Microsoft still working on fix, workaround available

May 28, 2018 09:33 GMT  ·  By

You’d normally expect new Windows 10 feature updates to install and run flawlessly on Microsoft’s own devices, but as it turns out, this isn’t actually the case.

In fact, the experience with Windows 10 April 2018 Update has so far been a nightmare for many users who rushed to upgrade their devices, so seeing bugs hitting even the Surface lineup is not at all surprising.

As we reported earlier this month, one such issue impacts the Surface Studio, Microsoft’s all-in-one PC that was launched in late 2016. Several users have complained that after upgrading the Studio to the new Windows 10 April 2018 Update, their Bluetooth mice keep disconnecting all of a sudden, with functionality only to be restored a few seconds later.

Rebooting the device is the workaround that did the magic every time, but several reports indicated that once the mouse stops working, waiting for a few seconds and then touching the screen solves the problem temporarily.

On the other hand, it looks like the issue keeps coming back occasionally for the reason that’s impossible to determine, and users have been left searching for a solution on their own. Microsoft, however, said that it was aware of the problem and promised to deliver a fix as soon as possible. Needless to say, this fix is still nowhere to be seen 10 days after Microsoft officially acknowledged the problem.

Microsoft Surface Studio

How to fix the bug

Fortunately, the solution is much simpler than you’d be tempted to believe, and it all comes down to changing the default behavior of Bluetooth devices connected to the Surface Studio.

Once you pair Bluetooth peripherals to your system, Windows 10 automatically handles the connection and automatically turns it off in order to save power. This is actually a pretty helpful feature on laptops or other devices not plugged in, while also helping save battery life on the peripheral itself.

But what happens in this case is that Windows 10 incorrectly triggers the shutting down of the device for no clear reason, so what you have to do is to disable this feature. Here’s what you need to do.

When logged in with an administrator account, right-click the Windows 10 Start button and click the option that reads Device Manager. Double-click the entry called Bluetooth and then right-click the option called Marvell AVASTAR Bluetooth Radio Adapter (in some cases, if you’re using a different Bluetooth mouse, it could use another name). Hit Properties and open the Power Management tab.

Opening Device Manager on Windows 10

Look for an option called Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power and uncheck it. Click OK and then close the window. There’s no need to reboot the system because the changes are applied automatically.

What’s important to remember is that you should turn this feature back to on when Microsoft delivers a fix because it can help you save battery power. To do this, follow the steps mentioned above, only that make sure that the said option is checked.

If you’re afraid that something could break down, creating a backup is the first thing you should do, though simply unchecking this setting shouldn’t cause any stability issues on the system.

As for when the official patch is projected to land, not a single word has been said in this regard. Microsoft will probably wait until the next Patch Tuesday, which takes place on June 12, to release it. At that point, Windows 10 will receive a new cumulative update likely to include more fixes for Windows 10 April 2018 Update, and the Surface Studio could also get a new firmware update that might possibly address this issue.

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The bug only happens on Windows 10 April 2018 Update
Microsoft Surface StudioOpening Device Manager on Windows 10
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