5 ms·

Microsoft’s Surface Pro X cameras have stopped working for everyone

31 points by amatheus 3y ago

KMnO4 3y ago
Hardware connected to software connected to the internet.
ImAnAmateur 3y ago
This means that when the model is obselete and unsupported that the camera is guaranteed stop functioning? Is this a security trade-off or planned obsolescence?
- dagmx 3y ago
  Security trade off likely due to driver certificate expiration . Drivers for the camera exist outside the core OS, so need to be verifiable otherwise you could have malware replacing it. If Microsoft forget to update the certificate, it’ll eventually stop working.
  - bigmadwolf 3y ago
    An expired certificate should not cause that. I'd be very surprised if they did not have a cryptographic timestamp [1] on the driver signature. The presence of the timestamp allows the signature to be verified after the signing certificate has expired. 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_signing#Time-stamping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_signing#Time-stamping
    - bigmadwolf 3y ago
      OK upon actually reading the article it looks like they didn't include a timestamp - ouch.
surfacebrick 3y ago
Here's some similar stories, including mine. In short, a Windows Update (possibly on the latest Windows 10 build - was for me) appears to brick the touchscreen on at least some Surface Pro 4 devices, but since there's relatively few left about and/or they're all out of warranty, Microsoft seem to be able to ignore the problem their updates caused. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surface-pro-4-broken-after-firmware-update/a171195a-a6be-44ca-9bbc-602a8691f507 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surfac... https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/oxg0pm/surface_pro_4_touchscreen_stopped_working_after/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/oxg0pm/surface_pro... https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/otygmo/surface_pro_4_firmware_failed_to_update_issue/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/otygmo/surface_pro... https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surface-pro-touch-screen-doesnt-work-after-win10/63f1d8cf-9dde-404d-84fc-9587c991457e?auth=1 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surfac... https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surface-pro-4-touchscreen-not-working/085a2f1b-b176-4ffa-a39c-a5a574864f07?auth=1 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surfac... https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/q8sw6k/comment/hgrli53/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/q8sw6k/comment/hgr...
- goosedragons 3y ago
  Jeez. And people complain about Linux updates breaking things and MS is here bricking key features on first party products.
gentleman11 3y ago
I briefly considered getting a surface pro recently, but opted for an iPad Pro with keyboard. So far, it’s been really lovely. I wonder what it would take to make such a nice device for an independent company with Linux. The m2 chip is obviously out of the question, but I wonder how close a startup could get in 5 years given some funding
- codalan 3y ago
  Ubuntu and Mint work pretty well on the SP4 Pro. It's a good mix between hardware and a much better OS. Probably as close as you will get to having an independent, open source tablet.
  - gentleman11 3y ago
    Ubuntu and mint support touch interfaces? Can you use a stylus for writing?
    - codalan 3y ago
      Touch is supported with both. Haven't tried the stylus, though.
- denysvitali 3y ago
  https://github.com/linux-surface/surface-pro-x https://github.com/linux-surface/surface-pro-x
leephillips 3y ago
Mine is working fine. Probably because I’m running Linux on it.

31 points by amatheus 3y ago

Hardware connected to software connected to the internet.

This means that when the model is obselete and unsupported that the camera is guaranteed stop functioning? Is this a security trade-off or planned obsolescence?

dagmx 3y ago
Security trade off likely due to driver certificate expiration . Drivers for the camera exist outside the core OS, so need to be verifiable otherwise you could have malware replacing it. If Microsoft forget to update the certificate, it’ll eventually stop working.
- bigmadwolf 3y ago
  An expired certificate should not cause that. I'd be very surprised if they did not have a cryptographic timestamp [1] on the driver signature. The presence of the timestamp allows the signature to be verified after the signing certificate has expired. 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_signing#Time-stamping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_signing#Time-stamping
  - bigmadwolf 3y ago
    OK upon actually reading the article it looks like they didn't include a timestamp - ouch.

surfacebrick 3y ago

Here's some similar stories, including mine. In short, a Windows Update (possibly on the latest Windows 10 build - was for me) appears to brick the touchscreen on at least some Surface Pro 4 devices, but since there's relatively few left about and/or they're all out of warranty, Microsoft seem to be able to ignore the problem their updates caused. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surface-pro-4-broken-after-firmware-update/a171195a-a6be-44ca-9bbc-602a8691f507 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surfac... https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/oxg0pm/surface_pro_4_touchscreen_stopped_working_after/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/oxg0pm/surface_pro... https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/otygmo/surface_pro_4_firmware_failed_to_update_issue/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/otygmo/surface_pro... https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surface-pro-touch-screen-doesnt-work-after-win10/63f1d8cf-9dde-404d-84fc-9587c991457e?auth=1 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surfac... https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surface-pro-4-touchscreen-not-working/085a2f1b-b176-4ffa-a39c-a5a574864f07?auth=1 https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/all/surfac... https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/q8sw6k/comment/hgrli53/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/q8sw6k/comment/hgr...

goosedragons 3y ago
Jeez. And people complain about Linux updates breaking things and MS is here bricking key features on first party products.

gentleman11 3y ago

I briefly considered getting a surface pro recently, but opted for an iPad Pro with keyboard. So far, it’s been really lovely. I wonder what it would take to make such a nice device for an independent company with Linux. The m2 chip is obviously out of the question, but I wonder how close a startup could get in 5 years given some funding

codalan 3y ago
Ubuntu and Mint work pretty well on the SP4 Pro. It's a good mix between hardware and a much better OS. Probably as close as you will get to having an independent, open source tablet.
- gentleman11 3y ago
  Ubuntu and mint support touch interfaces? Can you use a stylus for writing?
  - codalan 3y ago
    Touch is supported with both. Haven't tried the stylus, though.
denysvitali 3y ago
https://github.com/linux-surface/surface-pro-x https://github.com/linux-surface/surface-pro-x

leephillips 3y ago

Mine is working fine. Probably because I’m running Linux on it.