Surface Book Performance Base - Crashing following MS Update

Got a different system back from repair depot, as expected, it was clean and undamaged.  It wasn't updated so I spent a couple days updating it fully before installing any of my normal tech stuff.  Here's what all that was:

Start (new) Version Information

 Embedded controller: 90.1277.256.0

 UEFI: 90.1427.768.0

 Touch: 53.0.94.0

 Wi-Fi driver: 15.68.9112.23

Updates 1/26/18

 20 drivers

  Intel(R) Corporation - System - 9/21/2017 12:00:00 AM - 9.21.0.2853

  Surface - Firmware - 9/14/2017 12:00:00 AM - 90.1837.256.0

  Surface - Firmware - 12/6/2017 12:00:00 AM - 91.1926.768.0

  Intel Corporation - Display - 9/23/2017 12:00:00 AM - 22.20.16.4811

  Intel - System - 7/18/2017 12:00:00 AM - 11.7.0.1040

  Intel(R) Corporation - MEDIA - 7/17/2017 12:00:00 AM - 10.22.1.102

  Surface - System - 10/31/2017 12:00:00 AM - 2.27.136.0

  NVIDIA - Display - 10/19/2017 12:00:00 AM - 23.21.13.8808

  Intel(R) Corporation - System - 9/21/2017 12:00:00 AM - 9.21.0.2853

  Realtek Semiconductor Corp. - MEDIA - 9/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - 6.0.1.8242

  Surface driver update for Surface Camera Windows Hello

  Intel driver update for Intel(R) Imaging Signal Processor 2500

  Intel Corporation driver update for Microsoft Camera Front

  Intel Corporation driver update for Microsoft Camera Rear

  Intel Corporation driver update for Intel(R) Control Logic

  Intel Corporation driver update for Intel(R) CSI2 Host Controller

  Intel Corporation driver update for Microsoft IR Camera Front

  Intel driver update for Intel(R) AVStream Camera 2500

  INTEL driver update for Intel(R) Xeon(R) E3 - 1200/1500 v5/6th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) Gaussian Mixture Model - 1911

  INTEL driver update for Intel(R) 100 Series Chipset Family PMC - 9D21

 8 quality

  KB4056891

  KB4023057

  KB4056887

  KB4053580

  KB4033631

  KB4049011

  KB4054505

  KB4035543

 1 other

  KB890830

Updates 1/26/18

 1 quality

  KB4057144

 2 driver

  Surface - Firmware - 9/14/2017 12:00:00 AM - 5.62.3126.2

  Surface - Firmware - 9/11/2017 12:00:00 AM - 11.7.4.3330

Updates 1/27/18

Feature update to Windows 10, version 1709 (Fall Creators Update)  

Updates 1/27/18

 quality

  KB4056887

  KB4056892  

  KB4041994

final Version Information

 Embedded controller: 90.1277.256.0

 UEFI: 91.1926.768.0

 Touch: 53.0.94.0

 Wi-Fi driver: 15.68.9112.23

created a recover disk, set up backup, and began installs of my stuff, so far no issues.

I'm inclined to think one of two things, either there was a firmware update that was incorrect and subsequently fixed or my system just didn't like the firmware for whatever reason.  There were never any errors or indicators that pointed to the actual issue and re-flashing firmware oldest to newest didn't work.  I do find it unfortunate that MS couldn't resolve the issue remotely and that replacement was the cheapest, fastest method, I'd like to know what the real problem was, I can be glad it was in warranty, not sure what they would have done had it not been since they do cover windows update issues pretty well and free. 

Good Luck to anyone else with this issue, hopes this helps. K

I can confirm the symptoms you describe - because I had the very same experience.

Surface Book kept on crashing after the firmware update. Mostly multicolor cross hatch pattern, sometimes bluescreens with random stopcodes (I guess I now have seen them all) and in very rare occasions freezing screen. The record was 30+ crashes on a single day.

I mean this can happen, no piece of software is totally error-free, but support was not very helpful if you asked me. They captured 20h of my precious time with ever repeating same questions (I had contact to 9 support agents, as I fell out of conversations due to crashes and have been reconnected to a different agent) and ever repeating same tests (like checking for windows update, even when the machine just rebooted three minutes ago), querying windows versions and running different diagnostic tests (surface diagnostic too, memory test, ...).

Even when I multiple times mentioned, that I assume the problem is due to a bad firmware upgrade and referred to this very forum post, they kept on executing their checklist with checking for os and hardware issues.

