2016-08-07T23:12:56+00:00

I have downloaded all updates and STILL my Surface Pro 3 will NOT stay charged. WHEN is this issue going to become a real priority for Microsoft. I spent $1400 on this computer and I have used it 1 1/2 years...that not what I call reliable.... why would anyone want to invest in a Surface Pro 4.... I will make sure my friends and family understand the lack of service reliability of a Surface
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