Microsoft Yanks Buggy Surface Pro 2 Firmware Update

Microsoft (MSFT) late last week yanked a buggy Surface Pro 2 firmware update as a number of users complained that the download produced an error code the vendor said was false, but nevertheless confused owners of the tablet.

The update was part of Microsoft’s series of monthly software patches released on Dec. 10 to improve Surface Pro 2 system stability, including tablet and keyboard interaction, updating the Wi-Fi driver and trackpad and other fixes.

The problematic download and installation issue involved the Surface Pro 2 firmware update prompting a false error message (80070490) on install, even though the download supposedly was proceeding correctly.

Users, believing that the update hadn’t installed properly—and, in some cases, prompted a battery malfunction, didn’t offer another reinstall opportunity or put the devices into sleep mode—took to Microsoft’s support forum to complain.

As the number of incidents grew, Microsoft responded on Dec. 18 with this: "To ensure the best experience for our customers during the holiday season, we have taken steps to remove the update for Surface Pro 2 that was previously published through Windows Update on December 10th, 2013. We are working to release an alternative update package after the holidays," Microsoft stated.

The vendor didn’t post an exact date when it would provide the corrected firmware update.

And, in a message to Winbeta, the vendor recommended that users, in the absence of a resolution to the issue, go to “Device Manager check the firmware history to ensure the latest update installed. If it did not install correctly, please let us know on this forum so we can work to fix the issue. Thank you for your patience and know we are in the process of addressing this issue."

Ultimately, Microsoft opted to pull the update until it can resolve the issue and provide a fix.