Windows 11 Official broke Surface Pro 7 pen inking

[jacktech]

I was running Insider Beta Windows 11 on my Surface Pro 7 without any problems. Everything worked. I updated to the official release and the October 19, 2021 update and it broke my 2017 pen inking and the audio. However the eraser click launches apps. It also left a bunch of yellow exclamation points on stuff in Device Manager. I used a Realtek driver from Gigabyte to get sound working.

Something refreshes in Device Manager every couple of seconds. When I uninstall Surface Touch Pen Processor, then it stops refreshing. But then, the touchscreen does not work.

All the hardware works - when I use the pen on a Surface laptop, the buttons and inking work.

I have hard reset the machine, uninstalled a bunch of components and restarted numerous times. I "updated" drivers from c:\program files\surface update and c:\windows\system32\driverstore\filerepository to fix these - no more yellow points.

I am an advanced tech person, so all I need is a pen driver. MS bundles everything in one massive update to make it easier, so they do not have individual drivers. However if it does not go right, then it is waiting for MS to acknowledge and release another update, which is just like another major company that produces tablets.

The Surface Diagnostics for Business app tests more things than the consumer version, but neither tests the pen!

[#2]

Hey @jacktech have you tried installing the surface app and more importantly the surface extension manager from the Store.

Also it may be a good idea to head over to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/download-drivers-and-firmware-for-surface-09bb2e09-2a4b-... and download the latest firmware for your surface. I had a similar issue with the touchscreen keyboard popping up. The surface app and surface extension manager are in the store should do the trick but the firmware is also a Good idea

[#3]

@_RBL_ The attachment was snipped from the Surface app. The Surface Management Extension has been in my Library but does nothing when I click Open. It is not in the Store now and no icon in my Library.

From what I have determined, the 3 previous and the current 10/19/21 Surface Pro 7 updates which I still have on the machine failed to update the firmware on the Pen. The firmware on ME, PD, SAM, Touch, and UEFI are current, but not the Pen.

Keep in mind, until now, everything worked, so I never checked Device Manager. Now there are discrepancies.

System SurfacePen217FwUpdate.inf 1.7.139.0 What I have. 08/02/2019
Extension SurfacePen0953CfuOverBleLcExtnPackage.inf 2.9.139.0 will not update 07/20/2020
Extension SurfacePen0953FirmwareUpdate.inf 2.12.139.0 will not update 07/20/2020
Extension SurfaceTouchPenProcessorUpdate.inf 3.329.137.0 will not update says "No Drivers Needed" 10.0.22000.1 02/17/2021
Firmware SurfacePenCfuOverBleLc.inf 1.18.139.0 =OK 08/02/2019
HIDClass SurfacePen217Integration.inf 1.5.139.0 =OK 08/02/2019
HIDClass SurfacePenBleLcAddrAdaptationDriver.inf 2.17.139.0 =OK 08/02/2019

Even with a Feb. 2020 and three 2021 updates applied, the latest Pen stuff is 2019.

MS has made it so easy that it's HARD.

[#4]

Ah it definitely seems you may have some outdated version of the Store. Have you tried WIN+R type wsreset. Make sure you're logged into the insiders tab and the Store. Or you could install via terminal.

Widget install --name "surface diagnostic toolkit"

[#5]

wsreset did nothing for the store. I already have Surface Diagnostic Toolkit for Business installed. In original post, I noted it tests more than consumer version, yet neither tests the Pen.

I did a chat with MS. He gave up quickly when he knew I had already done more than anybody else would have done. And finally he said Recovery - Reset your PC. We stopped at this point.

Right. Easy way out for him. Like I want to reinstall all my apps, reconfigure everything, etc. My 2 year Costco warranty runs out in 2 months. To even start a warranty case, they wanted the machine reset and reinstalled.

If viewing Surface Management Extension in the Store, loads but then the buttons on the Store disappear. If click Open from Library, it does nothing. I updated the Store via Updates. They are set to autoupdate, but I had to manually kick it.

