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Microsoft Unleashes Big Update to Fix Surface Bugs

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Heads up, Microsoft Surface device owners: Some much-needed updates are headed your way.

Redmond on Wednesday rolled out a set of driver and firmware updates for the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 designed to "help you get the most of the power management options that Surface is designed to offer and continue to make your Surface more productive," Panos Panay, head of Microsoft's Surface division, wrote in a blog post.

The 13 updates cover everything from the Surface Management Engine to Intel graphics and audio drivers. They should improve overall system stability, meaning fewer glitches all around, according to Microsoft's release notes, as well as battery life, display stability, and auto-rotation reliability.

Note that updates are installed automatically on Surface devices via Windows Update. Microsoft is rolling of the fixes "in stages," meaning not every Surface will receive them at the same time. If you don't feel like waiting you can install them manually. Go to Start, select Settings > Update & security > Windows Update, then select Check for updates. If the updates are available, they will install right away. You may need to restart your device after installation.

"We are committed to continuing to improve Surface — to keep pushing out updates to make your device more awesome," Panay wrote. "And to continue to help all our customers realize the full benefits of the latest silicon and Windows 10. With that in mind, one of the most important steps you can take is to ensure your Surface is up-to-date with the fixes we post on Windows Update."

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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