Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 has been available since last October, so it’s a relatively new product. However, some users are reporting their device is facing some problems. Specifically, owners of Microsoft’s flagship device say the Surface Pro 7 is randomly shutting down without warning.

The issues are being charted in a Microsoft forums post that is gathering pace. More and more users are arriving to report the problem, which seems to be relatively widespread. A Microsoft employee acknowledged the thread and said the company is monitoring the problem.

“Thank you for reporting this issue, we are actively investigating. Please continue monitoring this thread for additional information and continue to check for Windows Updates,” the representative said.


Most users say the problem happens when they leave their device idle, even for second. For example, stopping activity on the Surface Pro 7 for around 30 seconds to a minute triggers a random shutdown.

Users say the screen goes black and can be reawakened by pressing the power button. However, when the device wakes, all windows and work are lost. Despite checking updates and performing system reboots, users say the problem persists.


Another Microsoft representative joined the conversation and offered a workaround for the issue. This involves playing with the default sleep times. We will post the workaround below but it’s worth noting some users say it doesn’t work.

  1. Open Microsoft Store.
  2. Search for ‘Intel Graphics Command Center’
  3. Install the app from the Microsoft Store.
  4. In Command Center, navigate to Settings > System > Power.
  5. Look for ‘Panel Self Refresh’ and turn it off for both “On Battery” and “Plugged In”.
  6. Reboot your device.

It seems this problem is related to software, so Microsoft can presumably fix it. We’ll wait for more official information from the company, including any information on when a fix is expected.