Newsletter Archives

• Microsoft declares that you can now safely install Win10 version 1903 on Surface Book 2 machines

  Posted on October 12, 2019 at 08:54 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Took ’em about six months, but Microsoft has finally given the go-ahead to install Win10 version 1903 on Surface Book 2 PCs. I talked about the “dGPU may occasionally disappear from device manager on Surface Book 2 with dGPU” bug in the July 22 AskWoody Plus Newsletter (accessible to everyone).

  The upgrade block which has been in effect since May was officially removed yesterday.

  The impetus? A firmware update for the Surface Book 2, also released yesterday. I’ll have a full rundown of the latest firmware releases on Monday. Suffice it to say that many people are steamed — and rightfully so — about the way MS has been steering its customers into uncharted waters.

  At any rate, if you paid $3,000 for a Surface Book 2 with a separate GPU, you’re now free to install Microsoft’s latest, greatest version of Windows.

  Just in time for the release next month of “Windows 10 November 2019 Update (19H2)” — better known as Win10 1909.

  I’ll have more about the 1909 release next week. Current obsession: What exactly do we know about the rollout?  If you think previous Win10 releases were unnecessarily cumbersome and hard to understand, boy howdy, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.

  Windows News dGPU, Surface Book 2, Win10 1909

• Why can’t Microsoft reliably patch its own hardware?

  Posted on July 22, 2019 at 01:15 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  WOODY’S WINDOWS WATCH

  By Woody Leonhard

  You don’t need me to tell you that Windows patches are too often of, uh, questionable quality.

  But the latest screw-up with Win10 Version 1903 and top-of-the-line Microsoft Surface Book 2 PCs really takes the cake.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.27.0 (2019-07-22).

  Hardware, Windows 10 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, dGPU failures, Surface Book 2, updates

• More bugses with the July Win10 version 1903 cumulative update

  Posted on July 14, 2019 at 04:19 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Microsoft has officially acknowledged two bugs created by the May 29 “optional” Win10 version 1903 cumulative update, then sent out for general consumption in the July 9 cumulative update, KB 4507453.

  To quote the Release Information Status page:

  The dGPU may occasionally disappear from device manager on Surface Book 2 with dGPU

  Some apps or games that needs to perform graphics intensive operations may close or fail to open on Surface Book 2 devices with Nvidia dGPU.

  Yes, you read that right. The latest cumulative update for the latest version of Windows on Microsoft’s most expensive piece of hardware can leave the machine gasping for breath. Martin Brinkmann has more details on the Surface Book 2 bug.

  That Surface Book 2 bug had me feeling a bit of deja vu… About a  year ago, Microsoft had a Surface Book 2 problem where the dGPU just went missing, for no apparent reason. At least this time MS acknowledged the problem. It just took a while.

  Also from the Release Info Status page:

  Initiating a Remote Desktop connection may result in black screen

  When initiating a Remote Desktop connection to devices with some older GPU drivers, you may receive a black screen.

  Gunter Born takes the black screen bug to task on Born’s Tech.

  Don’t bother looking for a bug announcement in the KB article. Microsoft hasn’t bothered adding either to the “Known Issues” listing.

  How did the bugs make it through all of that fancy Win10 1903 beta testing?

  Rhetorical question.

  Windows Patches/Security dGPU, Remote Desktop, Surface Book 2

• Surface Dock comes up short

  Posted on March 10, 2019 at 10:48 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Great tweet from @digitalmediaphile Barb Bowman:

  .@SurfaceSupport REALLY? https://t.co/OzKwsFRAgA pic.twitter.com/M5wRH6SsAS

  — Barb Bowman 🌷💙💛 (@barbbowman) March 10, 2019

  You gotta wonder who makes the decisions….

  Other Surface Book 2, Surface Dock

• Microsoft yanks buggy second monthly cumulative update for Win10 version 1803, KB 4467682

  Posted on December 6, 2018 at 13:33 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Remember the buggy Win10 version 1803 patch that bluescreens Surface Book 2 machines?

  Microsoft urged Surface Book 2 owners to boot around the bluescreen and uninstall the patch. Which is just what you want to tell your boss about her brand new, expensive Surface Book 2, right?

