I'm having a tough time with a pair of Surface Pro 6 tablets that a client gave me to reimage. Both tablets refuse to boot into Windows, and I've faced quite a challenge trying to boot from USB as well. For some reason, holding down the volume and power buttons isn't working, but I managed to change the boot order in UEFI without any issues. The problem is compounded by the fact that these tablets only have one USB port, so I have to connect the USB installer through a hub while also using a tied USB mouse and keyboard, making my workspace a bit chaotic!
When I reach the Windows 11 installer, it doesn't recognize the internal drive. Normally, when this happens on Dell or HP devices, I suspect it's due to RAID settings, but it turns out, Surface Pros have a unique UEFI that doesn't allow me to switch to AHCI. Ultimately, I need to find a way to get this crappy setup to recognize the internal drive so I can install Windows 11 on it. I'm pretty proud of making it this far, given I'm still new to this tech field. I'd appreciate any advice before I dive back in tomorrow. Thanks!
7 Answers
Modern systems are designed for installation from an OS already on the device, not from external media. If you're going the USB route, you're definitely going to need those drivers loaded onto the USB.
Have you considered using the dedicated Surface recovery image? It has worked well for me in the past. Here's a link that might help: [Creating a USB Recovery Drive](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/creating-and-using-a-usb-recovery-drive-for-surface-677852e2-ed34-45cb-40ef-398fc7d62c07).
One thing to try is to make sure you have the Surface drivers on the USB stick too. During the installation process, there should be an option to 'load custom storage drivers' when you select a drive. Here’s a link to the necessary drivers: [Microsoft Drivers Download](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=57514). You may have to unpack the MSI bundle to find the .INF files you need.
What an absolute legend! I'm trying this first thing tomorrow - didn't even think about Surface-specific drivers.
Is there any chance the drive is encrypted? That could prevent detection during install.
This might sound silly, but if neither tablet boots into Windows, are you sure the internal drives are still intact? Sometimes hardware issues are overlooked.
I haven't opened them up to check yet, but there’s no drive icon in UEFI, which makes me wonder if they’re broken. Would Windows even try automatic repair if it can’t find the OS?
Also, just to confirm, are you trying to install the ARM version of Windows?
Surfaces generally don't require additional drivers for the disk to be recognized unless you're trying to install a very old version of Windows. A Windows 11 install media should detect the Surface drives without problems. It sounds like you might be dealing with a hardware issue.
Exactly! I've never had a standard install work on a Surface. Definitely try the dedicated Surface recovery method.