Doing a clean install of Windows 10 on a Surface 3

[Bataar]

So Windows 10 is finally working on my Surface 3 after doing an upgrade. I want to do a clean install but want to make sure the installation will have all of the drivers and everything for the Surface 3. Has anyone else done a clean install on a Surface 3?

 

[Dewg]

After the 10 upgrade, I did a recovery to wipe it. It gave me three options:
1) Refresh - don't lose files
2) Remove Everything
3) Factory Reset

I chose #2, as Factory Reset mentioned that it would restore the OS to factory. I didn't know if that would have put Windows 8.1 back on.

 

[Bataar]

I put the media on a USB drive and would boot to that and install. I just want to make sure everything will work.

 

[cygnus11]

It sounds like the #2 option is the way to go. I don't think I would install Windows 10 on the surface from a created USB boot device. That sounds a bit risky.

 

[Bataar]

How do you start a recovery in Windows 10 and how is a recovery different from the upgrade?

 

[etphoto]

According the Paul Thurrott all you have to do is update like you normally would and then do a hard reset. That will be the same as a clean install.

 

[blur510]

According the Paul Thurrott all you have to do is update like you normally would and then do a hard reset. That will be the same as a clean install.

Did just that, (option 2) now my surface is on an infinite loop of boot uUPS.. (inaccessible boot). I tried making a USB media using Microsoft's media creation tool, but it failed to complete twice, I'll try again later. I have an appointment at the Microsoft store for Monday just in case.

 

[AbAll87]

So I was able to fix it! I had the same issue but on an Asus k53e... About 4 years old...

Step 1 make sure your USB is plug in

Step 2 while it's booting, I pressed F2 to go to the bios system...

Step 3 I went to the boot menu and from there I chose the USB has the number one option to boot. I did that by going on hard drive....

Step 4 save and it should restart and force the USB to go to the install thing...

When you are installing, press custom option which should be the second one...

Edit post: don't worry about putting your activation key, I keep pressing skip and it activated by itself

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[Nick Jenkins]

Anyone have an luck with the clean install on the SP3? I would also like to do this, mainly to recreate the recovery partitions and get ride of the old ones.

 

[darthhen]

I first upgraded my SP3 to W10. Then retrieved the product key.

Then I rebooted with the USB W10 to go through the clean install. I have no need for the recovery partitions on the SSD. So I wiped all of them to get my storage space back. I didn't have any problems. I did this on my SP3 (two times) and my old desktop PC as well.

 

[Robert Brathe]

Ich habe mal den Rundumschlag gemacht.
Ben?tigt wird:

USB Stick mit MS recreatil 64 Bit
USB Hub
Kabel Maus
Optional eine USB Tastatur

Treiberpaket bei MS runterladen und mit auf den Stick kopieren.

Backup machen

Sd card rausnehmen.
Strom einst?pseln, USB Hub mit Stick und Maus einst?pseln.
Ohne Maus geht es nicht, der Touchscreen ist nicht Aktiv bei der Installation.
Wer ein Cover hat, hat es da leichter.
Starten, dabei Minus festhalten.
Bootet vom Stick.
Neuinstallation ausw?hlen.

Kommt eine Fehlermeldung, Festplattenverwaltung aufrufen und alle Partitionen l?schen.
Freien Speicherplatz als Installationsort w?hlen.

Los gehts, dauert recht lange, die Updates kann man abw?hlen, da Wlan erst mal nicht geht.

Mit beliebigem Namen und Passwort anmelden.
Treiberpaket installieren.
Bei Bedarf Onlinekonto wieder einbinden.
Fertig.

Habe 1,5h gebraucht, bis zum lauff?higen Betrieb.

Ich hatte erst das Upgrade drauf, erst danach den Cleaninstall.
Wurde sauber aktiviert.


I have done the sweeping blow. What is needed: USB stick with MS recreatil 64 Bit USB Hub Cable mouse Optionally, a USB keyboard Download driver package with MS and with copy to the stick. Make backup SD card to take out. Power plug in, plug in USB hub with flash drive and mouse. Without mouse it does not go, the touch screen is not active during installation. Who has a cover, this is because more easily. Start, while holding the minus. Boots from the stick. Select reinstallation. If an error message, invoke Disk Management and delete all partitions. Select free space than the installation. Here we go, takes a long time, the updates can deselect one because Wlan first time does not go. Login with any name and password. Install driver package. Embed If necessary, online account. Done. Have 1.5h needed to executable operation. I had only the upgrade plan, only after the Clean Install. Was activated clean.

