Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro and Surface RT all get new firmware updates

By John Callaham
last updated

Microsoft's latest firmware update for its Surface family of tablets are rolling out today, offering a rather large update for the Surface Pro 3 along with small downloads for the Surface Pro and Surface RT models.

Here's the change log for the Surface Pro 3 firmware update:

  • Surface Pro Embedded Controller Firmware (v38.4.50.0) improved support for Surface Power Cover.
  • Surface Pro System Aggregator Firmware (v3.9.250.0) improved support for Surface Power Cover and enhances overall system stability.
  • Microsoft LifeCam Front (v5.20.1034.0) significantly improves power consumption during video chat such as Skype, supports Flash camera streaming in Internet Explorer, and improves overall functionality and stability.
  • Surface Ethernet Adapter (v8.14.0704.2014) improved support for the gigabit Surface Ethernet Adapter.

In addition the Surface Pro got this small update:

  • Wireless Network Controller and Bluetooth (v14.69.24054.176) improves network connection stability and enables functionality on WiFi networks using a hidden SSID.

Finally the nearly two year old Surface RT got a new update today:

  • Surface RT UEFI (v3.31.500) enhances overall system stability.

Microsoft did not release updates today for the Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2. What do you think of these latest updates for three of the Surface tablets?

Source: Surface history page (opens in new tab)

