Storage Surface Laptop 3 is not customer replaceable according to Microsoft Microsoft

Although Microsoft emphasized the ability to open the Surface Laptop 3 to make upgrades and replacements, the laptop’s storage is not user-replaceable, according to the company.

The product page for the Surface Laptop 3 states that the laptop includes a replaceable SSD, but Microsoft clarifies in the fine print that the storage is not user-replaceable. “The hard drive can only be removed by trained technicians who follow Microsoft’s instructions,” the page reads. Microsoft reports to Gizmodo that users are not provided with the tools and instructions to remove the storage; only authorized technicians get those tools.

During the presentation of the Surface Laptop 3, product chief Panos Panay removed the keyboard cover from the housing to demonstrate how easy it is to manage the laptop’s hardware. By the way, he did not directly target consumers; the Surface line is mainly aimed at the business and educational market. He also emphasized that users should not try this themselves, although some hoped that it would also become easier for average users to access the hardware.

In any case, iFixit shows positively that Microsoft makes it possible to open the laptop without glue or connected cables getting in the way. The site points out that the original Surface Laptop had the dubious honor of scoring a 0 on a scale to 10 for repairability. According to iFixit, the Right to Repair movement is gaining popularity.

The Surface Pro also traditionally scores poorly on repairability. The Surface Pro X, also announced on Wednesday, seems to be doing slightly better. At the back, a narrow plate can be removed after unscrewing, after which the m2-ssd can be accessed. According to Microsoft, this should also be done by a technician, but according to iFixit it seems that consumers can also do this.

Removable SSD of the Surface Pro X