Microsoft starts replacing Surface Pro 4 devices borked by firmware issues

[Tipup]

MICROSOFT HAS WAVED its little white flag and started issuing replacements after firmware issues borked some Surface Pro 4s.

After weeks of mixed messages, with some users given a warranty replacement straight away while others have had to argue and fight for it, Microsoft has confirmed that there is an issue and that it will honour warranties.

If you have been gritting your teeth over the October 2018 Update to Windows 10 which has been dogged by a cavalcade of issues, then spare a thought for those with the affected Surface Pro 4, which has been suffering since a software drop in July.

The issue is caused by two drivers - the embedded controller and the UEFI storage manager which caused both to show up with a Code 10 error.

If this is you, then get on the phone to Surface Support. If you've got a borked device but you're not sure if it's because of this, then open Device Manager. If you're one of the affected, you'll see some yellow warning triangles by the devices we mentioned.

If you're very unlucky, this is the second time that the Surface Pro 4 has failed. Screen flickering issues at the start of the year were already causing grinding of teeth amongst users and in some cases, warranty replacements, so it could be that you'll be on your third device by the end of 2018.

The problem drivers don't seem to affect the devices from working altogether, but they will suffer from a significant performance impairment. It's also reported that there are further screen issues as a result, too.

After a shaky start (Windows RT anyone?) the Surface range has settled into a position of being a genuine flagship range to rival iPad Pro and Mac devices.

The Surface Pro 4 is actually two iterations old now, with the Surface Pro 6 announced earlier in the year, along with the entry-level teeny-tiny Surface Go. μ