16-09-2021

Create A Usb Recovery Drive For Microsoft Surface Using Osx

Microsoft is now starting to offer additional exclusives for Surface owners with the introduction of Surface offers available in the latest update of the Surface app. For now, what we can find on the Surface offers page on some of our Surface devices is the free 3-month memberships for Adobe apps.

In your desktop search window tyepe Recovery Drive, select create a recovery drive. Uncheck the 'Back up system files. Then continue to create. Once it has been created, copy all the files from the recovery image to the USB drive. Replace any duplicate files. Once done, insert the USB drive into the corrupted Surface Pro. To claim free offers that available for your current Surface PC: Open the Surface app. Make sure you have the latest app updates installed. In case you can’t find the app, you can download the Surface app on Microsoft Store here. Go to the Surface offers page. This page only appears when there are offers available for your device.

In this article, we will walk you through how to check for Surface offers and how to redeem the offers on your Surface devices.

  • The USB drive should have at least 16 GB. If you have a Surface RT or Surface 2, an 8GB USB drive will work. In the search box on the taskbar, enter recovery drive, and then select Create a recovery drive or Recovery Drive from the results. You may need to enter an admin password or confirm your choice.
  • The USB Flash Drive, a mobile storage management app for windows 10, helps you easily manage your USB flash drive. Files classification is an easy, straightforward feature which benefits you when tranfering files between usb drives and computers. Files classification: simply click to find documents, videos, pictures; historical records: browse.
Note Some offers are available only on selected Surface models. For example, the offers for Adobe apps are available only on our Surface Book and Surface Laptop 3 while not available on Surface Go and Surface Go 2.

How to Claim free offers for Surface owners

To claim free offers that available for your current Surface PC:

  1. Open the Surface app.
    Make sure you have the latest app updates installed. In case you can’t find the app, you can download the Surface app on Microsoft Store here.
  2. Go to the Surface offers page.
    This page only appears when there are offers available for your device.
  3. Under the Offer for Surface owners section, click on the Redeem button below any offer you want to get. In this case, there is only an offer for Adobe apps.
  4. When you clicked the Redeem button it will take you to the offer page.
  5. In the “Adobe apps” offer, you can claim free 3 months of membership for three different products including Adobe Photography, Adobe Premiere Rush, and Adobe Fresco.
    Note When you selected to claim one of those subscriptions, you will have 3 months to claim the remaining products before the offer expire.
  6. When you’re ready, click on the Select button to claim the free 3-month membership for any product you want.
  7. You can either create a new account or sign in to your existing Adobe account to redeem your free subscription.

More on Surface Tips & Tricks

For more helpful tips about Microsoft Surface, visit the following resources:

-->

Important

This article is intended for use by qualified IT technicians in an enterprise organization only. It describes the recommended best practices for use by qualified IT technicians in the removal and replacement of SSDs in the following compatible Surface devices:

Surface
  • Surface Pro 7+
  • Surface Pro X
  • Surface Laptop Go
  • Surface Laptop 3
  • Surface Laptop 4

Warning

Opening devices and replacing device components can present electric shock, device damage, fire, and personal injury risks, and other hazards. Always use caution when you undertake such activities. Follow the safety precautions and procedures that are identified in the rSSD Removal Guide for Enterprise. We recommend that you get professional assistance if you cannot follow the safety precautions and procedures that are specified in the 'rSSD Removal Guide for Enterprise.'

Prerequisites

Important

This article assumes that you understand the General Safety Precautions and Safety policies and procedures that are described in the 'rSSD Removal Guide for Enterprise.'

Prepare for SSD removal

Install the latest updates

Before you begin, make sure that your version of Windows has the latest updates installed:

  1. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security, and select Check for updates.
  2. Install all available updates.
  3. Verify any passwords that are necessary to access the device.

Manage BitLocker

Note

This section includes recommendations for organizations that have enabled BitLocker encryption for hard disks. For more information, see BitLocker Recovery Guide.

If BitLocker encryption is disabled during SSD removal and replacement

If the device can be unencrypted before SSD removal and replacement, follow these steps to turn off BitLocker:

  1. In Settings, type BitLocker and then select Manage BitLocker.
  2. Select Turn Off BitLocker.
  3. Power down the device.

If BitLocker encryption is enabled during SSD removal and replacement

If the device is encrypted before SSD removal and replacement, follow these steps to generate a BitLocker recovery key and save it to USB storage:

  1. In Settings, type BitLocker.
  2. Select Manage BitLocker >Generate BitLocker Recovery Key.
  3. Insert a USB drive.
  4. Save the recovery key to USB storage.
  5. Remove the USB drive.
  6. Power down the device.

Remove and replace SSD

  1. Remove the SSD by using the appropriate instructions for your device included in rSSD Removal Guide for Enterprise.
  2. Put the original SSD into a new device and connect the new device to a wired internet connection.
  3. Power on the new device. The device may go through a firmware update during startup.

After SSD removal and replacement

Create A Usb Recovery Drive For Microsoft Surface Using Osx 8

Manage unencrypted SSDs

If the SSD is unencrypted during the transfer, follow these steps:

Create A Usb Recovery Drive For Microsoft Surface Using Osx X

  1. Go to Sign-In Options > Password (represented by the key icon on the left side).
  2. Enter the password and sign in pending completion of two-factor authentication (if applicable).
  3. After you are fully signed in, go to Start > Account > Sign out.
  4. Sign back in by using the password and set up Windows Hello and a PIN when you are prompted.
    • If the device was BitLocker-disabled to facilitate SSD removal and replacement, and you want to enable BitLocker after the replacement, go to BitLocker > Manage BitLocker > Resume BitLocker.
  5. Run the Microsoft Surface Diagnostic Toolkit for Business (SDT) to verify full device functionality.
  6. Check for Windows activation by navigating to Settings > Activation. If you see any error messages, select Troubleshoot.
  7. Check the Office account by opening the Office App, navigate to File > Account and then check for any error messages.

Managing encrypted SSDs

Create A Usb Recovery Drive For Microsoft Surface Using Osx Software

Note

Create A Usb Recovery Drive For Microsoft Surface Using Osx Download

You will have to have a second device to read the BitLocker Recovery key that was saved on the USB drive.

If the SSD is encrypted during the transfer, follow these steps:

  1. Insert the USB drive that contains the BitLocker recovery key into the second device.
  2. Open the .txt file that contains the Bitlocker recovery key.
  3. Manually enter the BitLocker recovery key on the new device that contains the original SSD.
  4. After you have successfully entered the BitLocker recovery key, go to Sign-In Options > Password (represented by the key icon on the left side).
  5. Enter the password and sign in, pending completion of two-factor authentication (if applicable).
  6. After you are fully signed in, go to Start > Account > Sign out.
  7. Sign back in by using the password, and then set up Windows Hello and add a PIN.
  8. If the device was BitLocker-disabled to facilitate SSD removal and replacement, and if you want to enable BitLocker after the replacement, go to Settings > BitLocker > Manage BitLocker > Resume BitLocker.
  9. Run SDT to verify full device functionality.
  10. To check Windows activation, select Settings > Activation. If you see any error messages, select Troubleshoot.
  11. To check the status of the Office account, open the Office App, then go to File > Account to check for any error messages.

Learn more

Still need help? Go to Microsoft Community.