FOR INSPIRON 5379 ONLY - recently bought new pen that connects but does not work

Question

What do I need to do to make my Surface Pen work with my 2in1 laptop?

Laptop Inspiron 5379 2in1 purchased 08/2019 with Windows 10 Home version 1909.  The Surface Pen Stylus purchased 06/15/2020.

I didn't grab this pen at random.  Dell and Microsoft recommended this pen, so it should be compatible.  If it is not compatible, then I have many different issues to complain about.

I am using a local account with full administrator/owner permissions.  But it is the Home version that still doesn't let me do anything.

The pen functions but not completely.  It connects and the top button triggers Windows Ink Workspace, but does not function any other way.

The Windows Ink Workspace is also not functioning correctly.  It gives me no controls over pen settings.  Online every page I have looked at shows me I should have more options and more programs. I thought the program was damaged somehow.  Turns out, it is a purposeful 'upgrade' from Microsoft, which is disappointing.

Anyway, I can't get the pen to work properly. No information was available to guide me through the setup if anything went wrong, which it did. And my computer no longer has one of the features that I bought it for.

Here is the obvious things I have done so far:

Yes, I can operate using touch.

Yes, I have replaced the battery.

Yes, I have unpaired and paired again.

Yes, I have unpaired, turned off Bluetooth, shut down, pulled out battery.  Waited an hour.  Put the battery back in.  Turned the computer back on.  Turned Bluetooth back on and paired up the pen.

Still does not work.

So now what do I do?  Everything says the pen I was recommended should work and does not.  I have done the obvious stuff.  Now, I need the not obvious suggestions. 

I don't know if my frustration translates through.  If it does, I can only say that I have been doing this for over 12 hours.

CartoonCasey

***Moved from Windows 10/Windows Ink & touch***

Answer 1

Hi, cartooncasey!

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Community and posting your concerns. We are sorry to learn you have issues with your Surface Pen that doesn't fully work on your Dell Inspiron 5379 laptop. Thanks for taking the time to let us know about this and allowing us to help you out. 

Please open this page to check if this is the Surface Pen you're referring. If it is, it shows a list of devices in the Tech Specs compatibility section. It doesn't say that it works with Dell. May we know where you saw the information that it works? From what you stated with the steps you did in the attempt to troubleshoot the issue, this is a hardware compatibility issue. We suggest that you return the pen and exchange it with a pen/stylus that will work with your Dell laptop. Please check further with Dell Support for pens/stylus that will work on your device.

We hope this helps you out.

Kind regards,

Janette_Z

Answer 2

I can see that now.  I am very foolish and very tired. 

It was a third party not officially Microsoft or Dell.  Amazon's advertisement for the Surface Pen was at the top of the page and I should have scrolled down to view the true recommendation at the bottom of the page, which was the Dell Premium Active Pen.

Active pen on it's way and surface pen going back.  That's one issue resolved and thank you.

What am I to do with the Windows Ink Workstation?  Is there an option of gaining the older version of WIW with Sketchpad?  Sketchpad was a selling point that I never got to use before now. 

I have already had enough headaches fighting for privacy and ownership of my files with my Microsoft Account and the One Drive.  I can only imagine the headaches of Whiteboard and cloud sharing a program.

If the answer is no, I will find another program to use.  But I am disappointed.  I thought I bought a personal computer, emphasis on Personal, instead of just renting a public computer beholden to Microsoft.

Answer 3

You're welcome, cartooncasey!

Checking this page on how to Use Windows Ink Workspace, it states there that Sketchpad is only available in older releases of Windows. I am afraid it is no longer available. You may post as a suggestion, just visit this page to be guided on how to Send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app.

Regards,

Janette_Z

Answer 4

This is a followup.

The active pen did not work, because it was never going to.

I spent almost 2 weeks trying to get my laptop to work with a variety of pens. Just to find out my 5379 does not support pens.  This comes as a surprise, because I thought that is what I bought last year. And further surprised as the last pen is still shown as a compatible device on the specifications on Dell's service page for this machine. AKA this specific computer. AKA my computer.

I bought the computer in Aug 2019. And since then I have had to reset it twice, then reformat, then reset, then reformat and just use a local account.

I did not anticipate how much of my day to day activities they collected. Or how many settings I had to go through ,continually, to guard my privacy.

Excuse me while I finish this cosmic failure and gather my forces to generate another plea for help, or just another bothersome complaint about a computer that ate my history and continually threatens to scatter share my naughty pictures in a tasteful slideshow with all of my family, friends and co workers.

Thank you.