If your Surface Pro is running slowly, freezing, lagging, or the touchscreen is delayed, follow the steps below in order.
Most performance and touchscreen issues can be corrected without replacing the Surface Pro.
🔄 STEP 1 — Restart the Surface Pro
Start with a normal restart.
- Tap the Windows Start button.
- Select Power.
- Select Restart.
- Allow the Surface Pro to completely restart.
- Test the touchscreen again.
⚠️ Do not simply turn the screen off and back on. Select Restart so Windows completely reloads.
⚡ STEP 2 — Perform a Full Power Restart
If the Surface Pro is frozen or extremely slow:
- Press and hold the Power button.
- Continue holding it for approximately 20 seconds.
- Release the button once the Surface restarts and the Windows logo appears.
- Allow Windows to completely load.
- Test the Surface again.
Microsoft recommends a forced restart when a Surface repeatedly freezes or stops responding.
🔌 STEP 3 — Test the Surface Without the Photobooth Accessories
Sometimes another USB device, hub, camera, or power accessory can affect the Surface.
Turn the photobooth off and temporarily disconnect the following from the Surface Pro:
- 🔌 USB hub
- 📷 Camera
- 🖨️ Printer connection
- 🌐 Ethernet adapter
- 💡 Any other USB accessories
Leave only the Surface Pro charger connected.
Turn the Surface back on and test the touchscreen.
✅ If the Surface works normally
Reconnect the accessories one at a time.
Test the Surface after connecting each device.
If the lag starts immediately after reconnecting a particular device, stop and contact ATA Technical Support and let us know which device caused the issue.
🧠 STEP 4 — Check Memory Usage
Too many programs running at the same time can cause touchscreen delay, freezing, or general lag.
- Press:
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
- This will open Task Manager.
- Select Processes.
- Look at the Memory percentage near the top.
🟢 Normal
Memory usage below approximately 70–80% while the booth is idle is generally preferred.
🟡 High Memory Usage
If memory is consistently around 80–90% or higher, close programs that are not needed for your event.
Common programs that may be left running include:
- 🌐 Chrome or other browsers
- 📧 Email applications
- ☁️ Cloud storage programs
- 🎵 Music applications
- 🖼️ Editing software
- 📷 Additional photo booth programs
⚠️ Do not end Windows or Microsoft system processes unless instructed by ATA Technical Support.
🚀 STEP 5 — Close Unnecessary Programs
For normal photo booth operation, keep only the programs you actually need open.
Before your event:
- Close extra browser windows.
- Close unused photo or video editing software.
- Close any unused photo booth applications.
- Restart your photo booth software.
- Test the booth again.
Having several programs running simultaneously can consume memory and processor resources and make an otherwise functional Surface feel slow.
🔋 STEP 6 — Check the Windows Performance Setting
Windows may reduce performance to conserve battery.
- Select Start.
- Open Settings.
- Select System.
- Select Power & battery.
- Find Power mode.
- Select:
Best Performance
or the highest performance option available.
For photo booth operation, we recommend keeping the Surface Pro connected to power whenever possible.
Microsoft also recommends checking the Surface power mode when troubleshooting slow performance.
🌡️ STEP 7 — Check Whether the Surface Is Too Hot
Surface Pros may temporarily reduce performance if they become excessively warm.
Check the back of the Surface.
If it feels unusually hot:
- Close unnecessary applications.
- Make sure the Surface ventilation areas are not blocked.
- Turn off the booth temporarily.
- Allow the Surface to cool.
- Restart it and test again.
Avoid covering the back of the Surface with fabric, paper, foam, or other materials that may trap heat.
Microsoft notes that excessive heat can reduce Surface performance.
👆 TOUCHSCREEN TROUBLESHOOTING
If Windows itself seems to run normally but the touchscreen is slow, delayed, inaccurate, or occasionally stops responding, continue below.
🧼 STEP 8 — Clean and Test the Screen
Make sure the screen is:
- Clean
- Dry
- Free from grease
- Free from moisture
- Not being pressed against the photobooth faceplate
Use a clean microfiber cloth.
Also check that the Surface is sitting properly inside the photobooth and that nothing is applying pressure to the edges of the screen.
Test the touchscreen again.