John Callaham
John Callaham
131 Comments
  • Awesome!
  • Keep them coming! Really enjoy using my sp3!
  • I love my SP3!!
  • Do you use Dreamweaver and Photoshop on SP3? How does it work with the pen? I'm planning to get it when it released in India.
  • PhotoShop works with the pen, I'm using it on my SP2
  • wwhat version of photoshop are you usinng?
  • I have Visual Studio, Dreamweaver and Photoshop on my SP3. All work great. If you dont have a mouse (or touch cover) the pen can be used to make precise clicks.
  • Awesome. That's what I was looking for.
  • Actually, they work with the pen but NOT well.  Photoshop, in particular, has a clumsy interface that really requires a keyboard and mouse as well.  You will othewrwise end up with occasions when some actions you start with the pen not locking down when you try to execute.  Best example is the lasso tool that will run off into infinity when you move it off the item you are selecting because you need to execute the selection from the menu but can't go to the menu with the pen when it is lasso'ing something.  It just extends a line from the lasso'ed item towards the menu that you can't select.  Thinsg work but they are clumsy - typical half finished Adobe implementation.
  • Yep. Had a same problem on my Vaio. Not Microsoft's fault but Adobe. I thought it would be nice but they implemented it clumsily.
  • Doing my update on Surface 2 right now.
  • Can you read me the last paragraph of the article...
  • "hacker"
  • There are still Windows 8 updates to install.
  • Awww... I'm sorry. I was unaware that you were illiterate.
  • Its says there are no updates for sp2...
  • I asked if you were illiterate ...not me.
  • If I were, I wont be commenting on this forum...
  • The guy doesn't have SP3 period.
  • It should state they did not release any firmware update for the surface 2 and pro 2 but got the patch tuesday updates.
  • It does. In the last paragraph.
  • Not quite. Nothing about Patch Tuesday updates anywhere in the article.
  • hey , update phone also yr
  • Is there an update for windows phone u saying???
  • No he just requests one... :o O_o
  • It has been coming soon for the past one month... MS is redefining SOON... :P
  • Microsoft now has "Reinvented Soon".
    :P
  • Coming soon...2015
  • "Reimagined Soon" FTFY
  • Ok :)
  • Are surfaces expensive i want a surface but in my country surfaces are raree :(
  • Very, in the UK, a original surface is still £300
  • Maybe the rumored surface mini will make it a bit affordable... I hope...
  • Surface Mini got cancelled.
  • Latest news is its just postponed.
  • Latest news is just another BS rumor. Microsoft took a one time charge in the most recent quarter for the cancelled Surface Mini project. You do not write off that sort of value for a postponed project/product.  People need to get over it - the new management cancelled the project and it is never coming back. Given the tepid (at best) response to all of the 8 inch Windows tablets, there isn't even a niche to market.  
  • write-down can be restored in US accounting rules.
  • What is your country?
  • About 299 euros lately in Italy for a surface pro 128 gb. Very chap if compared with similar hardware products.  
  • Is the Lumia 2520 worth buying guys?
  • If you want an RT device.
  • No kickstand, no deal
  • Depends on the price. Here in Germany it is 500€ + the cover with keyboard. So it's too much imo.
  • In some ways the Lumia 2520 is better than Surface 2.
  • Anybody experienced wifi improvements on SP3?
  • I did not see any before
  • The Nokia tablet is nice to look at, but RT is a non-starter. Why have a cut down system when you can have a FULL PC, and if the prices are too
    high, there are plenty of cheap Windows tablets that run the full OS for about £200. The Encore can be bought for £170!!
  • Because RT devices are smaller, lighter, thinner and have a better battery life. The RT is a companion device, not a primary device.  If 90% of what you do is browse, email, and update Office docs, then RT is awesome since it can be your primary device 90% of the time.  If you want to do photoshop or AUTOCAD while at the coffee shop, then RT isn't for you.  At home/work, use your FULL PC.
  • Some folks don't need full Windows and RT will serve them will, especially since RT gets Office 2013 included.
  • No don't get a 2520. It has backlight bleed and build quality poor compared to surface 2. I've just recently got a surface 2 it's a great piece of kit, much better than the original surface rt. I'll keep my surface 2 till 2016 and upgrade then to whatever is around then.
  • The 2520 has build quality on par with the 1520. As for backlight bleed, you must have got one with a bad digitiser. As a tablet, it's excellent.
  • No man no wifi in it means total failure to the tablet
  • ya , wp8.1 + cyan + update 1 (gdr1)
  • Looking forward to updating my Surface RT when I get home.  I heart updates.
  • How's your RT running? I didn't have much space left on my RT, but now that there is 4GB it still runs pretty sluggish. Takes about 5-10 seconds just to open the Mail app. I might have to reinstall if you're not experiencing the same thing.
  • I highly recommend you free up a bit of space. My Surface RT still runs great (taking into consideration its age and specs). Minimum you should try to have 5 GB free, if that doesn't work then a refresh might be your best bet.
  • Try clean the drive Windows update and error reporting is sometimes used too much space.
  • Will this fix that Wi-Fi bug where after I wake my pro 3 from sleep the wifi won't woke until I disconnect and reconnect?
  • Nope. Didn't for me.
  • I guess that's an issue with OS, even on my desktop the same problem. But sometimes it works fine.