In the end, they got the reboot problem kind of "solved", because now my Surface Book is not booting anymore, after trying to reset windows, during which my Surface Book crashed again. :-(

This was past Wednesday, past Monday my replacement arrived - and doing good so far (even when I did not succeed from preventing installing firmware upgrades as well).

My Surface Book with Performance Base experienced the same crash and restart issues described in this thread immediately after this January firmware update. Sometimes the video cuts out right after boot up or within 5 minutes. Other times the machine would freeze, other times it would freeze with a multicolor cross hatch pattern, and sometimes it would just restart and show an error message citing different reasons for the crash after collecting information (with an unhappy face). Uninstalling updates, and reinstalling firmware manually did not help. Some of the software updates always failed to install as well. The system would not complete a restore, or a reset without failing. After 3 times, a "restore image from cloud worked" but the new Windows image did not resolve the crashing issue which sounds like the problem is firmware related. It did make it happen less often though. The MS diagnostic tool did not identify a problem and after running it, the edge on the settings panel disappeared. I suspect that the firmware update somehow corrupted the video system. After the problem occurred, I could not get video updates to load without failing or update the video drivers successfully. After trying all the same steps outlined in this thread the machine is going back to MS for repair. I don't know if this problem was induced by the Intel Spectre / Meltdown Patch (I read Intel is receiving reports of crashes) or if this is a coincidental hardware failure, but I'm not happy about returning this machine for service because from what I read, MS doesn't repair and return your new $2,500 machine. They instead replace it with somebody else's busted and refurbished equipment. Sony uses the same repair depot process for its equipment and I have had bad experiences in the past with bad hardware being recycled back to me. Hopefully, MS does a better job at its repair depot.

I feel for ya.  My system isn't as critical, I do use it for work (IT Consulting/tech)  but for a while it can be replaced with my Windows Phone  I rarely contact MS Support but this system is still in warranty and I felt compelled to notify them that the firmware update may be bad.  

What irritates me is that they prefer to inconvenience the customer with 2-4 weeks of loss by replacing the system rather than actually looking into the issue even when I was willing to work with it.  Going through 5 different techs I found each one basically relies on a script rather than skill to troubleshoot, and they send out the same inaccurate instructions for various things.  It's hard to tell whether to follow my own skill or do as they say.  So here's what I've found so far and the path I took after I gave up on support and had them arrange for replacement.  

MS Support basically did this:

surface diagnostics kit - found no issues (every tech ran this despite my telling them it was a waste of time)

"in place upgrade"  - did not fix issues

reinstalled the Nvidia GTX driver (one of the Firmware updates) because one of the BSODs was a video driver issue.

installed SurfaceBook_Win10_16299_1801000_0.msi firmware/drivers, did not fix issues

removed all updates listed to have been installed after 1/10 - no fix

perform a system refresh/reset (on board reinstall) this made matters worse, and I warned the tech it would.  with the new firmware installed and old software/drivers I lost use of most apps, edge, event viewer, control panel, action center and many more.

The tech then sent instructions on building a USB Image reinstall disk.  The instructions were wrong and they were flummoxed when I contacted them while it was running and the choices didn't match their script.

at this point they gave up and I allowed him/her to arrange a replacement.

Then I did this:

installed the oldest firmware: SurfaceBook_Win10_15063_1801000_2.msi

From here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49497

I then created a USB Reinstall disk with the "Create a recovery drive" app and this image: SurfaceBook_BMR_15_10.17.0  (this worked correctly)

At this point the system returned to normal, though way behind in updates which I am allowing now.

System crashes continued making updates near to impossible, I have given up trying to fix this and am sending it back on warranty.

BTW, you can look at your Version info (UEFI firmware ver. and such with the "Surface" app.)

Good luck

Following Windows refresh, followed up with SurfaceBook_Win10_16299_1710000_0.msi (last known "good" firmware).  I'm not convinced this actually updated the firmware (I haven't booted to UEFI to check the actual firmware in use), but I have noticed that the system is notably more stable.

"More" being the key word here - it's still crashing to black screen every few hours, but this is a considerable improvement over the ~15minutes previously (some times I couldn't even complete login from boot).  It means I can actually get some work done while I'm traveling.

However, this is not an acceptable solution (I'm dreading it crashing in the middle of a client presentation) so will kick off the official support process which may result in a system replacement if it's the same issue as yours.