July 26th is a date that some Surface Pro 4 owners will never forget. For on that date, a firmware update disseminated by Microsoft froze the touchscreen on a number of Surface Pro 4 tablets. The initial complaint, lodged on a Microsoft community web page, complains that while functions related to the keyboard and pad do work, allowing the user to scroll and zoom, there is no reaction on the screen to a touch.

Other problems mentioned in the post include the inability to turn on the device except with a very long press on the power button, restarts that take much longer than they used to, expanding use of the tablet's fan, and more. Microsoft said back in August, and reiterated in September, that it was actively investigating the situation. There were over 600 responses to the initial complaint.

But now it appears that some Surface Pro 4 users have been able to get replacements for their tablets, even if the warranty has expired. It is suggested that if you need to speak to Microsoft about this issue, ask for a manager on the first call and once you are connected with one, mention the Microsoft community web page that we previously alluded to. In addition, it will probably help if you tell the manager about the posts from other Surface Pro 4 owners who received a replacement unit from the company. Two of these can be found here and here.

Remember that this issue with the Surface Pro 4's touchscreen is related to an update that Microsoft sent. Even if you gave up and spent out of a pocket for a new tablet, it might be worth the time to give the company a call.