Fix: Surface Pro 3 Cursor Disappears
All things considered, the Surface Pro 3 was a pretty decent success. However, unfortunately, many Surface Pro 3 users have been complaining and continue to complain about an issue where the tablet’s cursor (mouse pointer) occasionally disappears. Some affected users believe this to be a software-related issue, while others believe it to be a hardware-related issue. However, in truth, it is neither – in actuality, this problem is caused by the fact that the Surface Pro 3 doubles as a digitizing tablet and works with a wireless pen.
The Surface Pro 3 is capable of detecting the presence of its pen without their being any physical contact between the two objects whatsoever, meaning that the Surface Pro 3 and its pen communicate with each other wirelessly using a force that isn’t visible to the naked eye – a force that is believed to be an electromagnetic field in popular opinion. When a Surface Pro 3 detects the electromagnetic field projected by its pen, it goes into digitizing tablet mode and its cursor turns into a little dot. This is the phenomenon experienced by users affected by this problem who see their Surface Pro 3’s cursor disappear before their very eyes.
However, in the case of almost all affected users, the cursor disappears when their Surface Pro 3’s pen is nowhere near the tablet itself. So what actually causes this problem? Well, the prevailing theory is that a Surface Pro 3’s cursor can also be turned into a little dot by electromagnetic fields projected by objects other than a Surface Pro 3’s pen that are similar to the one projected by the actual pen itself. For example, if you use your Surface Pro 3 near a source of fluorescent light that emits an electromagnetic field, the tablet may mistake the field for the one projected by its pen and turn its cursor into a little dot.
In addition, if the “dubious” electromagnetic field is strong enough, the object or appliance projecting it could be a good few feet away from the Surface Pro 3 and still cause the problem. If your Surface Pro 3’s cursor occasionally disappears without warning while you are using it in one specific spot, simply move the tablet away from that spot and use it or unplug/remove any objects or appliances in the vicinity of that spot which are capable of projecting electromagnetic fields.
