Reinstall of OS - will only boot from USB stick

[deastaugh]

Hi all,

I hope someone can point me in the right direction to fix the Win8.1 install on my Surface 2 Pro

The machine is the 8gb i5 with 256GB models

The fault is that it wont boot to windows - even when I install another copy of the os from scratch on to it

It will give the normal 'Surface' splash screen then show the bios options - I have tried every conbinations of enabled and disabled and keys installed and removed but it wont boot to the normal disk

I know that the internal disk isn't faulty as during my many attempts to install a fresh copy of win 8.1 it sees the internal disk and allows me to create and delete partitions

However I have only been able to get to this stage allowing it to boot from a USB stick with windows recovery image on

I though I was making progress to fix it then during one of the times using the USB to get in to windows the machine decided to install some updates and now it wont go to windows using any method

Splash screen still comes up and I can boot to a recovery image on a stick and have option to the options there but whatever option I try I still cant get the machine to boot by itself


I have a few weeks left on the warranty but would like to understand why it doesn't want to boot

Techy answers are permitted as I'm an IT engineer with 20 years experience but this is the 1st machine in a long time that has so far defeated me

Thanks

David

 

[jnjroach]

Hi all,

I hope someone can point me in the right direction to fix the Win8.1 install on my Surface 2 Pro

The machine is the 8gb i5 with 256GB models

The fault is that it wont boot to windows - even when I install another copy of the os from scratch on to it

It will give the normal 'Surface' splash screen then show the bios options - I have tried every conbinations of enabled and disabled and keys installed and removed but it wont boot to the normal disk

I know that the internal disk isn't faulty as during my many attempts to install a fresh copy of win 8.1 it sees the internal disk and allows me to create and delete partitions

However I have only been able to get to this stage allowing it to boot from a USB stick with windows recovery image on

I though I was making progress to fix it then during one of the times using the USB to get in to windows the machine decided to install some updates and now it wont go to windows using any method

Splash screen still comes up and I can boot to a recovery image on a stick and have option to the options there but whatever option I try I still cant get the machine to boot by itself


I have a few weeks left on the warranty but would like to understand why it doesn't want to boot

Techy answers are permitted as I'm an IT engineer with 20 years experience but this is the 1st machine in a long time that has so far defeated me

Thanks

David

Are you using the SP2 Recovery Image or a generic Windows 8.1 ISO? Have you booted into Safe Mode? Have you verified that UEFI hasn't disabled booting to the SSD (Volume Rocker Up while Powering On)? Try resetting the UEFI to factory default and save....

 

[deastaugh]

Image is full downloaded sp2 recovery image via surface web page

Sorry having dim moment...
Not gone into safe mode - don't have external keyboard for it yet - can I get there from completely off?
rocker down usb boot ..... rocker up disable boot to ssd? - how then to renable boot to ssd?

 

[jnjroach]

Image is full downloaded sp2 recovery image via surface web page

Sorry having dim moment...
Not gone into safe mode - don't have external keyboard for it yet - can I get there from completely off?
rocker down usb boot ..... rocker up disable boot to ssd? - how then to renable boot to ssd?

Rocker Up gets you into UEFI. You can also plug in a USB Keyboard and boot with Rocker Down so the keyboard is active....Press F8 to get into Advanced Boot Options.

 

[Fant]

Few weeks left on your warranty? Why wouldn't you just send it in in case it's a bigger issue?

 

[deastaugh]

I thought that if it was something easy to fix then it would save time and when the warranty does end I wont have Microsoft to go back go

Looks like its going to have to go back as Jnroach's solutions it just ignored and on the odd time I did get it to go to the recovery image if just goes through the reset / refresh cycle then comes back to the choose language blue screen before I have to choose an option

Is the warranty returns procedure easy enough or are they going to make me go through all this again before I can send it back in to be looked at

I can only talk to MS first thing in the morning as I don't get back from work before they close at 7 ( Im in UK)

 

[Fant]

My recent exchange of a surface 2 was very simple. Just do it online via the web.

 

[deastaugh]

Do I have to go through the 'chat' with Microsoft or can I go straight to returning it?

Its pooped and I know it - don't really need someone from MS to get me going through rebuilding it again

 

[Fant]

I think you can just say you want to send it in for service