Keyboard on new Surface Pro 11 does not always pair with unit upon startup

Just bought a SP11 and have issue with keyboard not working after a complete shutdown. This happens every time. The only solution is to detach and reattach the keyboard, very annoying.

Temporary solution is not shutting down the laptop, but just close the lid.

This is definitely not keyboard problem, but something wrong with the Microsoft driver/firmware. So many users are having the exactly same problem. The old pin type keyboard has no such problem, this new concept keyboard is useless, not many people will use it with keyboard detached.

Just found out this new keyboard has tiny pins too, so it is physically connected, why is it not working when the windows starts. In bios the keyboard is working good.

Having same problem with a non-bluetooth Surface keyboard and ARM Surface Pro 11. Upon startup - randomly- the keyboard is not recognized. The only way to fix is to unsnap keyboard and then snap it back on.

Help?

You and I are in the same boat. I also have the Surface Pro 11 with Snapdragon. Detaching and re-attaching the keyboard does cause the Surface to recognize the keyboard. Usually, pressing the start and volume-up button atop the Surface and holding it down until the UEFI screen appears (it takes a little while) and then exiting without making any changes usually brings the keyboard to life as well. I strongly suspect that the issue is with the Surface and/or Windows 11 on the Surface. If other reports about this same problem come in, Microsoft will have to address it.

It is interesting that a new computer fixed the keyboard concern but I think we need to identify how to duplicate the concern. This is with my Surface Pro 11 where I can duplicate the keyboard concern 100 percent of the time. 1: Shutdown using Windows "Shut down". 2: Fold keyboard/cover over display/screen immediately. 3: Wait overnight before using computer. 4; Lower keyboard/cover and turn on computer with the power button. When the computer boots, the keyboard should be unresponsive. You don't even have to try the keyboard. You could tell by the size of the icons in the task bar, they are larger.

To avoid this from happening. 1: Shutdown using Windows "Shut down". 2: Delay folding keyboard/cover over display/screen by a few minutes. It should start up with the keyboard responsive.

Or, sometimes I don't have the time to wait to do the above. This is the procedure when starting the computer up the next day. 1: Press power button BEFORE lowering keyboard/cover. The keyboard should be responsive.

If a new computer did actually fix this keyboard concern, Microsoft will have a lot of computers being returned since all of the computers are still under warranty. I won't be returning my computer even if a new one does fix it for this keyboard concern being I can adapt to the above and I don't want to get a computer back with a different concern.

I don't use sleep mode, so I have only observed this on startup. I would emphasize that it does not happen on every startup -- maybe one in ten with the first keyboard and twice so far in two days with the new keyboard.