Surface Pro 3 Type Cover Not Working, In BIOS/UEFI or Windows 10 after 1803 Update

I've been dealing with this issue for a couple of months now. On my SP3 at least - you should't have to do a full battery drain! A hard power cycle/restart should work. While the laptop is running, press and hold the power and volume up buttons until it cuts power. Continue holding as the device reboots. At which point it will take you into the Firmware BIOS. From there you should notice your keyboard works. So just exit firmware via the menus and windows will begin to boot. Viola! Working keyboard. At least until the next restart/sleep.

As a work around I've disabled connected standby and set up a power plan to prevent the laptop from going to sleep. Not ideal, but at least it's usable. It only takes a few extra seconds to get into a session with a working keyboard. Yes MS should fix this ASAP.  

The key to this is that you have to ensure that the battery is COMPLETELY drained. After you leave it on until it dies, push the power button until the low battery icon doesn't show up anymore. After the low battery button icon doesn't show up you need to leave it unplugged for a couple more days. 

Currently using the Surface Pro 3 with Type Cover. The first time this happened to me (type cover not working in Windows or BIOS/UEFI) the complete battery drain solution worked. This fix worked until it started happening after every sleep or restart.

After doing the complete battery drain, getting it to work, and then losing it after going to sleep I tried the two-button restart. After the two button restart I was able to restart and put the device to sleep without the type cover dying. 

With the device on in Windows, hold down the power button and volume up button until the SP restarts several times. It should bring up the black UEFI screen and the type cover should start working again.

Just an update - the type cover started failing after sleeping again. I tried this method one more time and found that I DID NOT have to do the two button restart.

The key to this is that you have to ensure that the battery is COMPLETELY drained. After you leave it on until it dies, push the power button until the low battery icon doesn't show up anymore. After the low battery button icon doesn't show up you need to leave it unplugged for a couple more days.

When you start it up for the first time the type cover should work and not give you anymore problems but make sure the Surface has the WRONG TIME. If it has the correct time then that means you did not drain the batteries completely enough.

When I start it up for the first time after draining battery, do I need to connect keyboard before putting on charging or after. or after I boot to windows?

None of this stuff works long term, if at all. 

If we are having the type cover problem at all with our SP3s then I think we have to face the fact that we will not get any use out of them with our SP3s anymore. 

A bluetooth keyboard still works so the SP3 is still usable but I know that the only way I will have a type cover working with a Pro device is to buy a new one.

Currently using the Surface Pro 3 with Type Cover. The first time this happened to me (type cover not working in Windows or BIOS/UEFI) the complete battery drain solution worked. This fix worked until it started happening after every sleep or restart.

After doing the complete battery drain, getting it to work, and then losing it after going to sleep I tried the two-button restart. After the two button restart I was able to restart and put the device to sleep without the type cover dying. 

With the device on in Windows, hold down the power button and volume up button until the SP restarts several times. It should bring up the black UEFI screen and the type cover should start working again.

Just an update - the type cover started failing after sleeping again. I tried this method one more time and found that I DID NOT have to do the two button restart.

The key to this is that you have to ensure that the battery is COMPLETELY drained. After you leave it on until it dies, push the power button until the low battery icon doesn't show up anymore. After the low battery button icon doesn't show up you need to leave it unplugged for a couple more days.

When you start it up for the first time the type cover should work and not give you anymore problems but make sure the Surface has the WRONG TIME. If it has the correct time then that means you did not drain the batteries completely enough.

When I start it up for the first time after draining battery, do I need to connect keyboard before putting on charging or after. or after I boot to windows?

Currently using the Surface Pro 3 with Type Cover. The first time this happened to me (type cover not working in Windows or BIOS/UEFI) the complete battery drain solution worked. This fix worked until it started happening after every sleep or restart.

After doing the complete battery drain, getting it to work, and then losing it after going to sleep I tried the two-button restart. After the two button restart I was able to restart and put the device to sleep without the type cover dying. 

With the device on in Windows, hold down the power button and volume up button until the SP restarts several times. It should bring up the black UEFI screen and the type cover should start working again.

I’ll be interested to hear what the ACCCC says. I’m in Australia too and would like to do the same, but have too much to do at the moment -which not having a computer without any warning certainly doesn’t help. Thanks Microsoft! And thanks for ensuring that you environmentally sustainable business practices. E-waste is a cheap justification forced product obsolence and waste!