Surface Book switches off unless battery driver uninstalled

Question

My Surface Book turns off within 1 minute of it being powered on. Although it is always connected to power (LED White) during use, the device battery is at 0% and 'not charging'. I suspect this is a software issue, rather than a hardware issue, and would appreciate help on finding a solution.

To fix this problem, I have tried

• shutting down PC multiple times, disconnecting power and reconnecting
• resetting the PC with its bitlockerkey. Device remained turned on during reset (blue screen) but the same problem happened after reset--device shuts down in 1 min.
• uninstalling Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Battery under Device Manager.

My Surface Book remains turned on when I uninstall Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Battery driver. However, whenever device restarts (and battery driver is automatically installed), the same problem happens all over again.

If I want to use my Surface Book at all, I need to pounce to uninstall Battery within 1 minute, or else it goes dead. Also, I can't restart or install new programs that require a restart on my Surface Book--since the laptop dies while restarting. I have wasted many hours just trying to get my Surface Book to stay powered on, but at this point I am seriously deterred from trying at all.

Answer 1

We still have not received any response from you since our last follow up message. Please feel free to create a new thread if you have different and new concerns.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Answer 2

We have noticed that you haven’t replied to our last response. We would like to know if you still need assistance with your concern. If yes, kindly reply back so we can further assist you.

Hope to hear from you.

Answer 3

Hello Akjkzm,

Thanks for reaching Microsoft Community. We're sorry to hear about this battery issue on your device.

In this case, it might be due to battery driver issue or a potential hardware problem. We would highly recommend that you reset your Surface using a USB Recovery Image. This option reimages the entire device, including the partition on the hard drive. It is the most complete form of reset.  You must have at least 16GB/32GB of USB Flash drive and it must be formatted to FAT32 prior to downloading the Recovery Image.

Note: This removes all the files and apps on your device. You will need to back up your data and reinstall the desktop apps or run updates after the completion.

To download the Recovery Image:

1. Visit the page at http://www.surface.com/support/warranty-service-and-recovery/downloadablerecoveryimage
2. Sign in with your Microsoft Account (this is the email address we asked you for at the start of the call)
3. From the list of Surface devices available, select the device that you need a recovery image for
   Please note that while you will only be presented with devices that are currently registered on your account, you will also be presented with the option to get an image for a different type of device. If you try to use this option, you will be prompted to enter the serial number for that device
4. Download the recovery image using the button on the page
5. When the download bar pops up at the bottom of your screen, save the file in a location you will be able to find it.

Format USB Drive:

1. Insert your USB drive into the USB port of your PC.
2. From the desktop, open File Explorer
3. Tap and hold or right-click on the USB drive and choose Format
4. Select FAT32 as the file system and enter a Volume label to name the USB drive, such as RECOVERY, and then tap or click Start
5. Tap or click OK to erase the contents of the USB drive
6. Tap or click OK when the format is complete

Create a recovery drive:

1. On your Surface or PC, open recovery image that you downloaded by double-clicking it
2. At the top of the window tap on Extract and then Extract all. Select the USB drive you formatted earlier for the location and click Extract.

Perform USB recovery image:

1. Turn the Surface off by pressing the power button
2. Insert the USB recovery drive into the USB port
3. Press and hold the volume-down (-) rocker
4. Press and release the power button
5. When the Surface logo appears, release the volume-down (-) rocker
6. When prompted, choose your language options and keyboard layout
7. Select Troubleshoot
8. Select Recover from a drive. If prompted for a recovery key, select Skip this drive at the bottom of the screen.
9. If prompted, select Repartition the drives.

If issue persists, then we know it's already a hardware problem. For further assistance, kindly contact our support via Contact Us Microsoft Support to seek exchange options for your device. You can also contact them via phone, see Global Support Phone Numbers. Otherwise, see How to get service for Surface (microsoft.com) for more details.

Best wishes,

StevenK