How to reset your Microsoft Surface to factory settings in every way possible

When using a laptop version of the Microsoft Surface such as the Pro, Go, or Book, you may encounter various errors. Usually, it's necessary to troubleshoot the laptop and identify the cause of the error first. If all other fixes fail, your last resort would be to restore the device to its factory settings. Do you know how to reset Microsoft Surface laptops?

If you ask the same question, this article from Tool will give you the right answer. You'll learn about three different reset strategies you can take when your Microsoft Surface Pro is acting up. For the sake of securing your files, we'll also introduce a third-party tool for data backup and recovery.

?RELATED READING: Microsoft Surface Factory Reset without Password or Recovery Key

Backing up your data before factory resetting your Surface Pro/Go/Book

As a factory reset wipes all data and files from the device, having an effective backup strategy in place is crucial. A good backup routine should ensure the safety and accessibility of your data both before and after the Microsoft Surface factory reset process. One of the best tools for backing up your computer is the Todo Backup tool, a free backup utility for PCs.

This tool lets you perform a factory reset on your computer without losing data, back up your files to different locations, including the cloud, local disks, external hard drives, NAS, or networks. It helps you create a system image on a USB drive in case of system failures. You can restore your backup data anytime you need. It allows you to restore backup data to the original device or a different location. This tool comes in handy when dealing with system crashes, malware attacks, or hardware failures.

Todo Backup's main features include:

• Improved backup efficiency
• Multipath backup storage
• Backing up multiple hard drives
• Basic backup schedules, such as daily, weekly, or monthly
• Backing up Windows files to an external hard drive
• Bootable backup and recovery

Want to back up your data on Microsoft Surface devices with ease? Download and install Todo Backup on your device right away. The steps to use this software are straightforward.

Step 1: Launch AOMEI Backupper on your computer, click “Backup” on the home page, and then click the big question mark to “Select what to backup”.

Step 2: To back up the Windows operating system, click "Operating System" to start the backup task.

Step 3: Windows will automatically select the operating system, along with all system-related files and partitions, so you don't need to make any manual selections here. Next, click on the illustrated area to choose where you want to save your system image backup.

Step 4: The backup location can be another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, a network, cloud, or NAS. Typically, we recommend using an external physical drive or the cloud to store your system image files.

Step 5: If you want, click on Options to customize settings like automatic backup schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, or event-based), differential backup, and incremental backup. Then click Back Up Now. The Windows system backup will begin, and upon completion, the backup task will be displayed as a card on the left side.

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Three Ways to Factory Reset Your Microsoft Surface

If you've tried all the troubleshooting fixes and your Microsoft Surface laptop still isn't working correctly, your definitive option is to perform a factory reset. This process will erase all data and settings from your device and restore it to its default state. Therefore, you should back up your data using tools like Todo Backup beforehand.

This part will discuss three ways to perform a factory reset, including:

1. Method 1: Reset Microsoft Surface to Factory Settings using Windows Settings
2. Method 2: Reset Surface to Factory Settings in the Windows Recovery Environment
3. Method 3: Reset Surface using a USB Drive

So let's take a look at how these things work.

Method 1: Reset your Microsoft Surface to its factory settings through “Settings”

This is one of the direct ways to factory reset your Surface. It involves accessing the main settings on your device and resetting it from there. The steps in Windows 11 and Windows 10 are as follows:

On Windows 11:

Step 1: Press the Windows logo key + I to open Settings.

Step 2: Next, go to System > Recovery, and click on Recovery Options.

Step 3: Click on the “Reset this PC” option, and then click “Get Started” to begin resetting your Microsoft Surface Pro laptop.

Click on "Reset this PC"

Step 4. Choose “Keep my files” or “Remove everything,” and follow the on-screen instructions. You'll also need to choose whether to perform a cloud download or local reinstall of the operating system.

On Windows 10:

Step 1: Click the “Start” button in the bottom left corner of the screen, and then choose “Settings.”

Step 2: Click on “Settings,” then choose “Update & Security.” Next, go to the “Recovery” tab. Under “Reset this PC,” click “Get started.” This will initiate the reset process.

Step 3 In the next window, you'll need to choose “Keep my files” or “Remove everything,” and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Choose “Keep my files” or “Remove everything.”

Step 4. You'll need to choose your preferred method for reinstalling the Microsoft Surface operating system. Depending on your preference, you can opt for a cloud download or a local reinstallation. This will reset your laptop to its factory defaults, allowing you to start fresh.

