A update (through Windows Update) brick my Surface Pro 2 256Gb

[Rob85]

Hi all.

I just want to share a really bad experience I had yesterday...
So yesterday I just received my new Surface Pro 2. I passed the entire day to install some softs (games, Photoshop, etc...) and at the end of the day I decided to install some updates, because I had a issue with Photoshop : a process called "sniffer_gpu.exe" was running each time I was launching Photoshop, blocking it. On Internet I saw someone sayin' that updating the SP2 will install some new Intel GPU drivers and resolve this issue.
So at the end of the day, I decided to update (though Windows Update, so nothing strange) my Surface Pro 2. There was 41 updates to install. After the "41 on 41" pass, a new "pass" of installation appeared, and my surface goes black around the 25 or 24%. Then, a screen with "Surface" and under this something like "We are preparing the installation of update" appeared... You know what I mean, everything looks normal for now.
But this screen goes black and reappear 3 times. Then my surface reboot, letting appear a terrifying boot screen (it seems that I'm not the only one...):



One time I tried to restart It, and a blue screen appear with a Windows error code...

WTF Microsoft seriously ?! I mean... this sh*t cost more than 1200€ !! And this is just YOUR OFFICIAL update !!

This morning I tried to restart my SP2, and I don't know why, the installation of the updates continued... ?! But at each reboot, it gets stuck at this boot screen, so I was obliged to press exit to reboot, to be able to continue the update installation.
Actually, if I want to start my Surface : I press the Power Up button, then I get the "Surface" screen, then the Boot screen. At this boot screen, I press Exit. Then my Surface is rebooting, letting appear the little dots animation (so it's loading) and my Surface is working.

So... I don't really know what to do. Do I need to change my Surface ? Or do I need to do something... Special ? I saw that there seems to be 2 new updates (KB2919442 and KB2919907), do I need to install them ? Or maybe go in "delete everything and reinstall Windows" ?

Please, help me.
Thanks, and sorry if I made a lot of English errors.

 

[Great]

I think you should reinstall windows, do the windows updates and if all goes well, then install your software.

 

[Rob85]

Thanks.
Before I just tried to install these two updates. It installed well, but nothing new, I can always see this boot screen.
So I will try to reinstall Windows with the "Remove everything and reinstall Windows" option, but before I would like to create a bootable USB, in case of a big issue...

 

[Rvacha]

Personally I would not flatten your SP2 quite yet. I would:
1. Click on "Install default secure boot keys" the next time you see the BIOS screen
2. After Windows starts open an elevated (run as administrator) command prompt and run "sfc /scannow" (no quotes)
3. After that completes, from the same command prompt run "dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth" (no quotes). Make sure you have an internet connection before you start this step

If DISM in particular finds something it cannot fix I would be wary of performing a restore or refresh since there is a decent probability you end where you were - broken. If DISM finds something it cannot repair the option is yours - you can call SP2 support, try to restore/refresh anyway, or try again to get DISM to fix what's broken. For the DISM option you will need a copy of Win8.1 x64 Pro or Enterprise. The SP2 ships with enterprise, but I have done pro with no problems. If you have a copy go on the web and search for how to extract the "wim" file from the iso, place it on the SP2's drive somewhere, and "mount" it so that DISM can use it (instead of the normal recovery image) during the repair process

Your English is fine! Good luck!

 

[Rob85]

Okay so, I ran the "remove everything and reinstall windows" option.
After the 99%, it restarted, and the boot screen appeared 3 times. After this, the installation continues, then the Surface restarted one more time.
Now I'm stuck, the Surface don't want to boot anymore, like yesterday night...
I tried to click on "Install default secure boot keys", then press "Yes", but it always the same thing, seems that the Firmware is totally fucked up. I don't understand... How is this possible ?! With a official update ! This is the first time ever I see this.

I will try to change my product with a new one, and If this appear with the new one too... I will keep my money for another stable product.
Anyways, thank you very much for the help, I'll keep you informed.

Edit : Here is the blue screen I had yesterday, and... Now :



This happened now when I connected a USB Microsoft mouse to it, and I remember that this mouse was connected yesterday during the update... Maybe a link...
The strange thing is that this message appear sometimes in English, sometimes in French, lol

Oh, and one last thing, who here done the updates with the Windows Update system ? Just to know if someone here have successfully update his Surface with Windows Update.
Thanks !

 

[GoodBytes]

Sounds to be that your system is faulty. Probably due to faulty RAM, or SSD.
I would contact Microsoft and place a RETURN, and order a new one. (don't pass it under the warranty, as you'll end up with a refurbished, and now you'll be really annoyed as you would have paid full price, and got a refurbished essentially).

 

[Rob85]

Yeah, I think something is faulty inside... But it sounds strange... Because before the update everything was going well.
I asked for a replacement to the place where I bought it.
Thanks for the help guys.

