Solved Deleted ALL partitions on Surface Pro - Now I can't boot

CZ Eddie

New Member
Messages
11
Hi, I used Acronis to delete all partitions on my Surface Pro. So there is no recovery, C drive, nothing at all. Just a blank SSD drive without any partitions.
Now the Surface Pro refuses to boot to any of my USB sticks so I can clean install an OS like I wanted to do.

I've verified both of my USB sticks are bootable, as I'm able to boot my desktop computer to them in order to install an OS.
But when I try to boot the Surface Pro Gen1 to the USB stick, I get a quick squiggly screen and then I'm dumped right into the system BIOS.
I've made sure to power off the Surface Pro, then hold down volume- while pressing the power button, then releasing volume- after seeing the Surface splash screen. But it never goes to any sort of boot menu or anything. Just takes me right into the EFI BIOS.

Any suggestions?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro
Have you enabled Boot Menu in the BIOS ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gateway
    CPU
    AMD K140 Cores 2 Threads 2 Name AMD K140 Package Socket FT1 BGA Technology 40nm
    Motherboard
    Manufacturer Gateway Model SX2110G (P0)
    Memory
    Type DDR3 Size 8192 MBytes DRAM Frequency 532.3 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics
    Sound Card
    AMD High Definition Audio Device Realtek High Definition Audio USB Audio Device
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Name 1950W on AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x76
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x768 pixels
    Hard Drives
    AMD K140
    Cores 2
    Threads 2
    Name AMD K140
    Package Socket FT1 BGA
    Technology 40nm
    Specification AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon HD Graphics
    Family F
    Extended Family 14
    Model 2
    Extended Model 2
    Stepping 0
    Revision ON-C0
    Instruction
    Browser
    Opera 24.0
    Antivirus
    Avast Internet Security
In the UEFI/BIOS firmware is there a BOOTOVER option.
If yes

Boot USB drive in UEFI mode.

Windows 8 Downgrade-006 SB for posting.PNG
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Thanks. But it's a Surface Pro Gen 1. The only BIOS options are: "trusted platform module enable/disable" and "secure boot control enable/disable". No other options are available in the system BIOS.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro
Does the manufacturer sell recovery disks ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gateway
    CPU
    AMD K140 Cores 2 Threads 2 Name AMD K140 Package Socket FT1 BGA Technology 40nm
    Motherboard
    Manufacturer Gateway Model SX2110G (P0)
    Memory
    Type DDR3 Size 8192 MBytes DRAM Frequency 532.3 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics
    Sound Card
    AMD High Definition Audio Device Realtek High Definition Audio USB Audio Device
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Name 1950W on AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x76
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x768 pixels
    Hard Drives
    AMD K140
    Cores 2
    Threads 2
    Name AMD K140
    Package Socket FT1 BGA
    Technology 40nm
    Specification AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon HD Graphics
    Family F
    Extended Family 14
    Model 2
    Extended Model 2
    Stepping 0
    Revision ON-C0
    Instruction
    Browser
    Opera 24.0
    Antivirus
    Avast Internet Security
I've verified both of my USB sticks are bootable,

Legacy bootable
or
UEFI bootable.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Does the manufacturer sell recovery disks ?

Doesn't matter if I can't boot to anything.

I've verified both of my USB sticks are bootable,

Legacy bootable
or
UEFI bootable.

Good question and that might be the problem. I actually just kicked off a new USB burn using an app called "Rufus" which will make UEFI bootable USB.
Prior to that I used Microsoft's recommended "Windows7-USB-DVD-tool.exe". Which worked fine on my desktop.

Here is the Rufus walk-through I'm using now:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro
Dangit, no creating the UEFI Bootable USB stick didn't give any different results. Ugh.

When I boot up using volume- option to get boot menu, you can see the USB stick flash a few times.
Then I get a sqiggly screen that blinks away after 1/8 of a second and it goes right into the EFI BIOS.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro
Can the UEFI/BIOS firmware see the USB drive as a UEFI bootable device?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Mint 17.2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba Satellite C850D-st3nx1
    CPU
    AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon (tm) HD Graphics 1.40 GHZ
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon™ HD 7310 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Crucial M500 240GB SSD
    Mouse
    Logitech M525
    Internet Speed
    45/6 - ATT U-Verse
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    None needed. It is Linux.
    Other Info
    Arris NVG589 Gateway; Router - Cisco RV320; Switch - Netgear GS108 8-Port Switch & Trendnet TEG-S50g 5-Port Switch; Access Points - Engenius ECB350, Trendnet TEW-638APB; NAS - Lenovo ix2-4; Printer - Brother HL-2280DW; Air Print Server - Lantronix XPrintServer

    A/V UPS - Tripp-Lite Smart 1500LCD 1500 Va/900 W.
Can the UEFI/BIOS firmware see the USB drive as a UEFI bootable device?

Surface Pro EFI BIOS doesn't ever give an option as cool (and normal) as that.
Really wish I'd gone with a laptop instead of Surface Pro. It's so freakin limited.
It is a fast tablet though.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro
Yes, not much in the UEFI/BIOS Firmware, just be watching a video on youtube.

Where do you buy your DVD/ISO & Full Windows 8 Product Key from?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
See this Reset or Refresh Windows 8 PC without Any Installation Media Otherwise your only choice is to contact the Surface Technical Team. Contact Microsoft Answer Desk for Surface

See if this will work, using the instructions on how to install Linux with Linux Live Boot USB How to install Ubuntu on the Surface Pro | Microsoft | Geek.com You can download a Bootable USB image through Tuxboot - About so that you can attempt to use Gpartd to format or even rescue the Windows image.

Just noticed your post... I'll look at it on my next work break. Thanks for the links.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro
Try re-downloading the Windows 8 Pro x64 ISO from your MSDN account.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Try re-downloading the Windows 8 Pro x64 ISO from your MSDN account.

Thanks. It's a good idea but I already ruled it out.
I can't boot to *any* bootable ISO media. I can't even boot to the Acronis bootable USB that I used to wipe my partitions in the first place.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro
Well, my mistake. I tried booting to the Acronis boot media one more time and it did go through. Maybe the last time I didn't have the volume- button pressed properly.

So now I know bootable USB is still able to work on some level.
I guess I'll just keep trying different ways of building a Win8 bootable USB, even though the ones I've tried so far are working fine on my desktop.

Thanks everyone.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro
tried so far are working fine on my desktop.
Is the desktop UEFI.

I'm in IT and have my own MSDN account.
Do you have a MSDaRT Windows 8 USB drive to boot from?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
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