Newsletter Archives

• More undocumented Surface Pro 4 driver updates

  Posted on September 2, 2017 at 05:48 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  If you own a Surface Pro 4 and you don’t block Windows Update, Microsoft probably reached into your machine last night and changed all sorts of system-level stuff. They did it without warning, without consent (in a default configuration), and without a stitch of documentation.

  Dan Thorp-Lancaster has the details in Windows Central. All he has is a list of the names of the updates:

  • Intel Corporation driver update for Microsoft IR Camera Front.
  • Intel Corporation driver update for Microsoft Camera Front
  • Intel driver update for Intel(R) AVStream Camera 2500
  • Intel driver update for Intel(R) Imaging Signal Processor 2500
  • Intel Corporation driver update for Intel(R) CSI2 Host Controller
  • Surface – System 8/1/2017 12:00:00 AM – 1.0.85.1
  • Intel Corporation driver update for Intel(R) Control Logic
  • Intel Corporation driver update for Microsoft Camera Rear

  Man, some of the privacy stuff is creepy, but this is forced-undocumented-kernel-level-program-mods surely comes from the Twilight Zone. Why do people put up with it?

  Windows Patches/Security Surface Pro 4

• More Surface Pro 4 problems: “Windows Hello isn’t available on this device,” shaking screen

  Posted on August 1, 2017 at 10:21 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Still not clear if the undocumented bad driver “Surface – System – 7/21/2017 12:00:00 AM – 1.0.65.1” is going out to Surface Pro 2017, Surface Laptop, Surface Book, Surface Studio, and/or Surface Hub owners, too.

  Computerworld Woody on Windows

  UPDATE: The Win10 1703 cumulative update released on the night of August 1, KB 4032188, fixes this bug.

  ANOTHER UPDATE: Now I’m hearing that KB 4032188 doesn’t fix the “Surface – System – 7/21/2017 12:00:00 AM – 1.0.65.1” bug at all, but that MS has pulled the botched driver. If you’re having the “Hello is broken” problem, the only solution is to roll back the bad driver, using the technique in the Computerworld article.

  Windows Patches/Security Surface - System - 7/21/2017 12:00:00 AM - 1.0.65.1, Surface Pro 4

• Reported Type Cover problems with undocumented Surface Pro 4/Surface Book firmware update

  Posted on July 24, 2017 at 04:57 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Microsoft released a new round of firmware and driver updates for the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 on Friday. There’s no documentation and plenty of complaints.

  Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  UPDATE: Will wonders ever cease…. three days after pushing the patch on Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 owners, Microsoft just published the details.

  Microsoft News driver update, Surface Book, Surface Pro 4

• Surface Pro 4 customers complain about weird flicker – even post photos – but no response from Microsoft

  Posted on April 4, 2017 at 13:55 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  It’s starting to sound a lot like Surface Pro 3 batterygate, and the SP3’s second batterygate.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows.

  Microsoft News Surface Pro 4

• Surface Pro 4 driver updates?

  Posted on February 10, 2017 at 14:08 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Poster GregSEdwards on Thurrott.com reports that he’s received a bunch of updates for his Surface Pro 4:

  Required a couple of reboots and got the “Surface is applying updates” message on the Surface boot-up screen.

  I haven’t seen the updates yet, and the official Update Page says nothing, but that’s par for the course.

  Edwards’ list includes new UEFI, HD Graphics 520, Display, and other driver updates.

  Let me know if you see anything…

  Windows Patches/Security Surface Pro 4

• Surface Pro 4, Surface Studio firmware patches out

  Posted on January 19, 2017 at 06:05 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  The patches were initially rolled out, undocumented, about 24 hours ago.

  Surface Pro 4 changelog:

  https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/install-update-activate/surface-pro-4-update-history?os=windows-10

  Surface Studio changelog:

  https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/install-update-activate/surface-studio-update-history

  TechNet post that apologizes for pushing the firmware upgrades without documenting them. No, not really.

  Updates for Surface Studio and Surface Pro 4 (18 January 2017)

  Windows Patches/Security Surface Pro 4, Surface Studio

• Tablet or laptop?

  Posted on June 8, 2016 at 11:02 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  There’s a lot of ink gushing about tablets with keyboards – neither a laptop nor a tablet, but both at the same time. Surface Pro 4, iPad Pro, Google Pixel-C, Samsung TabPro S – they’re all competing in the same space.

  For business use, the winner’s not clear at all.

  Galen Gruman nails it at InfoWorld.

   

  Other iPad Pro, Surface Pro 4

• More Surface Book, Surface Pro 4 driver updates roll out

  Posted on May 25, 2016 at 08:18 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  And this time we get full details.

  Somebody’s listening and doing a good job.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows

  Windows Patches/Security driver, firmware, Surface Book, Surface Pro 4

• Surface Book, Surface Pro 4 firmware updates really put the hook on Intel

  Posted on May 10, 2016 at 11:32 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Looks like a good bunch of patches, with “Intel” written all over them.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows

  Windows Patches/Security May 9 2016 firmware updates, Surface Book, Surface Pro 4

• Microsoft (finally!) gets the bugs out of Surface Book and Surface Pro 4

  Posted on April 28, 2016 at 07:08 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Microsoft’s billion-dollar hardware business now stands on a less-infested foundation.

  Excellent news for those of you who have – or are thinking about buying – Surface Books or Pro 4s.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows.

  Other Surface Book, Surface Pro 4

• Surface Book, Surface Pro 4 firmware updates throw 800f0203 error, blue screens

  Posted on April 20, 2016 at 11:01 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  The workaround doesn’t always work.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows

  Windows Patches/Security 800f0203, Blue Screen, Dock, firmware, Surface Book, Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4

• Latest firmware patch for Surface Book / Surface Pro 4 may actually work

  Posted on February 18, 2016 at 07:34 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  And there’s a bit of lagniappe for you Windows 10 users.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows

  Windows Patches/Security Surface Book, Surface Pro 4
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