Surface pro connecting to a PC

Question

I am using a USB to USB-C cable, and my surface isn't connecting up to my PC with files, but instead is connecting as if my PC is a charger. How do I fix this?

Answer 1

Hello 14sirs,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

I appreciate you raising this concern to us, and I understand that you're experiencing an issue with your Surface. Please allow me to ask a question:

• May I know what is the make and model of your PC?

It's possible that the USB to USB-C cable you're using is only designed for charging and not for data transfer. Plus, the USB C of Surface Pro 8 supports Thunderbolt 4. So also make sure that the cable supports thunderbolt connection. To ensure that you're using a cable that supports data transfer, you can try using a different USB to USB-C cable or a USB-C to USB-C cable.

If you're still having issues, you can try the following steps:

1. Check for Updates. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for Updates > Install > Restart.
2. Run Surface Diagnostic Toolkit.
3. Download Drivers and Firmware: Download Surface Pro 8 Drivers and Firmware. from Official Microsoft Download Center.

Please let me know how it goes and hopefully that helps.

Regards,

Rolando S.

Answer 2

The PC is running on windows 10 and has these specifications:

Answer 3

Hello 14sirs,

Thank you for the response and I appreciate the time and effort you put into this.

Upon digging some information in here, connecting your Surface to a computer via USB to USB C to access files is not possible. You cannot access SSD drive of your Surface through your Windows PC for security reasons.

However, you may try the file sharing through network. You may check this link: File sharing over a network in Windows - Microsoft Support.

If any case you are having issues with following those steps, you may try contacting our live support for further assistance. See steps below in reaching them:

1. Go to Contact Us - Microsoft Support
2. Choose how you would like to get support for your Surface device.3. Type in the problem you need help with.4. Look at any available solutions offered and select Contact Support.Here is a link you can check to know a detailed guide in reaching our live support: How to get Phone and Chat Support (for Surface Home/Consumer - Microsoft CommunityI wish you all the best and hoping you'll get a resolution there.Regards,Rolando S.

Answer 4

Ok, thank you

Answer 5

Connect Surface device to desktop with Onedrive account instead the USB cable.

Maybe you need to sync the files with two PCs(Surface devices are PCs either), it is much easier with Onedrive. That is free for 5 GB.