Option 2: Reset your Surface to factory settings from the Windows Recovery Environment

If your Microsoft Surface isn't booting up correctly, it may be difficult to perform the steps in Method 1. In that case, you can instead access the Windows Recovery Environment and reset your device to factory settings. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Turn on your Microsoft Surface laptop and restart it while the Surface logo is displayed. Do this three times, and it will initiate the “Automatic Repair” mode.

Step 2: When your device is in Automatic Repair, select Advanced options > Troubleshoot, and then click Reset this PC. This will start the process of resetting your device to factory settings.

Step 3: The wizard will ask if you want to keep your personal files or remove everything. Choose one, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 4. In the next window, you'll need to choose how to reinstall Windows. You can opt for a “Cloud Download” or an “Local Reinstall.” Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the factory reset process.

Method 3: Reset Surface using a USB drive

There are two ways to reset your Surface using a USB drive: 1) with a Surface recovery image, or 2) with a recovery drive. Here, you'll learn how to use a Microsoft Surface recovery image to reset your device to its default settings. First, you'll need to download the recovery image from the Microsoft website. You'll also need a USB drive formatted as FAT32 with at least 16 GB of space.

Please follow these steps:

Step 1: Head over to the Microsoft website and download the recovery image for your Surface Pro/Go/Book.

Step 2: Enter your product name and serial number in the Choose your Surface window, and then click Continue.

Click on **Continue**.

Step 3: Download the recovery image to your laptop, and then unzip its contents to the USB drive.

Step 4: Turn off your Microsoft Surface, and make sure that your USB drive is connected. Hold down the Volume Down button, and then press the Power button. Release the Volume Down button as soon as you see the Surface logo. This will boot your device into the Windows Recovery Environment.

Step 5: Choose your language and preferred keyboard layout.

Step 6: Next, on the “Choose an option” screen, click on “Troubleshoot,” and then click on “Reset this PC.” Now, begin the process of restoring your device to its factory default settings by following the on-screen instructions.

Pro Tip: How to Factory Reset Your Microsoft Surface Without a Password

In previous methods, you might have needed to enter the device password before performing a factory reset. But what if you forget the password, or someone changed it without your knowledge? Don't worry – there's a way to factory reset your device without needing to input a password. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Power up your device normally. When you see the login screen, hold down the Shift key, and then click the Power button and select Restart.

Step 2: After your PC restarts, you'll be in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). From here, you can reset your device to factory settings. Just click Troubleshoot, then Reset this PC > Remove everything.

Step 3: When prompted to choose which drive to clean, select “Just the drive where Windows is installed.” Next, choose “Remove my files only,” then click “Reset” to begin the factory reset on your Microsoft Surface. When it's finished, you can set up a new account password for the device.

Closing Summary

This article taught you how to reset your Microsoft Surface laptop to factory settings. In summary, we discussed ways to reset through Windows Settings, the Windows Recovery Environment, and with a Surface Recovery Image on a USB. Try each method to see which one works best for you.

Before performing a Microsoft Surface factory reset, it's crucial to back up your data. The best tool for this purpose is Todo Backup. This software offers unique backup features such as multiple backup destinations, password-protected backups, and basic backup schedules. Make sure to download and install Todo Backup today to leverage its distinctive backup capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions About Resetting a Microsoft Surface

Here are some common questions about how to reset your Microsoft Surface to its factory settings.

How to reset your Surface to factory settings without Windows

You can reset your Microsoft Surface to factory settings without Windows by downloading a recovery image from the official Microsoft website. You'll need to visit the site, select your device and its serial number, and choose the recovery image you want to download. After that, you can create a bootable recovery image and reinstall Windows via USB.

How can I perform a factory reset on a Microsoft Surface without the recovery key?

Without a recovery key, you can perform a factory reset on a Microsoft Surface laptop by executing a clean install of Windows. You can download a Surface recovery image from the official Microsoft website, extract it to a USB drive, and use it to reimaging the entire system, reloading firmware and drivers in the process.

How can I reset my Microsoft laptop without signing in?

If you've forgotten the password for your Microsoft Surface account, you can reset your device to its factory settings by following these steps:

• Step 1. Power on the device normally. When the login screen appears, hold down the Shift key, click the Power button, and then select Restart.
• Step 2. After the system restarts, you'll enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Here, you can reset your device to factory settings. Click Troubleshoot, then select Reset this PC > Remove everything.
• Step 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to start and complete the reset process.