My Surface Pro 8 keyboard isn’t working

Question

My surface pro 8 keyboard isn’t working. It is not connected to the laptop, is unresponsive and doesnt light up like usual. I did all the updates, restarted several times and cleaned out the connectors, but it still doesn’t work. It has been like this since yesterday and nothing particular happened. I’ve had it for 1.5 years now.

Answer 1

Hello Serge_090,

Thank you so much for posting to the Microsoft Community.

I appreciate you raising this concern and I understand that you are having issues with your keyboard not working.

There could be several reasons why your Surface Pro 8 keyboard is not working, the keyboard may not be properly connected to the Surface Pro 8. Or Outdated or Faulty Drivers: The drivers for the keyboard might be outdated or faulty. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

Detach the Type Cover or Keyboard

1. Unplug your Surface and detach the Cover.
2. Make sure there's no debris, damage or anything that may inhibit a connection.

Force your Surface to restart

1. Select Start> Power> Shut downand wait for your Surface to shut down.
2. Now, press and hold the power button for 20 seconds. If you see the logo screen appear after a few seconds, continue to hold for the full 20 seconds until you see it again.

Reattach the Type Cover or Keyboard

• Re-attach the Cover, making sure that all the magnets touch the bottom edge of your Surface.

Confirm functionality

1. To confirm connectivity, press the Caps and Fn keys on your Surface Type Cover or Keyboard a couple of times to check whether the LED lights turn on and off.
2. If the LED lights don't turn on, there might be a hardware issue and the next option is tosubmit a service order.
3. IF the LED lights turn on, please see Troubleshoot Surface Type Cover or Keyboard - Microsoft Support for more troubleshooting steps.

Please let me know if this works and hopefully it helps!Best regardsRolando S.

Answer 2

Hello,

Thank you for your reply and care. Regarding the first bullet notes, none of the keys are working, including the mousepad. The keyboard does not light up.However, it has happened that sometimes, in certain angles of placing the keyboard, the keyboard works for a few seconds before dimming again.This is also the first time this has happened. Its a new laptop which was bought last year in september.1. I did the restart but it still isnt responding2. The laptop is fully updated3. I reattached the type cover but its still not responding 4. All tests went well except for the questions about the keyboard (I received the message "Now testing keyboard & Touchpad: type Cover - Instructions: Third-party keyboards aren't supported. Select Continue to skip this test.(I do not use any third-party keyboards)

Also, I did not try “Request repair - start a service request for your surface” as it did not redirect me to any service, but just the general overview of the laptop (like warranty, etc.)

5&6. It mentioned two drivers both with the name “Surface Button HID Keyboard device”. I uninstalled and reinstalled both (though at the same time, not sure if this has any consequences) I installed the windows 11 drivers and restarted the laptop, and saw that they were added to the keyboard drivers folder in device manager. However, there are now three “Surface Button HID Keyboard device”. However, it still does not respond. Also, I took off and reattached the type cover but still nothing happened.Update: after I typed this message, it went back to two.7. I changed to UEFI and clicked on exit, but the keyboard still does not respond, even after detaching and reattaching.

Answer 3

Hello Serge_090,

Thank you so much for your response and sorry to hear that the issue still persists to happen.

With that being said, there is a need for you now to reach our live supports for further assistance and options. They are the best to handle this concerns now after doing those troubleshooting steps. To be able to reach them, please follow these steps:

1. Go to Contact Us - Microsoft Support
2. Choose how you'd like to get support for your Surface device.3. Write down the problem you need help with.4. Look at the available solutions offered and select Contact Support. Here's a link you can check out for a detailed guide to accessing our live support: How to get phone and chat support (for Surface Home/Consumer - Microsoft Community Wish you all the best and hoping you'll get a resolution there!Best regardsRolando S.

Answer 4

I have same problem with my keyboard not working on a Surface Pro 8, bought a new one and still nothing. Have tried all troubleshooting tips found online and still no keyboard..