But one more time, who here have successfully updated his Surface Pro 2 with Windows Update ? I don't want to re-brick the new one

 

[Great]

But one more time, who here have successfully updated his Surface Pro 2 with Windows Update ? I don't want to re-brick the new one

I did. I just skipped the March firmware because I had problems with the connection to my TV via WiDi.
I had made a clone of my SSD SP2 so I reversed my SP2 to the state immediately before the March firmware.

Everything runs perfectly

 

[javispedro]

Does "remove all programs and reinstall Windows" really format the partition and restore the factory image and partitions? Cause that's what I would do.

These issues don't look to me like a hardware issue but rather that Windows fscked itself during updates (a pretty common thing on virtually all Windows machines I've ever used).

Heck, last week on my SFPro2, after a normal reboot, Windows started crashing during early boot. Using Gentoo I realized that the EFI partition was corrupted and specifically that the \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD.LOG file was pointing to some clusters that were also on the free list. By simply deleting this file Windows started booting again.

It is not clear to me if the EFI partition is recreated/reformatted during a "Windows reinstall". I suggest (as an alternative to sending it back) that you try to use the recovery disk, and when it asks you to recreate all partitions, you answer "Yes". BACKUP all of your data before that, of course.

 

[Rob85]

I did. I just skipped the March firmware because I had problems with the connection to my TV via WiDi.
I had made a clone of my SSD SP2 so I reversed my SP2 to the state immediately before the March firmware.

Everything runs perfectly

Okay so if I understand well you're actually running your SP2 with the March update without any issues ?
Okay so what I should do is creating a bootable USB before doing anything on the SP2, then update.

But do the March Firmware is really necessary ? I'm pretty sure this thing destroyed my SP2.

Does "remove all programs and reinstall Windows" really format the partition and restore the factory image and partitions? Cause that's what I would do.

These issues don't look to me like a hardware issue but rather that Windows fscked itself during updates (a pretty common thing on virtually all Windows machines I've ever used).

Heck, last week on my SFPro2, after a normal reboot, Windows started crashing during early boot. Using Gentoo I realized that the EFI partition was corrupted and specifically that the \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD.LOG file was pointing to some clusters that were also on the free list. By simply deleting this file Windows started booting again.

It is not clear to me if the EFI partition is recreated/reformatted during a "Windows reinstall". I suggest (as an alternative to sending it back) that you try to use the recovery disk, and when it asks you to recreate all partitions, you answer "Yes". BACKUP all of your data before that, of course.

I agree with your idea. But, due to the fact that I don't really know if this is the Bios Firmware who is corrupted or the Windows 8 installation / partition, I prefer change it.
But what are you calling "recovery disk" ? You're talking about Windows 8 DVD ?

 

[GoodBytes]

I have successfully installed my Surface Pro 2 firmware and Windows update, via Windows update 100% of the time, with no hiccups or surprises.
I just ensure that I follow Microsoft recommendations (which is the same for all manufactures more or less), which is:
-> Have the device plugged in
-> Have the device fully charged at 100%
-> Close all programs
-> Have the keyboard attached
-> Don't interrupt the process

I also don't use registry cleaners as those usually leads to disasters that occurs when you get a Windows Update at some point in time which affects the area where the registry cleaner cleaned things, Service Packs and Windows updates.
By which you probably deleted that backup registry long time ago, and cleaned other things which was link to the deleted items. There are 0 point in cleaning the registry. The registry is a database, it does not slow down with more entries, much like this forum doesn't slow down as they are more and more post.

 

[Rob85]

I have successfully installed my Surface Pro 2 firmware and Windows update, via Windows update 100% of the time, with no hiccups or surprises.
I just ensure that I follow Microsoft recommendations (which is the same for all manufactures more or less), which is:
-> Have the device plugged in
-> Have the device fully charged at 100%
-> Close all programs
-> Have the keyboard attached
-> Don't interrupt the process

I also don't use registry cleaners as those usually leads to disasters that occurs when you get a Windows Update at some point in time which affects the area where the registry cleaner cleaned things, Service Packs and Windows updates.
By which you probably deleted that backup registry long time ago, and cleaned other things which was link to the deleted items. There are 0 point in cleaning the registry. The registry is a database, it does not slow down with more entries, much like this forum doesn't slow down as they are more and more post.

Thanks for the feedback and advices, this is exactly what I done (i just haven't got the type cover for Surface, so I'm connecting a Bluetooth keyboard). And due to the fact that I just received my SP2 yesterday, I haven't used any registry cleaner (such as CCleaner that's right ? Just to be sure that I understand well what you're saying).
That's why I don't really understand my problem. For me there is 3 explications, bad downloading, inexplicable issue with my Microsoft Mouse, or simply the update itself, because it seems that I'm not the only one with this issue on Internet.