Featured
Featured Guide
Difficulty
Easy
Steps
7
Time Required
5 - 15 minutes
Sections
1
- How to Detach the Keyboard on a Surface Book
- 7 steps
Flags
Featured Guide
This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.
BackMicrosoft Surface Book
Full Screen
Options
History
Save to Favorites
Download PDF
Edit
Translate
Get Shareable Link
Embed This Guide
Notify Me of Changes
Stop Notifications
Introduction
The Surface Book’s keyboard base is magnetically attached to the screen and needs to be manually detached if the device can’t power on. Detaching the display from the keyboard base is a helpful prerequisite, making repairs significantly easier.
What you need
Step 1
Remove the display with the Detach button
- In order for the keyboard to be detached with the Detach buttons, both batteries must be charged above 10 percent. If your device doesn’t power on and you can’t use the Detach buttons, skip to the next step.
- Press and hold the Detach button on the keyboard.
- Once pressed, the Detach button it will light up red. After a second, it’ll turn green and you’ll hear an audible clicking sound.
- Alternatively, click the Detach icon on the right-hand side of the Windows 10 taskbar.
- Remove the display.
In order for the keyboard to be detached with the Detach buttons, both batteries must be charged above 10 percent. If your device doesn’t power on and you can’t use the Detach buttons, skip to the next step.
Press and hold the Detach button on the keyboard.
Once pressed, the Detach button it will light up red. After a second, it’ll turn green and you’ll hear an audible clicking sound.
Alternatively, click the Detach icon on the right-hand side of the Windows 10 taskbar.
Remove the display.
1024
Step 2
Manually detach the display
- The next six steps show how to detach the display manually if you’re unable to power on the Surface Book.
- Flip open the display as far as it will go.
- Lift the device up and place it on its side, with the display facing away from you and the SurfaceConnect port facing up.
The next six steps show how to detach the display manually if you’re unable to power on the Surface Book.
Flip open the display as far as it will go.
Lift the device up and place it on its side, with the display facing away from you and the SurfaceConnect port facing up.
Step 3
Bend a paper clip
- Straighten out one section of a paper clip.
Straighten out one section of a paper clip.
Step 4
Push the paper clip into the hole
- The Surface Book has an internal lever arm mechanism that can be manually actuated through an access hole in the vents on side of the display.
- Insert the straight end of the paper clip at a 45 degree angle into the sixth hole from the left.
The Surface Book has an internal lever arm mechanism that can be manually actuated through an access hole in the vents on side of the display.
Insert the straight end of the paper clip at a 45 degree angle into the sixth hole from the left.
Step 5
Release the mechanism
- Firmly push the paper clip into the hole.
- This may take a considerable amount of force.
- Once the internal lever arm is fully depressed, you can disconnect the display.
- Pull the base away from the display to detach it.
- If you are unable to detach the display from the base on this side, release pressure on the paper clip and try again.
Firmly push the paper clip into the hole.
This may take a considerable amount of force.
Once the internal lever arm is fully depressed, you can disconnect the display.
Pull the base away from the display to detach it.
If you are unable to detach the display from the base on this side, release pressure on the paper clip and try again.
Step 6
Detach the second side
- The magnetic connections are prone to snap back into place, so hold the two halves apart.
- With one side detached, pull firmly to pivot the display out to disconnect the second side.
- If the magnetic connection feels extra strong and the display won’t detach on the second side, keep the detached side separated with a spudger, pen, or pencil, and repeat the paper clip process on the other side of the display.
The magnetic connections are prone to snap back into place, so hold the two halves apart.
With one side detached, pull firmly to pivot the display out to disconnect the second side.
If the magnetic connection feels extra strong and the display won’t detach on the second side, keep the detached side separated with a spudger, pen, or pencil, and repeat the paper clip process on the other side of the display.
Step 7
Remove the display
- Remove the display.
- Completely power down your Surface Book before opening it up for any repairs.
Completely power down your Surface Book before opening it up for any repairs.
To reattach the display, align the magnetic connectors and allow it to snap into place.
Procedure didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community for troubleshooting help.
Cancel: I did not complete this guide.
3 other people completed this guide.
Author
with 1 other contributor
Carsten Frauenheim
Member since: 03/10/2020
81,713 Reputation
330 Guides authored
Badges:
38
+35 more badges
Team
iFixit
Member of iFixit
Community
141 Members
15,772 Guides authored
Laurent Savarin - Nov 19, 2021
Reply
Yesss !
Respect !
Philippe - Mar 14, 2022
Reply
Hello,
Thank you for this tutorial.
Do you know if it works also for the latest Surface Book 3 in 15 inches size?
Frank Pharose - Sep 28, 2022
Reply
merci beaucoup ce tutoriel m’a été très utile
bemba98 - Oct 24, 2022
Reply
Merci beaucoup pour ce partage, très utile!
Excellent travail!
Caren Galloway - Dec 22, 2022
Reply
These instructions are clear and concise - Worked perfectly! 5 stars out of 5! Thanks!
