Does your Surface laptop or tablet fail to turn on, briefly turn on but then shut off, or get stuck at the logo screen when you press the power button? It usually happens when you don’t shut down your device correctly or keep it in sleep mode for too long.
If this issue impedes your workflow, here are a few fixes you should apply to get your Surface back to normal.
1. Force Shutdown and Restart Your Surface
If you’ve kept your device in sleep mode for an extended period or immediately closed its lid before it completely shuts down, a minor hiccup could prevent it from waking up again. Therefore, you should force shut down your device once to rule out temporary problems. The process to force shutdown and restart may vary depending on your Surface device.
To force shutdown Surface Pro 5 or later, Surface Book 2 or later, Surface laptops, Surface Go, and Surface Studio models, press and hold the power button for nearly 20–30 seconds until the Windows logo appears. In some cases, you may need to release the power button after pressing it for 20 seconds and then press it again to start the device.
To force shutdown and restart a Surface Pro 4 or earlier models, Surface Book, Surface 2, 3, or RT, press and hold the volume-up and power buttons simultaneously for roughly 15–20 seconds and then release them. After that, wait a few seconds and press the power button again to restart your Surface.
2. Wake Up Your Surface Using a Keyboard Shortcut
you’re able to forcibly wake up Surface devices from sleep using a keyboard shortcut. If your device hasn’t turned on since you put it to sleep the last time you used it, pressWin + CTRL + Shift + Btogether, and it should come back to life.
If you have faced this issue on a tablet or if your laptop was in tablet mode when you closed it, quickly press thevolume upandvolume down buttonsthree times. Hopefully, that will wake up your device from sleep.
Microsoft recommends updating your operating system after resolving the issue at hand. So, once the device gets turned on,install any pending Windows updates.
3. Disconnect All Accessories From Your Surface
Interference from the plugged-in accessories can also prevent your device from turning on. So, if force starting your Surface doesn’t resolve the issue, unplug all the accessories connected to your device right now. Whether it’s an external mouse, headphones, external drives, or as little as an SD card or USB drive, you should disconnect them all.
Once disconnected, use the steps in the first step to force shut down your device again and see if it turns on this time. If unplugging the accessories doesn’t help, move on to the next step.
4. Put Your Surface Back on Charge
Did your Surface run out of power the last time you used it, or did it shut off automatically when the battery charge fell below 10%? If so, the battery may not have enough power to turn on your device. Therefore, charge your device for about half an hour, then unplug it from charging and turn it on again.
If your device turns on successfully after charging, the low battery charge was most likely the cause of the problem. To avoid running into this issue again, don’t drain the battery too much and put it on charge when it’s close to 20%, or 10% at worst. However, if it doesn’t turn on after charging, ensure there is no problem with the battery.
5. Ensure That Your Device’s Battery Isn’t Dead
If charging your device does not make a difference, and you still cannot turn it back on, ensure you do not have a problem with your battery. An easy way to check for battery issues is to turn your device on when it’s being charged. If the device turns on when hooked up but not when it’s on battery power, the battery is likely dead.
To confirm your suspicion, turn on the device while it is charging, and look at the battery icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. If there is a red cross on the battery symbol and a prompt, such as"Plugged in, not charging," this indicates a problem with the battery. In this case, you may need to replace it.
Check out our guide coveringother signs of a dead battery and how to replace it most effectively.
6. Check for Weather Effects
Your Surface may not turn on if it gets too hot or cold. If you were out recently and may have exposed your device to extreme temperatures, bring it back to room temperature. Cool down your device if it’s too hot, or warm it up if it’s too cold. Hopefully, your device will turn on once it returns to normal temperature.
Check out our guide explaininghow extreme temperatures and imbalanced humidity levels can affect your PCto gain a deeper understanding.
7. Get Your Device Inspected
If you are still unable to turn on your device, there is a high chance it may have a hardware issue. So, getting it inspected should be your last resort.
If your device is still under warranty, you should have it serviced by Microsoft. Theservice order support pagedescribes the process to check your warranty and create a service order. If you live in the United States, Japan, China, or India, you can also visit a Microsoft service center and have your device inspected in person.
If neither of these options is available, you can take your device to a local technician’s shop and have it examined there.
Bring Your Surface Back to Life
There’s nothing worse than seeing your Surface device fail to turn on right when you need it most. Hopefully, you now better understand what can prevent a Surface device from turning on. Unless your problem is hardware-related and requires technical assistance, the above fixes should help you fix it.
Choosing a new Surface device from a wide range of options can be daunting, but if you carefully evaluate your needs, you may find the suitable model easily.
