Surface 3 and Type Cover 2 not auto-switching tablet mode

Question

Dear all,

I've recently purchased Surface 3 to replace my dead Surface Pro 1. As my previous Type Cover 2 is still working fine, I've decided to use it on my Surface 3.

As my Surface 3 comes with Windows 8.1, I upgraded it to Windows 10 (November update).

Now, when I pull out or flip the type cover, it doesn't switch to Tablet Mode automatically. I have to do it manually.

Any help is highly appreciated.

Taqu.

***Post moved by the moderator to the appropriate forum category.***

Answer 1

Hi,

Thanks for posting your query to Microsoft forum. I will certainly help you with this.

This could be due to incompatible drivers with current version on Windows.

I would suggest you to follow the methods given below and check.

Method 1: Use the hardware troubleshooter to fix the issue.

The Hardware Troubleshooter is an automated tool which will check the hardware connected to the computer for any known issues with it and provides the details and on how to fix them. Follow these steps and run the troubleshooter.

1. Type troubleshooting in the search bar and press Enter.
2. Click View all on left panel**.**
3. Click Hardware and devices, new window will popup.
4. Now follow the wizard.

If the issue persists, follow method 2.

Method 2: Update touch adapter driver.

Step 1: Check for the latest driver update through Windows Updates.

1. At the Start screen, type Windows Update.
2. Click or tap Settings on the right side of the screen, and then select Install optional updates from the left results.
3. When the Windows Update control panel opens, click on “Check for Updates” on the top left corner to receive a fresh list of updates.

Step 2: Follow the steps below to update the touch drivers.

1. Press Windows + X key on the keyboard.
2. Go to device manager.
3. Right-click your touch devices.
4. Click Update Driver Software and then follow the steps in the wizard that appears.

Restart the computer and check.

If the issue persists, follow method 3.

Method 3:

Refer the steps provided in the given Microsoft help article:

Troubleshoot your Surface Cover

If the issue persists, follow method 4.

Method 4: Check in compatibility mode.

Download the touch drivers from your computer manufacturer for Windows 10, if not available.

Follow these steps to install the drivers in compatibility mode and check if that helps.

a. Download the driver from the manufacturer’s website.

b. Right-click on the driver setup file and click on ‘properties’.

c. Click on the ‘compatibility’ tab and check the box ‘Run this program in compatibility mode for’ and select Windows 8 operating system from the drop down menu and proceed with the installation.

d. Once this is done, restart the computer and check if the issue persists.

You may also refer: **Make older programs compatible with this version of Windows** (Steps applies to Windows 10)

Let us know if you need further assistance. We will be glad to help you further.

___________________

Thanks & Regards,

Isha Soni

Answer 2

I've tried Method 1, 2 & 3

Method 1: The troubleshooter told me to reboot. Done this 2-3 times with no effect.

Method 2: Driver updated to latest version.

Method 3: The type cover works fine, except that Windows doesn't auto-switch to Tablet Mode whenever the type cover is removed or flipped back.

Method 4: Unable to do as I couldn't find the driver from Microsoft site.

Taqu.

Answer 3

Now it's getting worse (or perhaps it happened earlier that I only noticed):

Whenever I pull out the Type Cover, if I re-attach it, it's no longer detected. When I check Keyboard under Device Manager, "Surface Type Cover Filter Device" no longer appears. It appears before I pull it out.

To resolve it, I have to reboot. But of course this is very inconvenience.

Any response is highly appreciated.

Thank you.

Answer 4

To add more, whenever I restart to resolve the problem, my Surface 3 doesn't really shutdown, so I have to press power button for 30 seconds before restarting.

Answer 5

Hi Wan,

Thank you for keeping us updated.

If you want to do it the short, quick way, there should be a toggle by default in the Action Center in the bottom right hand corner of the desktop. Just click it on or off when you want to go into and out of tablet mode.

The other way to find it is:

• Click or tap the Start button
• Open the Settings application
• Click or tap on "System"
• In the pane on the left of the screen scroll all the way to the bottom until you see "Tablet Mode"
• Ensure the toggle is set to either on or off to your preference.

Hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to reply in case you face any other issues with Windows in future.