What you need to know
- Surface Pro X owners can't update their Surface Dock firmware.
- The issue comes down to a lack of ARM64 support for the Surface Dock's update package.
- Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3 were the last devices to get official support with a Surface Dock update.
If you're using a Surface Dock with your Surface Pro X and can't update the firmware, you're not alone. In a Reddit thread discussing issues with the Surface Dock and Surface Pro X, a user pointed out that the firmware for the Surface Dock can't be updated via Microsoft's ARM tablet. The reason comes down to a lack of ARM64 support by the update package.
If you download and attempt to run the latest firmware update package from Microsoft's support site, you'll be greeted with the following error message on a Surface Pro X:
This installation package is not supported by this processor type. Contact your product vendor.
We've tested this out on a Surface Pro X and received the same error message cited in the Reddit thread.
The only way around this is to use another Surface to install the firmware update before resuming using your Surface Dock with the Surface Pro X. The last devices to gain official support with a Surface Dock update were the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3, according to Microsoft's release notes.
This is an area where one would expect Microsoft to maintain compatibility across its whole Surface lineup, but it appears support for ARM processors either slipped by or there's some other technical limitation. In the meantime, it's a strange inconvenience for anyone already using a Surface Dock with their Surface Pro X.
Thin and light
Surface Pro X represents a major overhaul in design for the Surface Pro lineup. Packing an ARM processor and LTE connectivity, it's built to get things done on the go.
