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Typing on Surface Laptop Keeps Freezing

Neil 0 Reputation points
2025-11-08T08:52:07.85+00:00

I recently bought a Surface laptop: 1 x MICROSOFT 13" Surface Laptop, Copilot+ PC - Snapdragon X Plus, 256 GB SSD, Platinum.

Very soon, I discovered that the typing would freeze, for somewhere between 5 and 15 seconds, regardless of whether I was typing in Word, a browser, or somewhere else. I returned the laptop to the retailer who happily refunded me on the basis that the item was faulty.

I wasn't planning on buying another but then I saw it was discounted and I assumed a new one would work properly, but on the second day of using it exactly the same thing happened, and the periods between this occuring are getting shorter and shorter.

I am not using an external keyboard, I am using a Microsoft Surface Arc Mouse, and I have not installed anything out of the ordinary, so I cannot see that this has been caused by anything I have done.

Before I return the item for a second time and go back to an HP laptop (which never caused me any issues like this), is there a quick fix?

Surface | Surface Laptop | Performance and maintenance
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  1. Jess-Q 4,825 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-11T14:18:45.0633333+00:00

    Hi @Neil

    Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.  

    Regarding your issue, I understand how frustrating it is to experience repeated typing freezes on a new Surface Laptop, especially after returning one already. Before returning this laptop, you can try these steps: 

    1. Hard reset the laptop: 
    • Press and hold both the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time for about 15 seconds. 
    • You’ll see the screen turn off (the Surface logo might flash), then release the buttons. 
    • Wait about 10 seconds and power it back on. 
    1. Run a System file check: 
    • Open the Start menu, type cmd, right-click on Command Prompt, and select "Run as administrator." 
    • Type sfc /scannow and hit Enter. 
    • Wait for the scan to finish; it’ll repair any corrupted system files it finds. 

    If the freezing continues after these steps, it may indicate a more serious hardware or software problem and given that this is your second device with the same issue, it could point to a firmware or hardware fault. In that case, returning or exchanging the device would be the best option. 

    Hope this clarifies everything, and I’m sorry there’s nothing more we can do to fix this permanently if it’s a hardware defect. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".     

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