Each release of the tool helps detect and remove current, prevalent malicious software. This malicious software includes viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Microsoft uses several metrics to determine the prevalence of a malicious software family and the damage that can be associated with it.

Surface will try to boot from any other connected USB devices. Here's how to boot from a USB. Shut down your Surface. Insert the bootable USB drive into the USB port on your Surface. Press and hold the volume-down button on the Surface. While you're doing this, press and release the power button.

Manually update Surface drivers and firmware. Manual updates are useful if you need to update an offline device, update many devices that are all the same model, or if you’re creating system images for your organization.

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.

Fix your audio drivers. Hardware problems can be caused by outdated or malfunctioning drivers. Make sure your audio driver is up to date and update it if needed. If that doesn't work, try uninstalling the audio driver (it will reinstall automatically).

To connect your controller with Xbox Wireless, you might need the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows. If your PC has Xbox Wireless built in, you can connect the controller directly without an adapter. If you’re using the Xbox Wireless Adapter: Plug the Xbox Wireless Adapter into your PC.

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.

First steps if your Surface Type Cover or Keyboard doesn't work. To try to resolve these issues, you can begin by following the steps below to get the latest updates, detach the Type cover or keyboard, force a restart, reattach the Type Cover or Keyboard , or confirm connectivity.

Use Xbox touch controls with cloud gaming or remote play.

Virtualization lets your PC emulate a different operating system, like Android™ or Linux. Enabling virtualization gives you access to a larger library of apps to use and install on your PC. If you upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on your PC, these steps will help you enable virtualization.