Skip to main content

Still holding on to your original Surface Pro? Microsoft has a firmware update for you

surface pro 2 firmware 2016 microsoft group
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you are still running one of the older generation Surface Pro or Surface Pro 2 two-in-one systems, then today holds a pleasant surprise for you. Microsoft has released the first firmware update since last summer. This update improves stability and fixes up a couple of niggling issues on both platforms, making them more capable than they have ever been.

Updates for the original Surface are a little on the scanter side of things, so we’ll address those first. As the older of the two systems this makes sense, though perhaps there will be the odd Surface owner with slightly greener eyes today when we get to the Surface Pro 2 changes.

Still, the Surface does get a new firmware update that eliminates the random wake ups that have plagued some users, and there’s been an update to the audio driver, bringing it to v1.0.360.0, which improves stability when detaching the cover.

The update for the Surface Pro 2 has a little more to it, updating the Intel driver to improve HD Graphics performance, and adding an upgraded Surface ACPI-compliant control method battery driver. It also benefits from the updates to the Surface, so it has the same audio driver and random wake up fixes as its older brother.

Other Intel driver improvements have given the Surface Pro 2 better color calibration and system stability, too, with an Intel Display Audio driver update improving compatibility with the new graphics driver.

Of course, nothing in his update is going to blow anyone’s socks off. The aging two-in-ones don’t suddenly have the performance of their more current peers, nor do they offer any brand new features. But this upgrade does make them more relevant and continue to improve their usage experience for consumers. You have to give Microsoft props for that.

Both updates and be downloaded from the Microsoft support site.

If you own a Surface Pro or Pro 2, are these fixes and updates something you’ve been waiting for for a while?

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
Surface Laptop Studio 2 specs: which should you buy?
Microsoft showing off new Surface Laptop Studio 2 at its September event.

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 has now been officially announced at Microsoft's September 2023 Surface event, and it has some really exciting specifications and features that may well make it one of our favorite 2-in-1 laptops of this year. But there are lots of options to pick from and a wide range of possible prices for this next-gen laptop. Do you pick the entry-level model with its affordable pricing and more modest hardware? Or go for something more impressive with a higher price tag?

It all depends on what you want to do with it. Let's take a look at the difference Surface Laptop Studio 2 configurations, and which ones are the best to consider. If you want an overview on if you should buy the laptop at all, make sure to read our Surface Laptop Studio 2 review.

Read more
Can you use the Surface Pen with the Surface Laptop Studio 2?
New Surface Laptop Studio 2 with a Surface Pen.

The Surface Pen is an excellent accessory for the Surface Laptop Studio 2, and yes, it works well with it. You can use the Surface Pen on the Surface Laptop Studio 2 for all kinds of tasks, from note-taking to doodlin, and sketching. The screen of the next-gen Surface Laptop Studio might be the same as the last one, but it still really lends itself to that sort of nuanced interaction, letting you get pixel-perfect drawing and writing from the Surface Pen.

Th Pen is still magnetic too, so it's always on hand when you need it.

Read more
Should you buy the Surface Pro 9, or wait for the Surface Pro 10?
The screen of the Surface Pro 9.

When it comes to laptops, it seems like there's always something new and exciting over the horizon. In the case of the Microsoft Surface Pro line, that's literally the case right now, with the Surface Pro 10 almost certainly set to debut at the end of September. But what do you do if you need another 2-in-1 laptop right now?

Should you wait a little longer for the Surface Pro 10, or get a Surface Pro 9 instead?

Read more