Why Does Microsoft Surface Laptop Keep Turning Off? (Solved)

Microsoft Surface Laptops have a history of turning off randomly. It could result from corrupted files or a driver issue- it might even be malware.

This article is here to help you narrow down what is causing your laptop to turn off and how you can solve the problem!

Why Does My Microsoft Surface Laptop Keep Turning Off?

There are three main reasons why your Microsoft Surface laptop keeps turning off, which are:

• A problem with your driver
• Corrupted files
• Possible malware

The first step to solving the problem is to figure out what is causing the issue. You’ll need to work through some troubleshooting.

5 Troubleshooting Steps for Microsoft Surface Laptop Shutting Down

1. Force the Laptop to Shut Down

The first step for troubleshooting your Microsoft Surface laptop is to shut it down forcefully. 

To start the process, follow these steps:

1. You must press and hold the power button until the Surface turns off and restarts. This step will take around 20 seconds.
2. Hold it down until you see the Windows logo screen, then release.

This process will reset your hardware and clear cache and memory. It will give your laptop a clean slate to work with without deleting everything off your hard drive.

2. Check for Windows Updates

Once you can get your laptop to turn back on, you should check it for updates.

Follow these steps to find updates if you have Windows 11:

1. Press the Start button.
2. Select Settings.
3. Click on Windows Update.

Follow these steps to update your Windows 10 OS:

1. Press the Start button.
2. Select Settings.
3. Choose Update; Security.
4. Under the Update; Security submenu, find and select Windows Update.

3. Update Your Firmware and Drivers

Another thing you’ll want to check updates for is your Surface’s firmware and drivers.

First, you’ll need information about your Microsoft Surface Laptop:

1. To get your model: Open your Start menu and type “surface” into the search bar. Select the Surface option.
2. Next, look at the Device Information. Take note of the value next to your Surface model.

Next, you’ll need to figure out your Windows version:

1. Open Start- the menu located at the bottom left corner
2. Select Settings.
3. Open the System submenu.
4. Click on the About section. Your operating system information is under Windows Specifications.

Lastly, head to the Download Center page on the Windows support page. Select the .msi files that match your Surface Laptop’s model and version. Click Next and follow the prompts to download and update your firmware and drivers.

After updating, restart your Surface laptop.

4. Scan for Viruses

Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems include the company’s latest protection from viruses. Windows Security will manually scan for threats to your Surface whenever you start Windows, but sometimes it’s important to check manually.

Follow these steps to run a quick scan on your Microsoft Surface:

1. Open the Start menu and select Settings.
2. Under the Settings Menu, open Update; Security.
3. Next, select Windows Security and find Virus; Threat Protection.
4. Under Current Threats, click Quick Scan.

If a quick scan finds no threats, you can do a more thorough search with an advanced scan. Follow these steps to run an advanced scan with Windows Security:

1. Follow the above steps 1-3 to run a quick scan.
2. Under the Current Threats menu, select Scan Options.
3. Choose three scan options (Full Scan, Custom Scan, and Microsoft Defender Offline Scan).
4. After picking your desired scan, select Scan Now.

5. Run File Checker for Windows 10

Sometimes your Microsoft Surface will turn off because of corrupted files.

To check if you have any corrupted files on your computer, follow these steps:

1. Type “command prompt” into the taskbar’s search box. When the Command Prompt app appears, hover over it, then press and hold down or right-click.
2. Choose “Run as administrator” and hit yes.
3. Type “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth” into the screen (ensure that you place a space before every “/”). Once you have finished typing, press enter.
4. A message will pop up saying that the operation was successful.
5. Type “sfc /scannow” (Once again, ensure that there is a space before the / ). Press enter.
6. The scan will start running. Do not do anything until a message says the verification is 100% done. After that appears, you’ll type “exit” and hit enter to close the app.

Creating a USB Recovery Image

Sometimes the problem will solve itself after a bit of troubleshooting. If you attempted all of the above troubleshooting methods and your Surface is still turning off, try creating a USB recovery drive image.

Microsoft utilizes a recovery drive image that lets you reset your Surface laptop to factory settings to troubleshoot and solve problems.

1. Download Recovery Image

You will first need to download Microsoft’s Recovery Image program. Head to their website and enter your device’s information to download the correct version.

2. How to Format Your USB Drive

Next, you’ll need to format your USB drive. 

1. Insert your USB into your laptop.
2. Open File Explorer on your desktop.
3. Right-click on the USB under devices and select Format.
4. Choose FAT32 for the file system. Rename the USB device with a Volume label. You could rename it something like “RECOVERY.” Then click Start.
5. Erase any contents on the USB drive.
6. Select OK once the formatting finishes.

3. Create a Recovery Device

Now you can create a device for recovery:

1. Open the recovery image that you downloaded on your Surface.
2. Tap Extract, and select Extract All.
3. Choose your USB drive as the location and select Extract.

4. Perform USB Recovery Image

Lastly, perform the recovery image operation with your USB:

1. Turn off your Surface laptop by pressing the power button.
2. Insert the USB drive.
3. Hold down the volume-down button.
4. Push and release the power button.
5. Release the volume-down button once the Windows logo appears.
6. Choose your language and keyboard preferences.
7. Next, choose Troubleshoot.
8. Select Recover from a drive. If the program prompts you for a recovery key, hit “Skip this drive.”
9. If prompted, choose “Repartition the drives.”

Final Thoughts

Many users have had problems with their Microsoft Surface laptops constantly turning off. Contact Microsoft support for extra assistance or device replacement if the issue persists.