 

[eusty]

Did just that, (option 2) now my surface is on an infinite loop of boot uUPS.. (inaccessible boot). I tried making a USB media using Microsoft's media creation tool, but it failed to complete twice, I'll try again later. I have an appointment at the Microsoft store for Monday just in case.

Yup the same happened here on a SP3. Just waiting for the recovery media to download and see if I can restore an image

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[blur510]

Created a USB media, boot sequence network>USB>SSD no luck.. I have an appointment at the Microsoft Store tomorrow..

 

[eusty]

Same here, no luck with the USB recovery.

I'd do a clean install, but I didn't make a note of the product key :unhappy:

Can someone confirm that you don't need the key? i.e. it's in the UEFI

 

[eusty]

Can someone confirm that you don't need the key? i.e. it's in the UEFI

Yes it is! Spoke to Surface support and they confirmed it, so I did a clean install and skipped the activation bits. Just checked and it's activated :grin:

 

[Dewg]

I tried two different resets. I upgraded to Windows 10 - then did a Reset to start clean. I had problems with battery life (less than a day), and audio (apps would crackle static starting, and some would continue with static and have no audio, or crash.

I wiped the system and HD, and loaded Windows 10 fresh (re-installing the drivers was a massive pain). Same problems still occurred. So I ended up downloading the Surface 3 recovery and resetting it back to Windows 8.1.

I'll wait until the big release this week (and new firmware) before trying again.

 

[Shelgeyr]

Bummer - I attempted a clean install from USB to hopefully accomplish a few things:

• Switch from the Insider track to the public release track
• Resolve my camera issue (just recently got the "make sure your camera is connected" error :unhappy
• Clean up my partitions (noticed I had 3 partitions labeled "Recovery")

Sadly, having deleted all partitions during the install appears to have wiped out all my drivers.
System booted up just fine, but can't identify my audio device or my wifi device.
Half the time, it won't even respond to keyboard/touchpad/touchscreen input at all, and I have to shut down via the power button.

Yes, I wiped the UEFI partition because it was tucked in the middle and I was hoping the install would either not need it, or would re-locate it to the beginning or the end of the drive. I realize this is probably the root of my current problem, but I half-expected it and went into the install process willing to work around the issue if it arose. I'm just bummed the Windows 10 clean install can't do what I was hoping it'd do.

Am going to restore using the Microsoft-provided Surface 3 image, then do an upgrade install. Fingers crossed.

 

[enixon]

You have to use Rufus to format the USB drive as Fat32 and GPT, NOT MBR. It will not boot, since the Surface 3 is only UEFI. Also, make sure you have a USB hub and a USB mouse, there will be ZERO drivers for your Surface unless you forced them in the ISO.

You will need a USB hub to connect the mouse and a USB drive with the Surface 3 MSI file for drivers. My touch screen did not work, so I had to use a mouse. The MicroUSB will also not be able to be used as a data port until it gets proper drivers.

 

[Shelgeyr]

You have to use Rufus to format the USB drive as Fat32 and GPT, NOT MBR. It will not boot, since the Surface 3 is only UEFI.

To clarify: I didn't have any trouble booting to the USB drive and performing the install. I used the Media Creation tool to build the USB and it worked perfectly. It's the post-install OS that I'm having trouble with. No audio, no WiFi, and after being active for a few minutes, it locks up and stops accepting input from the keyboard, touchpad, and even touchscreen.

 

[oditius]

You know, I have no luck resetting this thing. I just got mine Friday, noticed something I set up wrong, so I decided to do a factory reset. BIG MISTAKE!! crashed, kept looping to the Surface logo. Called MS and after 3 hours trying to get the W10 reinstalled (It was already installed new) it kept failing. SO I had to bring it to the MS store. They just replaced it. I was told if I ever needed to do a refresh again, just bring it in and they will do it for free...