Office Settings & Configuration

Fix Surface Slim Pen 2 Tactile Feedback Not Working in OneNote

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to restore tactile feedback for the Surface Slim Pen 2 in the current Microsoft OneNote application after a recent update caused the feature to fail.

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Using the Surface Slim Pen 2 for note-taking or drawing within the updated Microsoft OneNote desktop application.
Observed behavior: Tactile feedback works normally in other applications and in the legacy OneNote app, but fails entirely in the current OneNote version. Rolling back Microsoft 365 Apps to version 2409 did not resolve the issue.

Before you start

Ensure your Surface Slim Pen 2 is properly paired via Bluetooth and that tactile signals are enabled in your Windows Pen & Windows Ink settings before modifying your Office installation.

Solution 1Recommended

Roll Back to an Earlier Supported Version of Microsoft 365

Since the issue was introduced by a recent update and version 2409 fails to fix it, reverting to an even earlier build of Microsoft 365 can restore stylus tactile feedback.

Recent Microsoft 365 updates have inadvertently disabled the tactile feedback functionality for Surface pens within the OneNote app. Downgrading via the Click-to-Run tool allows you to bypass the buggy version until Microsoft releases an official patch.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Click the Windows Start menu, type 'cmd', right-click on Command Prompt, and select 'Run as administrator'.

Navigate to the ClickToRun Directory

Type the command 'cd %programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun' and press Enter.

Execute the Rollback Command

Type 'officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.xxxxx.xxxxx' (replace the x's with a build number older than 2409) and press Enter to start the downgrade process.

Disable Automatic Updates

Open OneNote, navigate to File > Account > Update Options, and click 'Disable Updates' to prevent the software from automatically installing the buggy version again.

Submit Feedback to Microsoft: After rolling back, use OneNote's Help > Feedback feature to report this version-specific tactile feedback bug so the development team can investigate and fix it.

Solution 2

Switch to the Legacy OneNote App Temporarily

If you cannot downgrade your Microsoft 365 installation, use the legacy OneNote application where the stylus feedback remains fully functional.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Surface Slim Pen 2 vibrate in other apps but not OneNote?

This happens when a specific software update introduces a bug in the OneNote application. Since tactile feedback works in other apps, your pen's hardware is functioning perfectly, but the current OneNote version fails to trigger the haptic response.

How do I turn on tactile signals in Windows 11?

Navigate to Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Pen & Windows Ink. From there, toggle on 'Tactile signals'. You can also adjust the intensity of the feedback directly from this menu.

Will Microsoft fix the OneNote tactile feedback bug?

Microsoft typically relies on user bug reports to identify and patch version-specific issues. It is highly recommended to use the 'Feedback' button within the OneNote app to alert the developers directly.

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