Question Surface firmware update gone wrong - can anyone help make this public?

RT-XD

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Feb 6, 2013
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18,510
Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but I'm not really sure where else this kind of thing can go. Please feel free to advise on what I can do here or if there is anywhere more specific I should be posting this.

So here's the story:
Microsoft published a firmware update for the surface book line-up a few months ago. Windows automatically downloaded the update for my device and tried to install it. Only, I found that when my device tried to start back up, it went into an endless boot loop. I cannot force the surface book to shut down and cannot access the bios (and hence cannot boot from an external USB or anything like that).
I took to the Microsoft forum to see if anyone else has had this issue. Turns out a lot of other people (50 people in total at time of writing) have the same thing going on.
(here's the link to the post if you want to see the full details and discussion: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...-bricked/1fa157c1-67d5-44e1-b14c-7052dfa0b1a5 )
I also contacted Microsoft support. I waited for them to get back to me with a possible fix, only to be told a month later that they believe their update did not cause the problem and they are not at fault. They are now telling me that in order to get a replacement I would have to pay approximately £600 (because the device is not under warranty). Every other person who has had the same issue is being told the same thing.
People on the forum have come to the conclusion that the EEPROM on the motherboard, which holds the bios, has been corrupted. The only way to 'fix' something like this manually would be to open up the device, flash the UEFI and then put it all back together. This is not a simple solution and will most likely result in other hardware components being broken while taking it apart.

So in summary:
  1. An automatic firmware update screwed up my surface book. Many others have the same issue.
  2. I am now being asked by Microsoft to pay for a replacement, when I was not the one at fault.
I'm not really sure how to proceed with this situation. I refuse the pay money to fix something which I did not break.

I would like to hear your opinions on this situations - it would be greatly appreciated!

And thanks for reading!
 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
Sounds like you're going through what Apple have made some do when things went sideways. If the ROM is the issue then yes you will need to tear down the laptop/mobile computing device, suggested on this article(from your link) considering there's no option for a BIOS recovery for the SurfaceBook and you can't force the shutdown or a restart.

Given how you're outside of warranty, you're either left with a dead unit or a unit that needs to be taken to someplace outside of Microsoft's arena(but is a professional).
 
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RT-XD

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Feb 6, 2013
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Yes I fear you're right - I'm actually in the process of trying to flash the bios, but it's almost impossible to tear down this device without breaking some components.

It just seems very conspicuous that the manufacturer releases a broken update and then asks me to pay up. Surely, that is ethically wrong?