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Microsoft Surface Pro Tip: Type Cover Stops Working
Posted by Peter Eskow on 7/27/2013 at 11:27 AM
under Technology
I've had my Microsoft Surface for about 5 months now and, while I am very satisfied with my purchase, there were still a few grips that prevented me from seeing its true potential. Most of them have been ironed out, so I'm going to be posting a number of tips and tricks I discovered that may save you from some of the same frustrations and aggravations I went through.
First up:
Type Cover keyboard randomly stops working
Every once in a while I will be typing away on my Type Cover keyboard and it suddenly stops working. Usually, detaching it and clicking it back in will correct the problem. However, on rare occasions, it stops working completely. When it does happen, the common thread seems to indicate it is usually after detaching the power, putting it to sleep, then waking it back up again a short time later. Attaching and reattaching the cover doesn't work, and neither does restarting the unit. However, I discovered that if it happens, and I plug in the unit so it is charging, then shut down completely (you must go to Charms Bar > Settings > Power > ShutDown), then the keyboard will be back to normal when I start back up again.
This ONLY works when the unit is being charged. If the unit isn't plugged in, the keyboard will not work after starting back up again. Certainly not ideal if I'm on a plane or at a conference without access to a power outlet! But it happens so rarely that I am not too worried about it.
I wouldn't classify that as a "fix" since the root cause isn't address - it's just a work-around - but it's nice to know that, on the rare occasions it does happen, I know how to quickly get it back up and running again.
Be sure to check out the collection of all my Surface tips. And stay tuned for a comprehensive review of my Surface Pro after six months of use as my primary computer.
Have any other useful tips? Let me know!
Cheers!
Peter
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