If your Microsoft Surface Pro won’t turn on, it could be because of a flat battery, or the Surface charging cable may be damaged.
There are several fixes you can use to bring it back to life.
Preliminary Fixes
For a flat battery, plug in the charging cable to a power outlet and press the power button on your device. The Surface Pro doesn’t have to be fully charged for you to turn it back on; you can do it while it’s connected to a power outlet.
Check the charging cable for any damage if the Surface still won’t turn on. Usually, a while LED light on the end of the cable should light up if it isn’t damaged, so it should function properly if the light is on. Otherwise, you can do the following to get it functioning again:
- Disconnect the cable from the Surface while plugged into a power outlet, and then plug it back in. If the Surface powers on, both are fine
- Pull power out from the source and plug the cable into the Surface. If the light turns on and the device is charging, it’s just a glitch
- Run the cable through your hands while plugged into a power source and to the device, and then bend it as you move up while checking on the LED light. If it flickers, the cable is damaged and needs replacement. If it neither lights up nor flickers, then the problem may be the device
Remove all connected peripherals and then press the power button to see if the Surface Pro turns on.
Soft Reset
This is a common method to use when your Surface Pro won’t turn on. It simply forces a restart without affecting settings, files, or programs.
To do this:
- Press down and hold the power button for 10 seconds
- Release and press the power button normally to turn on the Surface
Force Shutdown
This method is similar to soft reset, but a bit longer and varies with the Surface model you use.
To do this:
- Press down the power button for about 20 seconds
- If the Windows logo appears, release the button
Note: Surface 2 and 3, and Surface RT can’t force shutdown.
Hot Keys
Try and turn on your Surface Pro by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+B+Windows if you have a keyboard or type/touch cover attached to the device.
If all else fails, contact Microsoft support for further assistance.
Elsie is a tech writer with 8+ years professional experience. For Tech News Watch, she brings rich experience contributing to topics such as Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS among others. In her spare time, she loves checking out the latest tech trends, gadgets, and news, listening to music and cars.