Surface Pro 3 battery degradation

Anonymous
2016-05-11T07:37:37+00:00

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.

Surface | Surface Pro | Power and battery

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Anonymous
2016-07-26T21:31:16+00:00

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. Anonymous
    2016-08-16T02:30:37+00:00

    same issue...just posting to be counted.  

    If you want to be counted, click the ![](http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=0fe6a21f-0aee-406f-8424-fdfc3ff32370) on the first post.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-08-16T06:48:28+00:00

    how about you help me? I can't keep my computer on!! I pay a premium for a device that can't even stay on!!

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-08-16T06:49:39+00:00

    Greg now loads grocery carts at the end of the register conveyor belt.

    What would be nice if Greg could come to my business meetings and explain to my clients why I've had to arrive 30 minutes early and scramble around on the floor hooking up to power outlets before caressing my SP3 into staying powered on.

    On the positive side, glass half full and all, it does create a talking point resulting in many more people being aware that under no circumstances should they ever consider buying a Surface branded product.

    Customer service is about holding the customers hand and keeping them informed even when there is little or no progress.  It is about building confidence, even in the worst of times like this, that something is being done and that no matter what it will be resolved either through a software update or a product recall/replacement.

    Sadly Microsoft, and in particular the Surface team, are spectacularly failing at that simple task which really takes very little effort to get right.  I've turned around situations where customers were on the brink of cancelling a contract into a letter of appreciation for all the effort put into restoring that faith even though it took time and things weren't always perfect (I just made sure they knew about problems by proactively informing them instead of reacting to them).

    I had planned to purchase the Surface Pro 5 and if released the Surface Phone but not now.  The Surface brand will be forever tarnished by this and the horrific Surface Pro 4 & Surface Book launch catastrophe.

    I know Mary Jo Foley and Paul Thurrott and continually chasing Microsoft and even they can't get any information out of them.  It is also mentioned on Windows Weekly each week.  Please also use the hash tag #BatteryGate on social media as that seems to be helping spread the word.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-08-16T07:03:31+00:00

    Also tweet this guy (@IsForAt) although so far he has done f**k all despite the #BatteryGate tweets he has been sent.

    ![](http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=a71cacf6-d664-46a3-8f1b-3fe14c6a83f1)

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