If your system is asking you for your BitLocker recovery key, the following information may help you locate your recovery key and understand why you're being asked to provide it. Important: Microsoft support is unable to provide, or recreate, a lost BitLocker recovery key.

Create a recovery drive with a downloaded factory image. If you're able to use your Surface or you have another Windows PC, visit our Download a recovery image for your Surface page. From there, select your Surface and download a recovery image .zip file for the device you selected.

For Windows 8.1, see Create a USB recovery drive. To download Windows 11 installation media, see Recovery options in Windows. Create a recovery drive so you can reinstall Windows 10 or Windows 11 in case you experience a major issue such as hardware failure.

Booting from a USB device doesn’t refresh or reset your Surface. Instead, it lets you start your Surface using Windows or another operating system that’s on your USB device. For info about how to create a bootable USB drive for your Surface, see Creating and using a USB recovery drive for Surface.

You can use installation media (a USB flash drive or DVD) to install a new copy of Windows, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows. To create installation media, go to the software download website, where you'll find step-by-step instructions.

Possible causes. Make sure your PC, the external display, and the cable all support DisplayPort or MHL alternate modes. Make sure the device or dongle is connected directly to your PC. Make sure the device or dongle is connected to the USB-C port on your PC that supports the correct Alternate Mode.

Advanced startup options (including safe mode) Windows 7. The Advanced Boot Options screen lets you start Windows in advanced troubleshooting modes. You can access the menu by turning on your computer and pressing the F8 key before Windows starts. Some options, such as safe mode, start Windows in a limited state, where only the bare essentials ...

Block suspicious macros in Office on Windows 10 S. How malware can infect your PC. Improve security, evaluate and mitigate the risks of running macros, and see how to enable or disable macros for Microsoft 365.

Get Windows updates as soon as they're available for your device. When the latest Windows update is ready for your device, it will be available to download from the Windows Update page in Settings.

If you're having problems with your Surface Pro model, Surface 3, Surface Studio, or Surface Book, try fresh start, restoring, refreshing, or resetting it to its factory settings.