🖱️ STEP 9 — Reset the Touchscreen Driver
This is one of the most useful steps when the touchscreen is delayed or temporarily stops responding.
You may want to connect a USB mouse before performing this step.
Open Device Manager
- Right-click the Windows Start button.
- Select Device Manager.
- Find: Human Interface Devices
- Tap the arrow to expand it.
- Find: HID-compliant touch screen
Disable the touchscreen
- Right-click HID-compliant touch screen.
- Select Disable device.
- Confirm if Windows asks.
⚠️ The touchscreen will temporarily stop working. This is normal.
Re-enable the touchscreen
- Using your mouse, right-click HID-compliant touch screen again.
- Select Enable device.
- Wait several seconds.
- Test the touchscreen.
If more than one HID-compliant touch screen entry appears, Microsoft recommends repeating the disable/enable process for each applicable touchscreen device.
🔄 STEP 10 — Restart After Resetting the Touch Driver
After disabling and re-enabling the touchscreen:
- Select Start.
- Select Power.
- Select Restart.
- Allow Windows to completely reload.
- Test the touchscreen again.
🪟 STEP 11 — Check Windows & Surface Updates
Touchscreen problems can sometimes be related to drivers or Surface firmware.
- Connect the Surface to the internet.
- Open Settings.
- Select Windows Update.
- Select:
Check for updates
- Install available updates.
- Restart the Surface if requested.
Repeat Check for updates after restarting until Windows shows that the device is up to date.
You can also open the Microsoft Surface app → Help & support to check the Surface driver and firmware update status. Microsoft recommends Surface and Windows updates when troubleshooting both performance and touchscreen problems.
⚠️ Do not begin a major Windows update immediately before an event.
📦 STEP 12 — Check Available Storage
A Surface with very little available storage may become slower.
- Open Settings.
- Select System.
- Select Storage.
If the drive is almost completely full, remove unnecessary:
- Downloads
- Videos
- Old event files
- Temporary files
- Unneeded applications
Do not delete customer event files until they have been properly backed up.
Microsoft identifies limited storage and excessive background applications as common causes of slower Windows performance.
🧪 TEST THE PHOTO BOOTH AGAIN
After completing the troubleshooting:
- 🔄 Restart the Surface.
- 📷 Open your photo booth software.
- 👆 Test the touchscreen.
- 📸 Run several test sessions.
- 🖨️ Test printing if applicable.
- ⏱️ Allow the system to run for several minutes and confirm that the lag does not return.
🚨 CONTACT ATA TECHNICAL SUPPORT IF:
Please stop troubleshooting and contact us if:
- ❌ The touchscreen still freezes.
- ❌ Touch remains delayed after restarting the driver.
- ❌ The Surface freezes even with all accessories disconnected.
- ❌ Memory usage stays extremely high with no programs open.
- ❌ The Surface becomes excessively hot.
- ❌ Only certain areas of the touchscreen respond.
- ❌ The touchscreen produces random or “ghost” touches.
- ❌ Windows repeatedly crashes or restarts.
- ❌ The Surface cannot complete Windows updates.
- ❌ The issue continues after all steps above.
Please provide ATA Technical Support with:
- 📹 A short video showing the problem.
- 🖥️ Your Surface Pro model if known.
- 📸 A photo of Task Manager showing CPU and Memory usage.
- 🔌 A list of what is connected to the Surface.
- 📷 The photo booth software you are using.
- 📝 Which troubleshooting steps you already completed.
This information helps us determine whether the problem is related to Windows, software, drivers, accessories, the touchscreen, or the Surface Pro itself.
⚠️ IMPORTANT
Please do not factory-reset Windows, uninstall system drivers, open the Surface Pro, or make hardware modifications unless instructed by ATA Technical Support.
A Windows reset is considered a later-stage troubleshooting option because it may remove applications and settings. Microsoft similarly places Surface reset/recovery after standard troubleshooting steps.
💙 ATA PHOTOBOOTHS TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If the issue continues after completing this guide, please contact ATA Photobooths Technical Support.
Let us know what you have already tried so our team can continue troubleshooting from there instead of having you repeat the same steps.
Our goal is to get your booth running smoothly and ready for your next event. 📸