  • The issue above is most likely because you have Visual Studio 2013 installed + WP 8 SDK which enables Hyper-V.....I have SP3 and have this issue....Don't know if someone reported this issue to Surface Team. I will update the firmware today and let you know if this is fixed.
  • This issue is killing me. The only thing holding back the SP3 is the disappearing wireless stuff. I've been recommending it all over work lately, and feeling terrible that i know it has a wifi problem :(
  • Issue was fixed last month. If it didn't fix it for you automatically, you need to uninstall/reinstall the driver of the Wi-Fi adapter. I had to do it, and never had an issue since then. Hope that helps!
  • going to try this when I get home tonight! do you happen to have visual studio installed as well?
  • Yes I have Visual Studio with Windows Phone Emulators. However I disabled Hyper-V for the moment (developping on Windows 8.1 right now), creating a dual boot.
  • thanks for linking! I will check this out. I skimmed and say that the top comment was "you call that easy?!" aha..... sometimes comments make articles even more worth it
  • Just got my Pro3 and I loveeeeeee it
  • Update pro 2 as well. I spent enough on it lol
  • yesss RT
  • This article isn't about Windows Phone at all!! Grumble, grumble, grumble. /s Pretty nice they're still pushing updates for the OG Surface for Windows 8 Pro.
  • So cool
  • Pen pressure curve thingy update is the news I'm waiting for.
  • Will Nokia 2520 ever see an update?
  • No, just windows updates. I'm so glad I waited for my Surface 2 w/LTE : ) SO much better than the 2520!
  • Curiosity, is your surface 2 LTE getting super hot and draining fast while you watch videos? Or is it functioning normally? Posted via Windows Phone Central App
  • Its functioning normally and I haven't experienced the video issue with the heat and power drainging fast, however, I don't use the native video app. I use PressPlay Video and I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. I actually wanted a 2520 but didn't have the money at the time. By the time I had the money, the Surface 2 was out and just prefer the keyboard and full USB on it. I'm hoping the support doesn't fall to the waste side for my tablet soon, I really like it. I'm hoping they will release a Windows 9 RT for it, but I don't really see that happening.
  • Ahh alright thanks for the info. And my feelings are the same. I really wish the public would appreciate this tablet more. Posted via Windows Phone Central App
  • Hey thank you for mentioning PressPlay Video app. Downloading it now. Been finding for .mkv and .flv player for a long time and now I found it because of you ! Thanks a lot :D Before this I just found a lot of useless app form Digital Cloud Technologies LLC :/
  • No problem, its not the best app either but I definitely like it better than the microsoft video app and it plays a wider range of codecs.
  • Already had at least 1 firmware update. Great tablet.
  • Latest fw update was in june...
  • Yes, got an update today. Surface without LTE is a deal breaker for me.
    Love the 2520's keyboard with it's additional 6 hrs of battery life. The Nokia apps and it's ability to recharge rapidly make it a pleasure to use.
  • Yep, to each his own. Loving my 2520!
  • Couldn't you simply wifi Hotspot with your phone? Thus, shouldn't be a deal breaker. Plus, isn't your phone always on your person? Posted via Windows Phone Central App
  • Well doesn't fix wifi issues on my Surface Pro 3 i7 coming back out of hibernate... since resume doesn't work with Hyper-V.   Ugh...
  • I don't get why they just can't give us a firmware update that allows us to disable connected standby and make it more normal from a sleep perspective. I would totally give up CS for this so I can run Hyper V.    
  • Updating SP3 i5 right now. Thanks for the tip
  • Unfortunately I'm returning my sp3 after only a few days of ownership. I was hoping the sp3 i-5 would be able to run udk. But unfortunately it wasn't powerful enough. Its a beautiful device though. :'(
  • It's hard to believe my rt is almost 2 years old already.
  • This. It has served me well almost daily in university, work and free time and still works as if I just took it out of the box. That said, i just pre ordered a SP3 i3 today so the first Gen RT will retire this month.
  • All, "Will this fix that Wi-Fi bug where after I wake my pro 3 from sleep the wifi won't woke until I disconnect and reconnect? " The issue above is most likely because you have Visual Studio 2013 installed + WP 8 SDK which enables Hyper-V.....I have SP3 and have this issue....Don't know if someone reported this issue to Surface Team. I will update the firmware today and let you know if this is fixed.  
  • Well, haven't tried hibernate yet, but my wifi was connected after the numerous restarts during the update. That's a plus. Here's hoping this result will be experienced when resuming from hibernate as well.
  • What about Windows phone. Update 1 made my phone hella buggy and slow
  • Hard reset
  • I figured out the problem. Memory was almost full
  • Updated my Surface RT, unfortunately the device is still slow. Just hoping that it crashes less often and works better with my Type Cover 2. I feel like I should have just saved and saved so I could have a Surface Pro 3, because that device is amazing.
  • Lumia 2520 is dead?? =/   
  • A bit of topic wouldn't you say?... Plus didn't it get an update the other day? I know I saw something about it in a news feed...
  • Still using an RT at work, so looking forward to seeing any improvements
  • I just bought a RT a month or so ago. $230 brand new with a touch cover so it was a pretty sweet deal, and its even better knowing Microsoft is still supporting the device.
  • Well its being released in 25 new countries, so I suspect it makes sense to update it in anyway possible
