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.

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 Hardware problems can be caused by outdated or malfunctioning drivers.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).

If you can’t boot from your USB recovery drive or don’t see the Recover from a drive option, you may need to ensure that the boot-from-USB function in the Surface BIOS is enabled or configure the boot order so the USB drive is the first option. For more info, see Boot Surface from a USB device.

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.

We understand that sometimes purchases of digital game products don’t go as planned. When that happens, we’ll help you request a refund. Refunds are typically issued for requests meeting the following criteria: Requests are made within 14 days of the purchase date.

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.

In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, then select Device Manager from the menu.

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.

If you can’t set the power mode in Power & battery settings, open Control Panel, select System and Security > Power Options, then choose a Balanced power plan. Learn how to change the power mode on your Windows PC to preserve your battery, limit notifications, and background activity.