Factory reset of Win RT surface without volume down button

[darknessangel]

Ok, I'm an early adopter and as a matter of fact up to now (close to 4 years!) I'm fairly happy with my Surface RT. Unfortunately yesterday I got a "critical error " error and stupidly I tried to restart right away. Oh God, such a mistake. I'm a fool!

In any case, upon restarting my Surface RT only shows the "Surface" logo and blinks out before the spinning wheel (and obviously doesn't start). Sooooo.. I went to the intertubes and checked out how I could reset it. I have already a USB stick for reseting... unFUCKINGfortunately my volume down button hasn't worked for about a year, which hasn't really pained me.... until now.

So, my dear friends, can anyone of you tell me if it's possible to do a factory reset without the volume down button?... I have a type keyboar if it helps.

Any help is gratefully accepted (and any snide remarks and insults will be met with a stiff upper lip as this is nothing but my fault).

 

[GreyFox7]

I don't see how it's your fault, unless you pressed the critical error button at some point.

I found this but IDK if it will help at all...

Turn on your device and press the BACKSPACE key.
Press F8 key.
Select Repair your computer and hit ENTER
After the recovery wizard (keyb. layout, user, pass etc.)
Select cmd Command prompt, and then open the D:\recovery directory.
Enter recovery.cmd and then hit the ENTER key. Wait until it finishes.
After restarting the device you need to go through the setup wizard.

You may not be getting far enough for this to work... and some of the instructions are pretty vague.
I also saw a post ON MS FORUMS ABOUT NEEDING A USB KEYBOARD.

sORRY ABOUT THE UPPERCASE THIS DAMN SURFACE THIING INVERTS THE CASE ONCE IN WHILE.

 

[kundas1]

greyfox, is it your onscreen KB that is doing all caps? because my SP3 was doing the same thing but the AU seemed to get rid of that problem... it was a royal PITA lol

 

[GreyFox7]

greyfox, is it your onscreen KB that is doing all caps? because my SP3 was doing the same thing but the AU seemed to get rid of that problem... it was a royal PITA lol

Yep, onscreen and it's been an off and on issue for a while... but it's gotten worse on the AU.

 

[GreyFox7]

Curiously, I went to check some options with my Surface 2 and my previously tested recovery drive will not boot, it just hangs at the Surface logo. Yet if I boot to the OS the volume up and down works fine so the buttons are fine.

I wonder if Microsoft FIXED some things in regards to exploits and fuzzed up the preboot volume down function or maybe the efi boot files require an update. It certainly would have been nice to be notified if an update would invalidate your previous recovery drive

Anyone have a Surface 2 working right for these functions?

 

[GreyFox7]

I have confirmed that my RT also does not boot my previously tested recovery drive using volume down.

 

[kundas1]

to boot into recovery isn't hold power and volume "UP" and then after 20 seconds you let go of power and keep holding volume up?

 

[GreyFox7]

to boot into recovery isn't hold power and volume "UP" and then after 20 seconds you let go of power and keep holding volume up?

Currently on my SRT and S2 power + vol up renders them inert and nothing happens, wont power on until you hold the power button for 30 seconds then wait a while it will power up. power + vol down is the boot to USB but it just boots to the surface logo and freezes on both.

 

[darknessangel]

I don't see how it's your fault, unless you pressed the critical error button at some point.

I found this but IDK if it will help at all...

Turn on your device and press the BACKSPACE key.
Press F8 key.
Select Repair your computer and hit ENTER
After the recovery wizard (keyb. layout, user, pass etc.)
Select cmd Command prompt, and then open the D:\recovery directory.
Enter recovery.cmd and then hit the ENTER key. Wait until it finishes.
After restarting the device you need to go through the setup wizard.

You may not be getting far enough for this to work... and some of the instructions are pretty vague.
I also saw a post ON MS FORUMS ABOUT NEEDING A USB KEYBOARD.

sORRY ABOUT THE UPPERCASE THIS DAMN SURFACE THIING INVERTS THE CASE ONCE IN WHILE.

Thanks, will try tomorrow at work (where I have a usb keyboard) . I'll try diverse iterations of the backspace +f8 routine. Wish me luck.

 

[sinha.sandy]

Thanks, will try tomorrow at work (where I have a usb keyboard) . I'll try diverse iterations of the backspace +f8 routine. Wish me luck.

Best of luck buddy. Hope this helps you. Post your results. [emoji56][emoji56][emoji56]

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

 

[darknessangel]

I failed miserably. Tried several times with different keyboards. USB and type cover. I guess I'll have to accept its death.

 

[GreyFox7]

I failed miserably. Tried several times with different keyboards. USB and type cover. I guess I'll have to accept its death.

Try to get to the recovery menu by powering on give it a second then holding the power button for 30 sec. to force power off. Repeat three times. That should bring up the recovery menu if it was getting far enough to think it was booting. You may not be getting far enough for that to work either.