{"id":207,"date":"2015-05-28T18:56:42","date_gmt":"2015-05-29T01:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/?p=207"},"modified":"2016-05-08T19:53:41","modified_gmt":"2016-05-09T02:53:41","slug":"surface-restore-refresh-reset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/surface-restore-refresh-reset\/","title":{"rendered":"Surface: Restore, Refresh, Reset"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"page\" class=\"hfeed site\">\n<div id=\"main\" class=\"site-main\">\n<div id=\"main-content\" class=\"main-content\">\n<div id=\"primary\" class=\"content-area\">\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"site-content\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div id=\"2e57f897-c284-4bf6-adb2-7a6d3488ceab\" class=\"postBody\" style=\"margin: 4px 0px 0px; border-width: 0px; padding: 0px;\" contenteditable=\"true\">\n<p>Every now and then I come across an article and I just know that I\u2019ll need it someday. Here is one of those. Quoting verbatim from the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#before\" target=\"_blank\">Microsoft Support site<\/a><\/p>\n<h4>If you&#8217;re having a problem with your Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, Surface Pro 3, or Surface 3, you may be able to restore, refresh, or reset it and solve the problem.<\/h4>\n<hr \/>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#before\">Before you begin<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#restore\">Solution 1: Restore your Surface to an earlier point in time<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#refresh\">Solution 2: Refresh your Surface <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#reset\">Solution 3: Reset your Surface <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a name=\"before\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h5>Before you begin<\/h5>\n<p>To perform a restore, refresh, or reset, you\u2019ll need to check a few things first.<\/p>\n<h6>Is your Surface touchscreen working?<\/h6>\n<p>If you&#8217;re having problems with your Surface touchscreen, connect a keyboard, such as a Surface Cover or USB keyboard, before trying these solutions.<\/p>\n<h6>Is Windows loading?<\/h6>\n<p>If you\u2019re having trouble getting Windows to start on your Surface, you may not be able to perform the steps to restore, refresh, or reset. See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/surface-wont-turn-on\">Surface won\u2019t turn on, Windows won\u2019t start, or the battery won\u2019t charge<\/a> for help with Windows startup issues first.<\/p>\n<h6>Did you update Surface Pro to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8?<\/h6>\n<p>If your Surface Pro came with Windows 8 installed and you updated to Windows 8.1, you\u2019ll need to reinstall the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/install-update-activate\/updating-to-windows-8-1\">update to Windows 8.1 <\/a>after a reset or refresh.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"restore\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h5>Solution 1: Restore your Surface to an earlier point in time<\/h5>\n<p>If you think an app or driver that you recently installed caused problems with your Surface Pro or Surface 3, you can restore it back to an earlier point in time, called a restore point. Restoring Surface doesn\u2019t change your personal files, but it might remove recently installed apps and drivers.<\/p>\n<p>Important<\/p>\n<p>Make sure you have access to product keys and installation files for all desktop apps (for example, Microsoft Office) that may have been installed after the point in time you\u2019re restoring to.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1:<\/strong><br \/>\nSwipe in from the right edge of the screen, and tap <b>Search<\/b>.<br \/>\n(If you&#8217;re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and click <b>Search<\/b>.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn the search box, enter <b>control panel<\/b>, and in the search results, tap or click <b>Control Panel<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3:<\/strong><br \/>\nEnter <strong>Recovery<\/strong> in the Control Panel search box, and tap or click <strong>Recovery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <b>Open System Restore<\/b>, and follow the instructions.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"refresh\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h5>Solution 2: Refresh your Surface<\/h5>\n<p>Refreshing Surface Pro or Surface 3 reinstalls Windows and keeps your personal files, settings, apps that came installed on your Surface and those that you\u2019ve installed from the Windows Store.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll need to reinstall desktop apps from the websites or from the discs that you used to install those apps. Before you refresh Surface, make sure you have access to product keys and installation files for desktop apps that you want to reinstall (for example, Microsoft Office).<\/p>\n<p>Note<\/p>\n<p>If you updated Surface Pro from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, a refresh reinstalls Windows 8 (not Windows 8.1) and you\u2019ll need to re-install the latest updates. For more info, see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/performance-and-maintenance\/install-software-updates-for-surface\">Install Surface and Windows updates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h6>To refresh Surface<\/h6>\n<p>There are two ways to refresh your Surface:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Refresh from within Windows: If Windows loads and you can sign in, you can perform the refresh from within Windows.<\/li>\n<li>Refresh from USB recovery media: If Windows fails to start and you have USB recovery media available, you can perform the refresh by using your USB.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Refresh from within Windows<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1:<\/strong><br \/>\nSwipe in from the right edge of the screen, and tap <b>Settings<\/b>.<br \/>\n(If you&#8217;re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and click <b>Settings<\/b>.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <strong>Change PC settings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <strong>Update and recovery<\/strong>, and tap or click <strong>Recovery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong><br \/>\nUnder <strong>Refresh your PC without affecting your files<\/strong>, tap or click <strong>Get started<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <b>Next<\/b>, ensure that your Surface is plugged in, and tap or click <b>Refresh<\/b>.<br \/>\nSurface restarts and the Surface logo displays while the refresh process completes (this can take several minutes).