Digital Trends
Computing

March updates for Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 offer better stability

Mark Coppock
By —

Surface Book Pro
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
If you own one of Microsoft’s Surface devices, then you’re likely accustomed to waiting patiently for new driver and firmware updates that might solve a problem or two. Certainly, while Microsoft’s Surface line is full of great options and has sold well, the company has struggled at times with getting the machines to perform in a stable fashion.

Many of the worst battery and sleep issues were resolved with firmware updates in 2016 but that is not stopping Microsoft from making additional adjustments and improvements. On Wednesday, Microsoft issued the March 2017 update for both the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 and provided the details in a TechNet blog post rather than the usual Surface update pages.

For the Surface Pro 4, a number of key components received new driver software versions. Of particular interest is the update to the solid-state drive controller that promises improved storage performance. Here are the details:

  • Surface UEFI (V106.1427.768.0) improves system stability and performance.
  • Surface Display (V1.0.6.1) updates the display panel driver.
  • Surface NVM Express Controller (V11.0.0.1) improves storage performance.
  • Intel Management Engine Interface (V11.6.0.1042) improves system stability on startup.

The Surface Book received some of the same and some different driver update, with an apparent focus across the board on improved performance and stability. Here is what has been updated:

  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (v21.21.13.7667) improves system stability.
  • Surface UEFI (v90.1427.768.0) improves system stability and performance.
  • Surface NVM Express Controller (v11.0.0.1) improves storage performance.
  • Intel(R) Management Engine Interface (v11.6.0.1042) improves system stability on startup.
  • Surface Integration (v1.1.328.0) improves battery life during sleep.
  • Surface Integration Service Device (v1.0.241.0) improves device stability.
  • Surface USB Hub Firmware Update (v1.0.519.0) improves stability and power utilization of the USB hub in the device base.

As usual, the update should roll along and update itself automatically and then ask to reboot the system. You can download the updates in MSI format from Microsoft’s Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 drivers and firmware page if you want to install them manually.

Editors' Recommendations

Don't Miss

The best laptop brands of 2019
Up Next

Nintendo chief: Netflix, Hulu are "not a differentiator" for Switch console
miku baby monitor ces 2019
Smart Home

Military-grade baby monitor called Miku was a hit with parents at CES 2019

Who knew the world needed a smarter baby monitor? Apparently it's the startup Miku, which brought a new high-tech baby monitor to CES 2019 that uses A.I., machine learning, and high quality cameras to keep an eye on kids.
Posted — By Clayton Moore
Best Washer Dryer 2017 Samsung FlexWash
Smart Home

The best washing machines make laundry day a little less of a chore

It takes a special kind of person to love doing laundry, but the right machine can help make this chore a little easier. Check out our picks for the best washing machines on the market right now.
Posted — By Jenny McGrath
intel vs amd ces 2019 ryzen301
Computing

Everything to know about AMD’s CES 2019 reveals: Ryzen 3, Radeon VII, and more

AMD announced new products that will utilize its new 7nm architecture, ranging from its Ryzen 3 processors to powerful new Radeon VII graphics cards during its CES keynote. All these products will be available during this year.
Posted — By Chuong Nguyen
surface pro with lte now available vs pixelbook
Computing

The Surface Pro 6 is now here, but it's not a huge upgrade

The Surface Pro 6 is officially here, though it's not as big of a redesign as you might have hoped. With a new coat of black paint and an 8th-gen processor, it's a small, but notable update.
Posted — By Arif Bacchus
how to make windows 10 look like 7 cropped wallpaper
Computing

Microsoft will end support for Windows 7 one year from now

Microsoft is set to end extended support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020, putting a halt on the free bug fixes, and security patches for most who have the operating system installed. 
Posted — By Arif Bacchus
raspberry pi computer mouse raspberrypimouse01
Computing

This ‘computer mouse’ sets the new size standard for portable computing

The Raspberry Pi is an amazingly capable little computer and it's small enough that it can fit just about anywhere. Even in a computer mouse — if you're willing to build a custom chassis for it.
Posted — By Jon Martindale
best cheap macbook deals 3
Deals

From Air to Pro, here are the best MacBook deals for January 2019

If you’re in the market for a new Apple laptop, let us make your work a little easier: We hunted down the best up-to-date MacBook deals available online right now from various retailers.
Posted — By Lucas Coll
how to change your mouse cursor pointer mousecusor02
Computing

Change your mouse cursor in Windows with these quick tips

The standard mouse cursor is boring, so change it! With this guide on how to change your mouse cursor in Windows, you can choose to use one of Microsoft's pre-installed cursors or download something a bit more extravagant.
Posted — By Jon Martindale
How to uninstall a program in Windows 10
Computing

Go hands-free in Windows 10 with speech-to-text support

Looking for the dictation, speech-to-text, and voice control options in Windows 10? Here's how to set up Speech Recognition in Windows 10 and use it to go hands-free in a variety of different tasks and applications within Windows.
Posted — By Tyler Lacoma
how to install windows 10 fonts
Computing

Printing to PDF in Windows is easy, no matter which method you use

Microsoft's latest operating system makes it easier than ever to print to PDF in Windows, but there are alternative methods for doing so, even if you want to forgo Adobe Acrobat. Here's how.
Posted — By Jon Martindale
Computing

Changing a PDF into an EPUB file is easier than you might think

If you like to read on a tablet or ebook reader, you'll find that ePUB files offer a number of advantages over PDFs. With this guide, we'll show you how to convert a PDF to EPUB in a few quick steps.
Posted — By Jon Martindale
Huawei MateBook X Pro review
Computing

Need to combine a PDF? Here's how to get it done on both Windows and Mac

Sometimes juggling multiple files at once is more of a hassle than a convenience, especially when a single file would do. This quick guide will teach you how to combine PDF files on Windows, MacOS, or with online tools.
Posted — By Jon Martindale
best laptop brands
Computing

Don’t even bother with the rest. Here are the only laptop brands that matter

If you want to buy your next laptop based around a specific brand, it helps to know which the best brands of laptops are. This list will give you a good grounding in the most reliable, quality laptop manufacturers today.
Posted — By Jon Martindale
802.11ax laptop
Computing

Secure your Excel documents with a password by following these quick steps

Excel documents are used by people and businesses all over the world. Given how often they contain sensitive information, it makes sense to keep them from the wrong eyes. Thankfully, it's easy to secure them with a password.
Posted — By Jon Martindale