UEFI offers new features including faster startup and improved security. It replaces BIOS (basic input/output system). More recent Surface devices use a new UEFI called Surface UEFI. For more info, including info about which specific devices use it, see How to use Surface UEFI.

Surface Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) replaces the standard basic input/output system (BIOS) with new features including faster startup and improved security. You can use Surface UEFI to manage the firmware features on your Surface.

Along with software updates for Windows 10 or Windows 11, it's important to make hardware updates, also known as updates for drivers and firmware. You can quickly check the health of your Surface drivers and firmware using the Surface app. Open the Surface app.

Starting your Surface from a USB drive can be useful if you want to change firmware settings or Windows startup settings. 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.

Before you begin. A recovery drive lets you reset your Surface to its factory settings and can help you troubleshoot and fix problems with your Surface device. Windows comes with a built-in tool to create a USB recovery drive. You'll need to provide an external USB drive that:

When the update is complete, the console will restart, and you should be returned to the Home screen. If this happens, your console should function correctly now. You can remove the USB flash drive from your console. If you’re not returned to the Home screen, continue to the next step.

Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Device security . Under Security processor, select Security processor details. Select Security processor troubleshooting, and then under Clear TPM, select Clear TPM. You'll need to restart your device to complete the process.

Learn how to check if your PC is capable of running TPM 2.0 or how to enable TPM 2.0 to upgrade to Windows 11.

Apps and software that come with your Surface use a significant amount of the disk space on your Surface. Find out how much storage is available for your photos, music, videos, and other files on the different Surface models. Learn how to add more storage space.

If some Windows functions aren't working or Windows crashes, use the System File Checker to scan Windows and restore your files. Though the steps below might look complicated at first glance, just follow them in order, step-by-step, and we’ll try to get you back on track.