Why is my Microsoft Surface Go 2 is running extremely slow and hot?

Question

I purchased a Microsoft Surface Go 2 10.5" Touch Pentium Gold 4425Y 4 64GB STV-00001.

I've only had my tablet for 2 years

My tablet runs extremely slow and hot. It gets so hot that I have to put it in front of my fan. It takes an hour (I literally timed it) for it to even allow me to open a web page. Once that's open it takes 30mins to load the blank web page. There are time that it works, other times The page goes blank and a pop-up shows up saying that it's not responding and either I select "wait" or "exit page". Sometimes the page goes black. I only use it for school. I already deleted any other files that I've had on here in hopes that it would make it go faster but I was wrong. The apps that Microsoft installed takes up 10.9gb of space. I've tried deleting those apps but they get reinstalled when need to be updated. I do not need any of those apps. I only took up 3.30gb. I'm growing extremely frustrated because I just want to be able to use my tablet without any problems.

Answer 1

Hi Nataly Espinosa,

Thank you for reaching Microsoft Community. I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing issues with your Surface Go 2. I understand how frustrating it can be when your device is running slow and hot. Let's try to troubleshoot the issue together.

Have you checked if there is still some free storage space available on the drive of your Surface?

May I know what Windows version, edition, OS build is your Surface running? To check, go to Windows Settings > System > About and see under Windows specifications.

Does this happen only when the device is connected to power or also when it is running on battery?

Firstly, it's important to note that it is normal for the Surface to become warm when under normal use with several applications running for extended period, but the device should still be running fine. It complies with the user-accessible surface temperature limits defined by the International Standards for Safety (IEC 60950-1 and IEC 62368). If the temperature will reach above the standards, the Surface would automatically turn off also giving you a thermal sign warning. Here are some guidelines below also to reduce heat related concerns (see: Product safety warnings and instructions (microsoft.com)):

• Use CAUTION when operating your device with a pillow, blanket or other soft material in contact with your device, because the material can block the airflow which may result in the device overheating.
• If your device gets uncomfortably warm, remove it and take a break.
• If your device is used for long periods, its surface can become very warm. While the temperature may not feel hot to the touch, if you maintain physical contact with the device for a long time, your skin might suffer a low-heat injury.
• Never place the power supply unit (PSU) for your device on furniture or any other surface that might be marred by exposure to heat since the surface of the PSU may increase in temperature during normal use.

However, if it's running hot even when you're not doing anything intensive, it could be a sign of an underlying issue.

Here are some steps you can take to try and resolve the issue:

1. Check for updates: Make sure that your Surface Go 2 is up to date with the latest software updates. To do this, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click on "Check for updates". If there are any updates available, install them including Optional updates and restart your device.
2. Check for malware: Malware can slow down your device and cause it to run hot. Run a full scan of your device using Windows Defender or any other reputable antivirus software.
3. Clear temporary files: Temporary files can accumulate over time and take up valuable space on your device. To clear them, go to Settings > System > Storage and click on "Temporary files". Select the files you want to delete and click on "Remove files".
4. Uninstall unnecessary apps: If you're not using any of the pre-installed apps, you can uninstall them to free up space on your device. To do this, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features and select the app you want to uninstall. Click on "Uninstall" and follow the prompts.
5. Adjust power settings: You can adjust the power settings on your device to optimize performance. Go to Settings > System > Power & sleep and select "Additional power settings". From here, you can choose a power plan that suits your needs.

Additionally, please check also for the Surface drivers' health through the Surface app and run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit to run some system checks and repairs. See this page for reference: Fix common Surface problems using the Surface app and Surface Diagnostic Toolkit - Microsoft Support

Let me know how it goes.

Kind regards,
Marrion

Answer 2

On my local disc I have 21.2 GB out of 57.1 GB. My surface go to runs on Windows 11 home in S mode. It for sure gets hot and slow when it runs on battery. I can't recall if it happens when it's charging because I usually charge my tablet when I'm not using it. I only charge it until it reaches 100%. I don't leave it connected for an unnecessary amount of time since I know it can damage the battery in the long run.

I understand that it's normal that it gets warm especially if it was a laptop (mines a tablet). Perhaps saying extremely hot is an exaggeration given that it has an automatic shut off if it reaches over the standard temperature. What I meant by "extremely hot" is that when it's running slow I can hear the tablet make noise and when I touch it it is uncomfortably hot like as if It's been out on the sun.

Answer 3

Hi Nataly Espinosa,

Thank you for the response and details. Just to confirm; were you able to run the steps suggested?

Whenever the device heats up and starts to run slow, are there several applications running also on the device? Whenever the Surface heats up, the fan would automatically run, and I think that is the noise that you are hearing from the device. However, I understand that the device heats up way more than normal based on your description. For this case, I would recommend that we proceed in doing a clean installation of Windows on the device through USB Recovery for us to further isolate if the issue is a hardware issue or just with the software of the device. After the clean installation, observe the device first before loading your app and data again if the issue would still occur. This option will reimage the entire device and reload Windows including the drivers and firmware. It is the most complete form of Reset and it will wipe out everything on the device. You will need also a 16GB/32GB of flash drive that must be formatted into FAT32 prior to downloading the Recovery Image. See the steps below for guidance.

How to Download, Create and Use a USB recovery drive

To download the Recovery Image:

• You'll need another working device running on Windows.

1. Go to: Download the recovery image for your Surface
2. Sign in with your Microsoft Account
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:

• Note: Formatting a recovery drive will erase anything that is already stored on your USB drive. Make sure to transfer any important data from your USB drive to another storage device before using it to create a Surface USB recovery 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 or right click then select Extract and then Extract all.
2. Select the USB drive you formatted earlier for the location and click Extract.

Use a USB recovery drive to reset your Surface:

1. Shutdown the Surface
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. Surface will start the recovery software on the USB recovery drive
7. When prompted, choose your language options and keyboard layout
8. Select Troubleshoot
9. Select Recover from a Drive. Choose Remove Everything and Fully Clean the Drive. Recovering this PC.
10. If prompted, select Repartition the drives
11. If prompted for BitLocker Key, tap Skip this Drive

Kind regards,
Marrion

Answer 4

Hi Nataly Espinosa,

We haven't heard from you, so we assume that your issue has already been addressed. We will not be monitoring this thread moving forward so, if you need further assistance, please create a new thread to discuss these concerns by clicking this link: Create a new question or start a discussion (microsoft.com)

Thank you for understanding. 

Kind regards,
Marrion

Answer 5

Sorry for the late response, I had an exam.

I haven't tried all the the suggested steps but I will get to that since I now have time.

I sometimes do have some apps running when it gets hot. Hopefully once I try the suggested steps, my tablet will run smoother. :)