I am stuck. I can't update stuff in Device Manager e.g. Surface Touch Pen Processor because it "doesn't contain a compatible software driver for your device" Catch 22 - driver is for new firmware that is already supposed to be present on the device, but I can't get the firmware updated to accept the driver update.

[#6]

And you've downloaded and installed the surface firmware?

[#7]

Yes. If you are indicating the big all-in-one update/firmware files. Uninstalled and reinstalled, but Pen stuff never updates. SurfacePro7_Win11_22000_21.092.22602.0.msi and earlier SurfacePro7_Win10....msi

[#8]

Recovery | Reset PC | download OS from cloud removes apps/programs, keeps personal files did not fix this. I booted Windows 11 22000.282 official release from a USB flash drive. Wiped all except for recovery partition and installed. After doing a Windows Update, the Pen starting working. FYI, you cannot compare the published versions to what is on the machine. And you can spend lots of time editing .inf files, trying to force driver installs. The only clue is Device Manager refreshes every 3-5 seconds when the Pen was not working.

And a big thanks to RBL for helping. I needed to cut my losses and rebuild from scratch. Now to reinstall my programs.

[#9]

Thanks for taking time out to help. Rebuild from scratch.

Recovery | Reset PC | download OS from cloud removes apps/programs, keeps personal files did not fix this. I booted Windows 11 22000.282 official release from a USB flash drive. Wiped all except for recovery partition and installed. After doing a Windows Update, the Pen starting working. FYI, you cannot compare the published versions to what is on the machine. And you can spend lots of time editing .inf files, trying to force driver installs. The only clue is Device Manager refreshes every 3-5 seconds when the Pen was not working.

[#10]

Don't know how I responded to myself, but wiped disk and reinstalled. After some over-the-air updates, pen started working. It also fixed the touchscreen, whereas before, tracing the spiral with my finger, it would break from 1/2 - 3/4 of a circle. Now I can trace the entire spiral. Thanks for your help RBL. Click thread link for more details

[#11]

Hey super glad to hear it. I love my surface and don't mind at all helping out. My pleasure

[#12]

The same thing happened to me... After I updated my (brand new) Surface Pro 7 that I got at the end of October to Windows 11, the pen just stopped working one day. 

I thought the tip broke, so I got a new one ($30)

Then I was told it was a defective pen, so I got a new one ($106)

The new pen worked for about a week, and now it has stopped working again.

The battery is fresh, the drivers are updated, I've been running scans to make sure my system files aren't corrupt... What else is there?! I need to use the Surface Pen for work, I'm an art student. That's why I got a laptop-tablet hybrid in the first place! Now I'm in the final stretch of my senior year and this thing is testing both mine and my professors' patience. 

I am not a very technically adept person, I'm just an artist... So I'm going to see if I can just go back to Windows 10 if it'll fix the pen...

[#13]

@Scotty2000

I did not change pen battery, which was 80%, nor buy another one. After countless hours of software troubleshooting I gave up, even with lots of installed programs. Backup your data, format your disk, reinstall Windows 10 or 11, and you should have it working again. This should tell you whether you have corrupted software or bad hardware. Good luck

[#14]

@jacktech 

Same thing happened to me.

I have a surface pro 7. it got replaced under warranty in December, with fresh win11 installed.

All of a sudden, it stopped inking. Rubber part however still moved cursor, all clicks worked, but drawing doesnt. 

Ok, I said. The pen is dead.

I bought a new one. It worked for 10 days, and now it's the same as it is with the old one. :S

What's going on MS??

Funny thing: the old pen from my SP4 works fine :\

[#15]

Hi,
I have a similar problem described here:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-11/surface-pro-7-windows-11-touchscreen-quot-phantom-...
Any hints how to fix this?

Thanks,

Chantal

[#16]

Hi Jack. Face similar issue. Try installing some graphic drawing software. For me, after installing Medibang Pro and restarting, the stylus worked again. Good luck.