Surface Pro 12inch slim pen 2 leaving dots on screen after i lift my pen

Arin Martin 15 Reputation points
2026-02-12T17:22:17.5+00:00

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So, i'm a digital artist and I've been using a slim pen 2 for almost half a decade at this point. It's literally never given me a single problem before. Last november, I upgraded from my surface laptop studio to a surface pro because it's more portable and would be compatible with the slim pen2 that I already had, so I wouldnt need to buy a new pen. Things had worked great for the last few months, but since the most recent windows update its been doing this. almost every time I lift the pen up, it leaves a random dot when I'm not touching the screen.

things i've already tried that did not work:

buying a new pen. it happens with both the slim pen I've been using since 2023 and the brand new one i bought literally today. I assumed it was because my other slim pen 2 was about 3 years old at this point but no luck. Now I have 2 useless $90 paperweights.

uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers and firmware for the pen

uninstalling and reinstalling clip studio paint, the art software i use.

restarting the computer

force-updating the computer

using the surface diagnostic toolkit (came up with nothing)

re-pairing the bluetooth for the pen. Did this 4 times. nothing.

screaming into a pillow. didnt fix it, but it did help me emotionally.

this issue also shows up in the surface pen pressure calibration screen and I couldn't do anything to fix it there either regardless of how i adjusted the settings, so it's not just an art program issue.

I ONLY bought the surface pro instead of a regular laptop so that I could draw on it, and now I can't. Has anyone else had this issue? If you know how to fix it I'll. I dunno, I'll buy a cake with your name on it or something. I just want to make art again.

Surface | Surface Pro | Performance and maintenance

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  1. AI answer

    2026-02-12T17:22:31.5566667+00:00

    It sounds like you're experiencing an issue with your Surface Slim Pen 2 where it leaves dots on the screen after lifting it, which can be frustrating, especially for a digital artist. Since you've already tried several troubleshooting steps, here are a few additional suggestions that might help:

    1. Check for Surface Updates: Ensure that your Surface Pro is fully updated with the latest firmware and drivers. Sometimes, specific updates address pen-related issues.
    2. Adjust Pen Settings: Go to the Windows settings for the pen and check if there are any sensitivity or calibration settings that can be adjusted. Sometimes, tweaking these settings can help reduce unintended input.
    3. Test on Different Applications: While you mentioned that the issue appears in the pressure calibration screen, testing in different applications (like Microsoft OneNote or Windows Ink Workspace) can help confirm whether it's a software-specific issue.
    4. Reset the Surface: If none of the above steps work, consider performing a reset of your Surface Pro. Make sure to back up your data before doing this, as it can restore the device to factory settings.
    5. Contact Microsoft Support: If the problem persists, it may be worth reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance. They may have additional insights or solutions specific to your device and the recent update.

    Hopefully, one of these suggestions helps you get back to creating art without interruptions!

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  2. S.Sengupta 32,031 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-02-15T06:44:23.4066667+00:00

    Shut down completely

    Hold Power button for 20 seconds straight

    Release

    Wait 10 seconds

    Power on normally

    This resets the digitizer controller.

    Test immediately after boot before opening other apps.

    This fixes ghost input surprisingly often.

    Open Device Manager → Human Interface Devices →

    Disable HID-compliant touch screen

    Restart.

    Test drawing.

    If the dots disappear → the Windows update broke palm rejection.

    Uninstall the latest cumulative update installed right before this started.

    Restart.

    Test.

    Shut down Surface completely.

    Hold Volume Up → press Power → keep holding Volume Up until UEFI appears.

    Use the Slim Pen 2 to:

    Tap repeatedly

    Lift slowly

    Make quick movements

    Hover close and lift

    Watch for:

    Random taps

    Phantom selections

    Screen reacting when you’re not touching

    If it misfires here → likely hardware.

    If it doesn’t → Windows/software issue.

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