How to turn on your Microsoft Surface laptop

There are moments when your Microsoft Surface® might seem unresponsive, or perhaps you're just not familiar with its startup process. Maybe you're preparing for an important presentation and your laptop decides to take a nap, or you’ve recently upgraded to a Surface Pro® and are unfamiliar with its new design. Whatever the scenario, there's no need to worry.

The experts at Asurion have the tech know-how to tackle any problem—including simple ones, like locating a Surface laptop's Power button. Here’s how to do it.

How to turn on a Microsoft Surface laptop

This guide will walk you through everything from locating the Power button to troubleshooting it if it’s not working properly. Before you begin, make sure the battery has a good charge.

Locating the Microsoft laptop Power button

The Microsoft Surface laptop’s Power button is located on the top-right edge of the keyboard (typically to the left of the Dell button). This button is your main method for waking up your laptop from sleep or for turning on the device when it’s completely turned off.

Starting up your Surface laptop

Turning on a Microsoft Surface laptop is as simple as pressing and holding the Power button for a few seconds until the screen lights up. Once the Power button is pressed, your device should start up immediately, showing you a startup screen or logo.

How to turn on the Surface Pro

On a Microsoft Surface Pro, the Power button is typically located on the device's top edge, near the right corner when you're holding it in landscape mode with the screen facing you. It's a small, rectangular button that you can press to turn the device on, off, or put it to sleep.

Press and hold the button for about 2 seconds, and release it once the display lights up.

Troubleshooting startup issues

Occasionally, you might find that your device refuses to wake up promptly. If you're stuck wondering, "How do you turn on a Microsoft Surface?" and the usual methods aren't working, you might need to try a few troubleshooting solutions to get results:

1. Check the power supply. Make sure your Surface is charged sufficiently. Plug in your charger and wait a few minutes before trying to turn on the device again.
2. Try a different charger. The problem might be a faulty charger. If you have an extra on hand, connect your Microsoft Surface laptop to a different charger to see whether it will charge. Wait a few minutes, then attempt to turn it on again
3. Perform a soft reset. If the device is unresponsive, hold the Power button for 20 seconds to force a shutdown and then press it again to restart.
4. Inspect for physical damage. Physical damage to the Power button or internal components can sometimes prevent the device from turning on, so check for signs of damage, like cracks or scratches.