Surface Pen writes even when not in contact with the screen

Hi Rick Stockton,

I’m sorry to hear your Surface Pen stopped working, especially right after changing the batteries. Continuous inking when the pen is hovering is not normal, and it usually points to a hardware fault inside the pen, which explains why none of the Surface or Windows fixes helped.

Surface Pens detect pressure through an internal pressure sensor. If that sensor gets stuck in a “pressed” state, the pen reports contact even when it’s not touching the screen. Changing batteries can sometimes trigger this if the battery spring presses unevenly, there’s slight internal misalignment, or the sensor itself has failed.

If you still want to check to make sure that's the source of the issue, there's only a few things useful at this point. You can test either the pen on another Surface device or/and a different Surface Pen on your Surface. If the final result confirms the pen is at fault, there is no software fix that can correct a hardware problem.

Surface Pens are not repairable at component level at this point, replacement is probably the only supported solution. If the pen was bought separately and still under warranty, you can considered replacement via the official channel, refer to How to get service or repair for Surface - Microsoft Support.

1. Sign in at account.microsoft.com/devices/select-device-for-repair
2. If your Surface Pen isn't registered yet, select Register device.
3. If the device is already registered, choose it and click Next.
4. Follow the instructions to complete your service order.
5. However, if it’s out of warranty or cannot be registered, unfortunately you need to buy a new pen.

Testing with another device first is ideal, but I know it's not always convenient to have another Pen or Surface right around. Plus based on your description, this appears to be a hardware failure in the pen, not an issue with your Surface or Windows.

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I have tried all of the methods above to make this and work usefully again, but have found that nothing will fix the problem of writing being recorded even when the pen is lifted 2 to 4mm from the screen. Unfortunately this removes almost completely the utility of the pen, and 100% of the pens utility to actually write words on the page that will be legible afterwards. It would be very helpful if I had someone who knew the system call me or if there was a way that I could call them, but hours of working on this using the existing online help has not done it to anyone's satisfaction. Therefore my only recommendation is that people not buy this machine because it will after a period stop working with no possible remedy and no effective Technical Support. The option of resetting the machine is not a good option because it will also require about half a day's worth of reinstalling all the software and there does not seem to be any guarantee that the resetting of the machine will actually do any good.

The behavior described indicates an inking/touch detection problem on the Surface display side rather than a pen battery or nib issue.

Try the following steps in order:

1. Restart the Surface

• Restarting can restore the connection between the device and the pen.
• Select Start > Power > Restart.

2. Test the pen in multiple apps

• Try in OneNote, Sticky Notes, and Paint.
  • If the issue happens in all of them, the problem is with the pen or device (continue below).

3. Check compatibility and basic health

• Confirm the Surface model supports pen input using Surface Pen compatibility and features (from the referenced article).
• Open the Surface app (if installed) and under Help & support, check for and install all updates.

4. Manually reinstall touch/inking drivers Surface inking relies on the touchscreen stack. If the touchscreen firmware/driver is damaged or missing, it can mis-detect pen proximity.

• Download and install the latest drivers and firmware package for the exact Surface model and Windows version. See Manually update Surface drivers and firmware from the article.
• Ensure drivers like Surface Touch firmware and HID-Compliant Touchscreen are present after installation.

5. Reset the Surface (last software step) If the problem persists after driver reinstall:

• Follow Restore or reset Surface for Windows and perform a reset as described in Reset your Surface.
• After reset and setup, test the pen again before installing additional apps.

6. Replace the pen if hardware-faulty If, after driver reinstall and a full reset, the pen still inks when held several millimeters above the screen, the pen hardware is likely faulty.

• Use Microsoft account | Select device for service to request a replacement pen, choosing Accessory and the appropriate pen issue type.
• If out of warranty, consider purchasing a new Surface Pen or Surface Slim Pen from Microsoft Store or other retailers.

If the Surface itself shows other abnormal touch behavior (e.g., ghost touches without the pen), the device may need service instead of or in addition to pen replacement.

References:

• Steps to try if your Surface Pen won't ink or write
• Troubleshoot your Surface Pen