<\/p>\n<p><b>Refresh from USB recovery media<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Note<\/p>\n<p>To learn how to create a USB recovery drive, see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/storage-files-and-folders\/create-a-recovery-drive\">Create a USB recovery drive<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/downloadablerecoveryimage\">Download a recovery image for your Surface<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Refresh your Surface from a USB recovery drive by following these steps:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1:<\/strong><br \/>\nMake sure Surface is shut down and plugged in.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2:<\/strong><br \/>\nInsert the USB recovery drive into the USB port on Surface.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3:<\/strong><br \/>\nPress and hold the volume-down button while you press and release the power button.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen the Surface logo appears, release the volume-down button.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen prompted, select the language and keyboard layout you want.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 6:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <b>Troubleshoot<\/b>, tap or click <b>Refresh your PC<\/b>, and then tap or click the target operating system you wish to refresh.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 7:<\/strong><br \/>\nOn the <b>Refresh your PC<\/b> screen, tap or click <b>Next<\/b>, and tap or click <b>Refresh<\/b>.<br \/>\nSurface restarts and the Surface logo displays while the refresh process completes (this can take several minutes).<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"reset\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h5>Solution 3: Reset your Surface<\/h5>\n<p>Warning<\/p>\n<p>A reset returns Surface to its factory settings:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A reset reinstalls Windows and apps that came installed on your Surface.<\/li>\n<li>All of your personal files will be deleted and your settings will be reset. All apps that you installed will be removed. For info on backing up your files, see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/music-photos-and-video\/back-up-photos-documents-and-more\">Back up photos, documents, and more<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>After a reset, you&#8217;ll be able to set up Surface as if it were brand new.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Make sure that you have access to the product keys and installation files for any desktop apps (for example, Microsoft Office) that you plan to reinstall after the reset. This includes desktop apps you installed from websites, discs, or USB drives.<\/p>\n<p>Tip<\/p>\n<p>Make a list of the desktop apps you plan to reinstall and gather the above information beforehand. This way, you\u2019ll be sure to have everything you need to get Surface set up and desktop apps reinstalled when you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n<p>Note<\/p>\n<p>If you updated Surface Pro from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, a reset reinstalls Windows 8 (not Windows 8.1) on your Surface Pro. You can <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/install-update-activate\/updating-to-windows-8-1\">update to Windows 8.1<\/a> again after a reset.<\/p>\n<h6>To reset Surface<\/h6>\n<p>There are three ways to reset Surface Pro or Surface 3.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#win\">Reset from within Windows:<\/a> If Windows loads and you can sign in, you can perform the reset from within Windows.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#sign\">Reset from the Windows sign-in screen:<\/a> If Windows sign-in fails, you can perform the reset from the Windows sign-in screen.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#usb\">Reset from USB recovery media:<\/a> If Windows fails to start, you can perform the reset by using USB recovery media, if available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Important<\/p>\n<p>If you see the message, \u201c<b>Insert media: Some files are missing. Your Windows installation or recovery media will provide these files<\/b>,\u201d you need to download a recovery image and reset from a USB recovery drive. For more info, see <b>Reset from USB recovery media<\/b> below.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"win\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Reset from within Windows<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1:<\/strong><br \/>\nSwipe in from the right edge of the screen, and tap <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<br \/>\n(If you&#8217;re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and click <strong>Settings<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <strong>Change PC settings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <strong>Update and recovery<\/strong>, and tap or click <strong>Recovery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong><br \/>\nUnder <b>Remove everything and reinstall Windows<\/b>, tap or click <strong>Get started<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <b>Next<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 6:<\/strong><br \/>\nChoose either <b>Just remove my files<\/b> or <b>Fully clean the drive<\/b>.<br \/>\nThe option to clean the drive is more secure, but takes much longer. For example, if you are recycling your Surface, you should choose to clean the drive. If you are keeping your Surface, you just need to remove your files.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 7:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <b>Reset<\/b>.<br \/>\nSurface restarts and the Surface logo displays while the reset process completes (this can take several minutes).<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"sign\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Reset from the Windows sign-in screen<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Notes<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you\u2019ve lost your password, you may not have to reset your Surface. See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/Surface\/support\/security-sign-in-and-accounts\/forgot-my-surface-password\">I forgot my password<\/a> before<br \/>\nperforming these reset steps.<\/li>\n<li>If you don&#8217;t have a keyboard connected to your Surface Pro or Surface 3, you&#8217;ll need to use the on-screen keyboard to do these reset steps. From the Windows sign-in screen, tap or click the <strong>Ease of access<\/strong> icon <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/compass.surface.com\/assets\/2c\/dd\/2cdd7f1e-e8d7-4cb3-be6c-9feb5bbe224e.png?n=ease-of-access-icon.png\" alt=\"Ease of access icon\" \/> in the lower-left corner of the screen, and then tap or click <strong>On-Screen Keyboard<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Step 1:<\/strong><br \/>\nFrom the Windows sign-in screen, tap or click Power <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/compass.surface.com\/assets\/04\/43\/04437af1-56d1-4898-a09c-e35e81fd417b.png?n=power-icon.png\" alt=\"Power icon\" \/> in the lower right corner of the sign-in screen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2:<\/strong><br \/>\nPress and hold the Shift key.