Modernized updating for your Surface Dock

"Modernized" 

Hi MSD_GUY ,

For your questions:

1: Yes.

2: Yes.

3: No, Yes.

Here's how to deploy dock updater:

Network deployment

You can use Windows Installer commands (Msiexec.exe) to deploy Surface Dock Firmware Update to multiple devices across your network. When using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager or other deployment tool, enter the following syntax to ensure the installation is silent:

• Msiexec.exe /i <path to msi file> /quiet /norestart

  For example:

  Copy

   

  msiexec /i "\\share\folder\Surface_Dock_FwUpdate_1.42.139_Win10_17134_19.084.31680_0.msi" /quiet /norestart
  

   Note

  A log file is not created by default. In order to create a log file, you will need to append "/lv [path]". For example: Msiexec.exe /i <path to msi file> /lv %windir%\logs\ SurfaceDockFWI.log"

  For more information, refer to Command line options documentation.
  
  

• As well you can use any other alternative to deploy the msi to all hosts.

Once msi has been installed on the host, it will keep the Dock1 up to date, the installation will be done by regular use (plug/unplug), the download/installation, will happen in the background.

Note: New Dock 2 firmware updates, I understand it will come through Windows Updates (settings).

Hopefully someone knows the answer to these questions.

*We deploy the Surface Platform Installers to our Surface devices in our enterprise.*

1. Is this MSI REQUIRED to be installed on ALL Surface devices that connect to a dock in order to update the dock firmware?

2. Do we also to deploy this Surface Dock Firmware Updater even if we already deploy the Surface Platform Installer(s)?

3. Doesn't the Surface Platform Installer also install the Surface Dock firmware (if required)? I know is has in the past. Has this changed?

I've tried adding the log file command (/l*v %windir%\logs\ SurfaceDockFWI.log) to the msiexec script in many different recommended ways and it fails to initiate. Has anyone got it working? 

Thanks

Mike

I'm re-posting Mendioroz 's helpful information with correct formatting to make it a little easier to read for everyone:

• The firmware (MSI) is only installable on Windows 10 1803 and beyond (any edition).
• In Windows 10 S mode, the previous tool didn’t work and it this one won’t since it’s a MSI package (no executables were able to run).
• If a Dock is updated with the MSI package, and then another Dock is connected to the same Surface device, in Registry Editor will show the information from the last Dock connected. 

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WUDF\Services\SurfaceDockFwUpdate\Parameters

• If the Dock was updated with the Surface Dock Updater Tool before, there’s no need to install the MSI since there’s no changes on the “MSI firmware update”.
• It is planned to release this update through Windows Update (no expected time).

I will also confirm that nothing appears in the Start menu when you install this new update and that it silently performs the update in the background when you connect a Surface Hub.

Yes, I don't see that entry in the Start menu either. It was a requirement in the previous version. I'll confirm but I believe that now you just need to install the MSI and then connect the dock to initiate the update. 

I don't see the Start > All Apps > Microsoft Surface Dock Updater entry in the start menu anywhere either...

Also, I'm using the Dock as a home user...no "enterprise" link here...

Dwayne

I have a few questions:

Is there an easier way to check if a Dock has the current firmware than going into the registry editor? We deploy hundreds of Surface Pros with docks in our organization.

The instructions on https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-dock-firmware-update are incorrect. It says to Click Start > All Apps > Microsoft Surface Dock Updater however it's not there. Perhaps I am missing something?

When a newer version of Dock firmware is released, will this tool automatically update itself or do we need to manually get a newer version of this tool?

For logs, the instructions say the Surface Dock Firmware Update log is here: /l*v %windir%\logs\ SurfaceDockFWI.log but there is no such file. This looks like something that needs to be added to the command line for Windows Installer commands (Msiexec.exe). This should be clarified.

Thanks!

I wish the dock had HDMI and USB C.

Lame