Surface Slim Pen 2 Not Charging or Connecting – No LED Light – Surface Pro 9

Question

Hi everyone,

I am having a critical issue with my Surface Slim Pen 2 and Surface Pro 9. The pen has completely stopped working, and I am looking for advice on whether this is a hardware failure or if there is a reset step I have missed.

The Problem:

• No Power: There is no LED light appearing on the pen at all.
• Not Detected: The Surface Pro 9 does not see the pen via Bluetooth, so I cannot pair it.
• Touch/Inking Fails: The screen does not respond to the pen tip or the eraser button.

Steps I Have Already Taken:

1. Charging: Left the pen in the Signature Keyboard charging cradle overnight.
2. Soft Reset: Held the top button for 20+ seconds (no lights appeared).
3. Unpaired Device: Removed the pen from Bluetooth settings (now I cannot re-pair it).
4. Hardware Check: Cleaned the charging cradle and the pen with a dry, lint-free cloth.
5. Windows Updates: Confirmed the Surface Pro 9 is fully up to date.

It seems the pen is not receiving a charge from the keyboard, or the internal battery has failed. Since this pen does not use disposable batteries, I am unable to swap them.

Is there any way to "force" the keyboard to recognise the pen, or does this sound like a hardware replacement is needed?

Thank you for your help!

Answer 1

This unfortunately sounds much more like a hardware failure than a software issue — and your troubleshooting has already been very thorough.

Since:

You already charged overnight

No LED ever appears

Reset doesn’t trigger anything

Most likely cause:

Dead internal battery or failed charging circuit inside the pen.

Bluetooth only works after the pen powers on

There is no way to force-detect a completely unpowered Slim Pen 2.

In almost all cases → hardware failure. Replace the pen. This is the most practical and reliable solution

Slim Pen 2 is not repairable.