  Looks like MS has retracted completely and pulled the patch. The KB article now says:

  After installing this optional update some users have reported getting a blue or black screen with error code, “System thread exception not handled.” As a precaution, we have removed this optional update from Windows Update and Microsoft Update Catalog to protect customers. Fixes and improvements will be available in the December 2018 security update release and will include a resolution for this issue.

  One can only hope that Microsoft will test this patch, for a change, before it appears.

  And that “optional” stuff. That’s just a fig leaf. The second monthly cumulative updates are “optional” in the sense that you have to click on Check for Updates. Which isn’t exactly optional, to my way of thinking.

  Thx Günter Born, who promises to have a blog post tomorrow that describes a second bug in the same cumulative update.

  Windows Patches/Security bluescreens, KB 4467682, Surface Book 2, Win10 1803

• Microsoft acknowledges Surface Book 2 blue screen bug in Win10 1803 second monthly cumulative update

  Posted on December 5, 2018 at 07:22 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  

  Is there a German word for when a manufacturer’s flagship hardware product bluescreens after installing the latest update to its flagship operating system?

  Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Thx @b, @abbodi86, @PKCano.

  Windows Patches/Security Blue Screen, BSOD, KB 4467682, Surface Book 2

• Surface Book 2 disappearing GPU problems

  Posted on July 24, 2018 at 07:45 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Lots of Surface Book 2 customers complain that their fancy extra-cost NVIDIA GPUs are disappearing — cause unknown. Just like Flickergate, Microsoft’s stonewalling, and no solution has appeared.

  Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Other Surface Book 2

• Surface Book 2 SSD write speeds abysmal for some. Lots of questions, no answers.

  Posted on July 3, 2018 at 10:11 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  For the past six months, customers have been asking Microsoft about the excruciatingly slow sequential write speeds on their new Surface Book 2 PCs. It’s possible that some Surface Pro 4 machines are having the same problem.

  So far, the only response we’ve seen is repetition of the same old questions.

  Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Microsoft News Samsung SSD, Surface Book 2, Surface Pro 4

• Reports of “coil whine” in new Surface Book 2 machines

  Posted on January 7, 2018 at 07:51 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Some folks love their Surface Book 2 PCs — Paul Thurrott certainly does — and at $ 2,000 or so for a well-aspirated model, Microsoft’s certainly hoping you will, too.

  But there’s one feature that’s drawn a fair amount of attention that you should take into account. Coil whine.

  If you’ve never seen, uh, heard coil whine in action, watch this video:

  There’s a thread developing on the Microsoft Answers forum that says the Surface Book 2’s coil whine — at least for some people — drives them nuts.

  Microsoft’s Arnulfo Avi posted:

  Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Surface Book 2 has just been released and should be in perfect working condition upon receiving your device. We understand that it may be causing the undesired noise when using the device. This is normal given the high-powered component and the specs of this model.

  Nonetheless, if this is giving inconvenience on the way you utilize the Surface, we suggest that you drop by the same store where you’ve purchased it. Our staff will assist you and should replacement be required, there should be no issue at all.

  That seems like excellent advice.

  Other coil whine, Surface Book 2

• A new battery replacement policy for the Surface Book 2?

  Posted on November 21, 2017 at 10:40 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  If the Answers Forum post from Microsoft represents a change in policy, the Surface line may no longer be disposable.

  It’s like a Festivus Miracle!

  Computerworld Woody on Windows

  UPDATE: Sorry to disappoint. Microsoft pulled the response. Oh well. Back to disposable Surfaces….

  Other battery, Surface Book 2

• Surface Book 2 reviews are out – and they’re all thumbs up

  Posted on November 16, 2017 at 08:29 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  There’s a reason why Microsoft sends hardware to known-friendly reviewers in advance of availability.

  You can see the effect now. The embargo just came off.

  Right now, on Techmeme, I see links to 10 different reviews of the Surface Book 2. Every single one of them raises a fanboi flag.

  Who knows? Maybe a month from now the world will come to the consensus that the US $ 2,500 (starting price) 15-inch model is the best laptop ever made.

  Given the Surface line’s amaaaaazing history, I’m skeptical. Still, ya never know.

  We’ll see. Stranger things have happened.

  Other Surface Book 2