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woody_leonhard
Columnist

More Surface Book, Surface Pro 4 driver updates roll out — details included

news analysis
May 25, 20162 mins
Operating SystemsSmall and Medium BusinessWindows

The round of updates is dated May 24, 2016, and for the first time we get detailed documentation

There’s a new round of driver updates for the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4, rolling out a Windows Update chute near you. This is the third driver update for SB and SP4 so far this month, with a major release on May 9, followed by a smaller update on May 16, and now this update, dated May 24.

If I count correctly, the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 have had 12 driver/firmware updates since their release last October: Oct. 23, 2015; Nov. 2; Nov. 18; Dec. 2; Dec. 17; Jan. 27, 2016; Feb. 17; Mar. 15; Apr. 19; May 9; May 16; and now May 24. Microsoft seems to have shaken off most of its debilitating Surfacegate hardware problems (see Paul Thurrott’s description) in April, but the complaints continue.

Remarkably, as of very early Wednesday morning the Surface Pro 4 update history site has details about the patches:

Microsoft driver update for Surface Embedded Controller Firmware – v103.1158.256.0 adjustments to system thermal tuning and optimizes battery utilization in connected standby and in low battery scenario.

Microsoft driver update for Surface Management Engine – v11.0.11.1006 improves system stability resuming from sleep or hibernation and increased reliability of touch and pen capabilities.

Fingerprint Cards AB driver update for Surface Fingerprint Sensor – v2.2.10.8 increases stability of fingerprint sensor when keyboard is resuming from sleep.

Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. driver update for Marvell AVASTAR Bluetooth Radio Adapter – v15.68.9040.67 enhances Wi-Fi driver settings to support Gulf region.

Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. driver update for Marvell AVASTAR Wireless-AC Network Controller – v15.68.9040.67 enhances Wi-Fi driver settings to support Gulf region.

Intel Corporation driver update for Intel(R) Precise Touch Device – v1.1.0.240 improves touch stability.

There’s an additional update for Surface Pro 4 devices that have a Samsung SSDs:

Microsoft driver update for Surface NVM Express Controller – v10.0.4.0 improves stability of NVMe Storage.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster at Windows Central relays a tip from one of WC’s twitter followers, Jesse Cook, that clicking on the More Info link in the Windows Update dialog takes you to a new Driver Information site. Although there’s nothing on the site (“Driver Information: Coming Soon”), it’s a tantalizing hint that maybe we’re going to get detailed changelogs for more of Microsoft’s drivers.

Kudos to the Surface team. Communicating with customers is a good idea, eh?

woody_leonhard
Columnist

Woody Leonhard is a columnist at Computerworld and author of dozens of Windows books, including "Windows 10 All-in-One for Dummies." Get the latest on and vent your spleen about Windows at AskWoody.com.