Surface pro 9 not charging unless power lead and usb is connected

Hello Greg

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A.

If the flash you mentioned here does not refer to the LED light on the Surface Connect, but the screen of the Surface Pro 9. Then I think you still need to check the status of the LED light on the Surface Connect first:

What to do if your Surface power supply or charger doesn’t work - Microsoft Support

Different states indicate whether the power adapter can work properly.

However, there is one point that I am very concerned about. When you use the Surface Connect to charge your Surface, is there another PD charger connected to your USB-C port? Because the Surface Pro 9 supports charging via USB-C:

USB-C and Fast Charging for Surface - Microsoft Support

However, I need to clearly inform you that it is not possible to charge the Surface using both the Surface Connect charger and the USB-C charger simultaneously. If both are connected, the Surface will only charge using the Surface Connect charger. However, if your Surface Connect charger has poor contact issues, your Surface will repeatedly switch between the two charging methods.

Therefore, my top priority suggestion is to unplug the power adapter and try charging your Surface Pro 9 separately via the USB-C port. A PD charger requires a power of no less than 60W and a voltage of 15V. If the power is insufficient or the voltage is too low, it may result in slow charging or no charging at all.

If you notice that the Surface Pro 9 can charge normally, then the problem stems from the Surface Connect charger. You may need to purchase a new power adapter or send it to the Surface technical support team to see if a new one can be replaced. You can complete the creation of a service order by referring to the content in the following support links:

Check your Microsoft warranty and create service orders - Microsoft Support

However, if you notice that your Surface Pro 9 still cannot be charged normally even when the PD charger meets the conditions, please try manually downloading and installing the driver and firmware package compatible with Surface Pro 9:

Download drivers and firmware for Surface - Microsoft Support

Be sure to distinguish clearly the CPU model used by your Surface Pro 9.

Best Regards,

Kai Ho | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist 

Hi the USB does not work if only used, and the connect charger only works if both USB and connect charger are connected together. The Light is on the connect charger.

I have already updated the drivers and software that you suggested and it had no effect.