<br \/>\n(If you&#8217;re using the on-screen keyboard, tap or click the Shift key.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhile the Shift key is still pressed, tap or click <strong>Restart<\/strong>.<br \/>\nIf you get the prompt Restart anyway, tap or click <strong>Restart anyway<\/strong>.<br \/>\nAfter Surface restarts, the <strong>Choose an option<\/strong> screen will appear.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <strong>Troubleshoot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <strong>Reset your PC<\/strong>.<br \/>\nSurface restarts and the Surface logo displays while Windows prepares to reset your Surface.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 6:<\/strong><br \/>\nOn the Reset your PC screen, tap or click <b>Next<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 7:<\/strong><br \/>\nChoose either <b>Just remove my files<\/b> or <b>Fully clean the drive<\/b>. The option to clean the drive is more secure, but takes much longer. For example, if you are recycling your Surface, you should choose to clean the drive. If you are keeping your Surface, you just need to remove your files.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 8:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <b>Reset<\/b>.<br \/>\nSurface restarts and the Surface logo displays while the reset process completes (this can take several minutes).<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"usb\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Reset from USB recovery media<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Note<\/p>\n<p>To learn how to create a USB recovery drive, see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/Surface\/support\/storage-files-and-folders\/create-a-recovery-drive\">Create a USB recovery drive<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/downloadablerecoveryimage\">Download a recovery image for your Surface<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Reset your Surface from the USB recovery drive by following these steps:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1:<\/strong><br \/>\nMake sure that Surface is shut down and plugged in.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2:<\/strong><br \/>\nInsert the USB recovery drive into the USB port on Surface.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3:<\/strong><br \/>\nPress and hold the volume-down button while you press and release the power button on your Surface.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen the Surface logo appears, release the volume-down button.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen prompted, select the language and keyboard layout you want.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 6:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <b>Troubleshoot<\/b>, and tap or click <b>Reset your PC<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 7:<\/strong><br \/>\nIf prompted for a recovery key, tap or click <b>Skip this drive<\/b> at the bottom of the screen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 8:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click the target operating system you wish to reset. This refers to the current operating system installed on Surface.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 9:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <b>Yes, repartition the drives<\/b>, and on the next page, tap or click <b>Next<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 10:<\/strong><br \/>\nChoose either <b>Just remove my files<\/b> or <b>Fully clean the drive<\/b>. The option to clean the drive is more secure, but takes much longer. For example, if you are recycling your Surface, you should choose to clean the drive. If you are keeping your Surface, you just need to remove your files.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 11:<\/strong><br \/>\nTap or click <b>Reset<\/b>.<br \/>\nSurface will restart and the Surface logo displays while the reset process completes (this can take several minutes).<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"after-reset\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h5>After the reset<\/h5>\n<p>Here\u2019s what to do after you\u2019ve reset your Surface:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Complete the Surface setup steps, including selecting your region and language.<\/li>\n<li>Sign in with the same Microsoft account you were using before so that things like the Windows Store apps you\u2019ve purchased will be available to reinstall. For more info, see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/security-sign-in-and-accounts\/all-about-accounts\">All about accounts<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check for important updates. To learn how, see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/support\/performance-and-maintenance\/install-software-updates-for-surface\">Install Surface and Windows Updates<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Reinstall Windows Store apps. From the Start screen, tap or click <b>Store<\/b>. Tap or click <b>Account<\/b>, and tap or click <b>My apps<\/b>. Select the apps you want to install, and tap or click <b>Install<\/b>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Source: <a title=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#before\" href=\"http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#before\">http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/surface\/en-us\/support\/warranty-service-and-recovery\/restore-refresh-or-reset-surface-pro#before<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every now and then I come across an article and I just know that I\u2019ll need it someday. Here is one of those. Quoting verbatim from the Microsoft Support site If you&#8217;re having a problem with your Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, Surface Pro 3, or Surface 3, you may be able to restore, refresh, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13034,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[565464],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-surface"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13034"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":241,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207\/revisions\/241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jimubc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}