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Cannot boot from USB

Can someone please help me. I'm trying to boot from USB and it isn't working on my SP3. I've formated the USB to FAT32 and made it bootable, I've also changed the UEFI settings to boot as USB>SSD. I've also tried to hold volume down while pressing power. I've also tried to boot from USB from withing the update and recovery settings. NOTHING IS WORKING and I'm going nuts. A quick Google reveals that a lot of people have this issue with the SP3. Does it really not work? Has M$ seriously made it so you cant boot from USB on a SP3 running Windows 10? Please help
 

yonghong

Member
SP3 Boot sucks, I want to install android on it, but I tried million times to boot from usb, all failed, Sp3 only can boot with X64 edition. I hate this.
 

mkn95u0

New Member
I just overcame this issue, and i'm just going to advise you, it wasn't easy, and i didn't see it in any google searches so i created an account just to answer this particular question so that hopefully someone else googling this issue will come accross this answer and it will help them.

step 1: go into windows, go to all settings -> update & security -> recovery -> advanced options (restart now)

then, it will restart, click on troubleshoot -> advanced options -> command prompt (this will cause a restart)

it will ask you select an account & input the password if there is one (if there is, on some Surface tablets, you will need to plug in a USB keyboard since an on screen keyboard will not display (on some)). once you type in the password, unplug the keyboard and plug the usb drive back in.

once it restarts, or you've entered the password it will pull up command prompt in the Z drive or some similar letter not "C" or "D" or anything specific you're familiar with likely.

type in
Diskpart (enter)
this will pull up a new command prompt window in diskpart
list disk (enter)
> it will show a screen with all disks look for the usb based off the size of it
select disk number=2 (your number goes here) (enter)
list partition(enter)
select partition number=1 (likely only one there is in the usb) (enter)
assign letter=n (enter)
exit

this will take you back to the z drive

type in pushd n:\ (enter)
this now gets you into your usb, which if you have correctly set up your usb you can type in:
setup.exe (enter)

and your os option of choice will run and give you the necessary prompts to configure from scratch.

Good luck, if this wasn't what you particularly were looking for. I hope it at least hangs around for someone to google and find. took me a few hours throughout about 3 days worth of off-on work to figure this out.
 

mkn95u0

New Member
Thanks, now was that for Win 10, Win 8.1, or both?

The steps above work with 10 specifically. But they'll work with 8.0 and 8.1 as well once you get the charm to advanced settings and get into command prompt within the advanced setting menu in recovery (not the same as running cmd within windows, needs to actually be in recovery where the c drive isn't in use). So the steps are a little different to get there, but the command prompt commands work for any.
 

jrioux

Active Member
The steps above work with 10 specifically. But they'll work with 8.0 and 8.1 as well once you get the charm to advanced settings and get into command prompt within the advanced setting menu in recovery (not the same as running cmd within windows, needs to actually be in recovery where the c drive isn't in use). So the steps are a little different to get there, but the command prompt commands work for any.
Thanks!
 

Red-Oak

Member
Had my Pro for about 1.5 years now - this has to be the most, and only, complaint I've got with it. It doesn't seem to react with any consistency when trying to boot up to USB....will give your ideea a try as soon as I get it up and running...thanks mkn950u0
 

hughlle

Super Moderator
Staff member
I used to have occasional issues booting from USB on the SP3, then I downloaded Rufus. Never had a single problem after that, worked flawlessly.
 

Red-Oak

Member
I have always used the Windows 7 Download tool on my desktops/laptops - literally installed 100s of Windows OSs and made several ATI recovery USB - never an issue. BUT, this is not my desktop, or laptop, and I have issues, so I'll give Rufus a try. I have seen it recommended other places - thank you!
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
I used to have occasional issues booting from USB on the SP3, then I downloaded Rufus. Never had a single problem after that, worked flawlessly.
I loomed at Rufus briefly because I didn't really need it I never used it however it has about a billion options IIRC so it might help to specify what worked.

I think the issue with the Win7 tool is it's out of date and doesn't work with UEFI.

I know with the newer Microsoft Media Creation Tool you have to specify 64bit only for a Surface. I have always had good luck with this tool.

There are so e other gotchas like
sometimes other partitions on the USB cause troubles so doing a Diskpart clean on them can usually resolve that. Some manufacturers have other bits in the tables which cause problems.
Sometimes having a micro SD card installed can interfere

There have always been instances where you insert a USB drive and it doesn't show up in Windows and you have to assign a drive letter... not sure of the cause but this appears to be the issue addressed by the post above. Good tip.
 

Red-Oak

Member
1 of the issues I have is booting to an Acronis Rescue USB - it can be an adventure at times.
1 of the other problems I have is going from my i7 OC'd desktop to the i5 Pro 3, which is not quite as quick. Patience is not my strong point ;-)
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
1 of the issues I have is booting to an Acronis Rescue USB - it can be an adventure at times.
1 of the other problems I have is going from my i7 OC'd desktop to the i5 Pro 3, which is not quite as quick. Patience is not my strong point ;-)
and earlier versions of Acronis didn't' play well with UEFI either... although I hear it's fixed I gave up on Acronis and have been using Macrium Reflect.

If your hoping for a one recovery drive fits all solution... you may be OOL.
 
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