  • Anything that improved the Wi-Fi connectivity on my surface pro will be welcome. It's actually scandalous that it still will not reliably connect to known networks when turned on
  • With all the good reporting on Microsoft's products that wpcentral does, I'm wondering why there hasn't been a rebranding of wpcentral yet (I.e. Mscentral). You guys do excellent coverage of all things Microsoft, and just think maybe you should consider your brand reflecting your coverage more appropriately.
  • I like the full MS reporting. If you own a Windows Phone, you probably own a Windows PC. Keep up the broad reporting no matter what you call the site!
  • And hopefully dethrone that hive of scum, villainy and anti Microsoft bias, the blerge.
  • Ya surface rt!!!
  • My surface 2 received an update today
  • Further to the comment by JCRUS I've just totted up the stats on the first 25 articles on this site (main page plus the 'Next 10 Headlines'. 12 of them are Xbox related. Another 5 have little or nothing to do with Windows Phone. This leaves only 8 articles directly related to the subject matter WPC is supposed to be covering. I don't know about anyone els,e but I'm getting tired of wading through irrelevant stories whilst trying to cash up on Windows Phone news. Can the Xbox news not be left for Xbox Central to cover? I really have no interest in what team Steve Ballmer has purchased.
  • Think you have too much time on your hands.....
  • You mom called lunch is ready.
  • It doesn't really help when people make childish & pointless comments like this does it?
  • Well, stay away then.
  • Really?  
  • I have the whole windows family in my household. Win 8.1 pro PC, Surface Pro 3, Xbox one, Xbox 360, Lumia 1520/920/635/520. This site puts all the news I need in one single site. I am like a kid in a candy store with each new news article when I hit the refresh arrows and the screen goes black. Sunday evenings, I have refresh withdrawal.
  • I think you missed my point hamphlet, I love the broader coverage and think it should continue to the point that a rebrand would be indicative of that coverage.
  • No JCRUS I didn't miss your point at all. I simply noticed that the Windows Phone news was being swamped by more general Microsoft news & this was the article at the top of the list at the time. It was a complete coincidence that I noticed your comment when I came to add mine. I have no interest genreal Xbox & Windows related stories. It doesn't mean that I don't have other Microsoft products, I do, but I come here for Window Phone info & that's it. I can see however that there are people who enjoy the wider coverage, but there may be others who don't. I was merely trying to open up a debate on the subject. Maybe a rebrand would be appropriate, in which case I may head for somewhere a little more specific. There is also the question of how much further the coverage could broaden. There may be people out there who actually want to hear more about Steve Ballmer's sporting investments. Should we have a daily report about his team? I don't know. 
  • Why do you feel we care? Do you expect someone to beg you to stay? Good luck finding another website that offers what is delivered here everyday. Maybe you should start a website that offers the very narrow focus you want. Of course given the low volume of fresh content no one will visit it but hey it will have just what you want. Oh and how was lunch? :)
  • Why so defensive?? I was just asking a question & trying to start a debate here, but you guys seem to want to make it personal all the time. If the majority of people reading WPC like it the way it is, then fine, of course it's OK. The editorial team will be happy that they are doing the right thing. I'm sure that they are keen to know how their readership feels. I think I'll raise the issue on the general forum. If you care to join in perhaps you could be a little more constructive and a little less facetious?
  • I love ❤ my surface pro 3... So does everyone that sets their eyes on it... Just lovely... I'm in love ❤
  • I have had the surface 2 and surface RT from the beginning. Initially I thought Microsoft had a good product. Then in time I had to change the RT once because it was faulty and the screen went completely awol. Changed it later for the surface 2 and had to change them twice already. Finally I gave up! I am returning the surface 2 and getting an iPad. Dont care anymore for the RT windows brand. Pro is a different story, bit I wish it was cheaper because it looks solid!!
  • it just doesn't look solid, it is solid... lol... sorry about ur luck with other surface product
  • I'm getting a new 2520 Lumia. Whenever Windows RT gets an update do ALL RT devices get updates? Help! David
  • Yes,mine has, including today.
  • Surface Pro 3 firmware update for a Power Cover?? Interesting...
  • I caught that too.
  • Could just be for better compatibility with the existing Power Cover though, and not necessarily for a new one.
  • Who needs butter on their toast when you can have a Surface Pro 3. This thing is awesome!!! Posted via Windows Phone Central App
  • I have an original Surface Pro, the Marvells Wifi adaptor sometimes have an error and dies completely. I had to go into device manager, delete the device, then add it again. Does anybody else have this problem too? p/s I'm downloading the update now...
  • they still have not added the ability to swap the trackpad buttons like most laptops.... 
  • Running windows update now on my Surface RT, it discovered 24 update for this month, and I think it may takes longer than I thought, still "Installing update 1 of 24.....Don't turn off your PC." MS definitely needs to change the way to update........
  • i got the RT update yesterday but id have liked to have seen the proposed surface phone as that could have been interesting to use