Surface Pro X - "Surface Hot Plug - KIP" is visible as removable hardware since last firmware upgrade

Question

Hi,

as seen in the screenshot, "Surface Hot Plug - KIP" is visible as removable hardware since one of the last firmware upgrade which were coming from Windows Update.

It was coming while Windows 10 was in place on the device, i already tried to solve it with the upgrade to Windows 11, but issue is still the same. Anyone else with this behaviour? @microsoft: What can i do to hide it, or, better question, is there some fix "in the making"? Not sure why he is displaying it..

It is a Surface Pro X SQ2 LTE/Wifi Version.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hey all,
Use of the Recovery process may not be necessary for this topic:

If your specific symptom is:

Keyboard and Touchpad stop functioning, and the "Surface Hot Plug - KIP" is yellow alert marked in Device Manager, below are the steps to resolve the issue. This is usually a result of a user accidentally ejecting the keyboard from the USB devices within the Task Bar menu. Note: though typing and touchpad do not function, backlights and Caps and Fn keys do still light up.

**Resolution:**

Need to disable and reenable the Surface Hot Plug - KIP in Device manager:

• Detach typecover from device, and open Device managers
  • You may need to activate the on-screen keyboard- go to start>settings>accessibility>keyboard : toggle on "on-screen keyboard" for a working on-device keyboard.
• Within Device Manager, under system devices, open the yellow alert driver "Surface Hot Plug - KIP" > under "driver" tab, click "disable device" and then click "enable device" > click okay and device will need to restart.

After restart reattach typecover and it should now fully function.

If this is not your specific symptom, you should follow StevenK's guidance above, or contact the Surface support team.

Thanks,

Answer 2

Hello Jens Belting,

Thanks for reaching Microsoft Community. We're sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you.

For us to better understand your concern, we may need to gather more information:

• Were there any extra peripherals connected to your device such as external monitors, USB drive and etc.?
• Have you tried to eject it? Please try doing so and see what happens.

In the meantime, please also perform these on your device:

Force a shut down and restart your Surface

• Press and hold down the power button until your Surface shuts down and restarts and you see the Windows logo screen (about 20 seconds), then release the power button.

Run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit

• In the search box on the taskbar, type Surface Diagnostic Toolkit, then select it in the list of results.
  If it's not already installed, you can download it from the Microsoft Store.
• Follow the on-screen instructions in the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit.

Update Windows. Ensure all pending updates are installed.

• Select Check for Windows updates. Or select Start > Settings > Windows Update.

Manually install drivers and firmware for Surface

• Check what is the current OS Build of your Windows version by typing winveron the search barnear the Windows logo.
• Go to Download driver and firmware for Surface**,**choose (your Surface model) then click Download.
  Choose the .msi file closest to your current OS Build and click Next.
  After downloading, run and install the .msi then Restart.

Feel free to respond on this thread to let us know how it goes.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards,

StevenK

Answer 3

Hi,

thanks for the fast answer/advise.

I have checked all the possible diagnostic checks, it is all fine. So also what is interesting that it persists, like i said in the first message, also after an upgrade to Windows 11 and even after a clean reset after that so having now a fresh Windows 11 but the issue was also there in the previous Windows 10 installation. So i think it is related to the firmware/bios/hardware native driver update in the past, after that, it occurs the first time.

Additional to your questions:

• Were there any extra peripherals connected to your device such as external monitors, USB drive and etc.?

No, i only use the Surface Pro X standalone, only some Bluetooth devices but also when they are disconnected (mouse, keyboard), it doesn't change anything.

• Have you tried to eject it? Please try doing so and see what happens.

Yes, i tried it, it comes back after reboot.

Beside that, i don't have errors or abnormalities. It seems that Windows OS is recognizing the "surface hotplug KIP" related hardware (whatever it is in detail), after the mentioned firmware upgrade, as external/separated device/part/removable. I would say it is a bug, perhaps on firmware side, or in the "interpretation" part of Windows OS to control/use the related hardware.

Let me know if i can do something else for providing additional information.

Thanks in advance.

Jens

Answer 4

Thanks for keeping us posted, Jens Belting. I'm sorry for the delayed response.

In this case, 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.

I hope this helps.

Answer 5

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.