How to Recover Data from Microsoft Surface Pro 3/4/5

Updated on Jun 18, 2024 | by Gabe

Quick Navigation:

Part 1. How to Recover Deleted Files from Microsoft Surface Pro 3/4/5
Your Safe & Effective Surface Data Recovery Software
Part 2. How to Recover Data from Crashed Surface
Solution 1: Boot Surface
Way #1. Using Windows
Way #2. Using Volume-Down Button
Way #3. Using Volume-Up Button
Solution 2: Restore Surface with USB Recovery Image
Part 3: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Surface book Data Recovery
How do I recover deleted photos on my Surface Pro 3?
How do I backup my Surface Pro 3?

The Microsoft Surface Pro is a versatile device that can serve various purposes, all of which involve data in some form, whether it's text, audio, photos, or videos, highlighting the importance of data.

Losing data through accidental deletions, virus attacks, or unintentional formatting can be a frustrating experience, especially when it involves important data. Fortunately, with the advancements in technology, it is now possible to recover lost data from your Microsoft Surface Pro 3/4/5.

Part 1. How to Recover Deleted Files from Microsoft Surface Pro 3/4/5

When your data is lost on a Microsoft Surface Pro due to accidental deletion, you can recover it using file recovery software, such as Deep Data Recovery, which is a safe and professional tool for Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7.

Your Safe & Effective Surface Data Recovery Software

(Trust Score 4.7 by 2693 Users)

Recover files in over 1000 formats, including all types of photos, videos, audio files, documents, and more.
Quickly retrieve files lost in over 500 scenarios, including accidental deletion, system crashes, virus attacks, and partition loss.
Restore files from over 2000 devices, including Microsoft Surface internal hard drives and any storage devices connected to your Microsoft Surface Pro.
Preview files before recovery, namely it will display all the recoverable files for you to recover.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

The software trial version is totally free to download and use on Surface Pro. Download it now! Here are the steps for how to use Deep Data Recovery to recover data from Microsoft Surface pro.

1. Download and installing it properly

Tip: Do not install the recovery software on the drive from which you want to recover data, as this may reduce your chances of effectively recovering your deleted files.

2. The Surface will display all the disks present in it, including the desktop and recycle bin, as soon as it launches.

3. 1. Place the mouse pointer on the drive you wish to scan.

To scan a specific folder, click on "Select folder" and choose the desired folder, then click on the scan button.

4. Once you've found the deleted files, you can preview certain file types while others will allow for immediate recovery. Select the desired files and click "Recover" to restore the deleted files.

You can either browse through the files during the scan or pause the scan and review the files first. The scan mode automatically switches to deep scan while scanning, and the duration depends on the disk capacity and file sizes.

Part 2. How to Recover Data from Crashed Surface

When your Microsoft Surface Pro 3/4/5 crashes, the data recovery process is different. You can fix the crashed system, then recover your data. There are two ways to recover your data from such scenarios: using a recovery tool or seeking professional help.

Solution 1: Boot Surface

Before booting your Surface, there are a few preparations to do. You should plug in your Surface to a power source, ensure that you have the latest Surface updates installed, and connect your Surface to a Wi-Fi network or plug in your Ethernet cable. Additionally, it's a good idea to set up your Microsoft account and create a PIN or password to secure your device.

To make a bootable USB, you'll need to back up any data on the drive, as the process will erase everything. Then, you can use a tool like Rufus (for Windows) or Etcher (for Windows, macOS, or Linux) to create a bootable USB. These tools will guide you through the process of selecting the operating system you want to install and formatting the USB drive. Once complete, the USB drive will be ready to boot and install an operating system.

1. Downloading Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft,

2. Using the 'create a recovery drive' tool on Windows,

3. Windows to Go is a feature available in Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions, allowing users to run a portable version of Windows on a USB drive or other external storage device. This enables users to boot up a fully functional Windows environment from a removable drive, making it easy to take their Windows installation with them on the go.

To turn off fast startup, follow these steps:

1. Launch Control Panel.

2. To change what the power button does, go to System and Security, then select Power Options, and finally choose what power buttons do.

3. To enable the "Turn on fast startup (recommended)" option, click on the Start menu, click on Power, hold the Shift key down, and click on Restart. Then, click on the Troubleshoot button, followed by the Advanced options button, and select the Startup Settings option.

4. To disable Secure Boot, you'll need to enter your system's BIOS settings, which can usually be accessed by pressing a key such as F2, F12, or Del during boot-up. Look for the Secure Boot option and toggle it off.

Before attempting to boot, ensure that your mouse and keyboard are properly connected to the computer, as these may be the only input devices recognized by the system. This is a common issue that can prevent the boot process from proceeding.

To effectively boot Surface follow the methods below,

Way #1. Using Windows

This method allows Windows to boot directly from a USB without going through UEFI, but it's not ideal for booting from a USB with an OS other than Windows. To use this method and boot Surface, you can attempt to boot from the USB by holding the volume-down button while powering on the device. However, the effectiveness of this method may vary depending on the specific Surface model and USB configuration.

1. Plug the USB drive into the Surface.

2. Press Windows Key and click on settings.

3. Proceed to Update & Security > Recovery.

4. In the Advance startup section of the right panel, click Restart now.

5. To boot a Surface from a USB drive, first, click on the "Choose an option" window. Then, select the device that is your USB drive. The Surface will then boot from that USB drive.

Way #2. Using Volume-Down Button

To boot your Surface, it still works without going through UEFI, but it requires Fast Startup to be disabled. This allows it to boot normally.

1. Plug the USB drive to your Surface.

2. Turn off your Surface.

3. Press and hold the volume-down button while you press and release the power button.

4. Once you see the Surface logo appears, release the volume-down button and the Surface Pro will automatically boot from USB.

If your surface doesn't have a volume down button, substitute this with (F3 or F4 keys)

Way #3. Using Volume-Up Button

For users with bootable USB drives using Linux and other systems, navigating UEFI is a common challenge. To overcome this, follow these steps: [insert steps here].

1. Insert the USB drive into your Surface, then power it down.

2. Press and hold the volume-up button while you press and release the power button.

3. Press and hold the Volume Up button on your Surface until the Surface UEFI appears. This may take a few seconds. You'll see the Surface logo on the screen.

4. Proceed to the Security page. Under Security boot, click Change configuration.

5. To disable secure boot, select "None" in the Change Secure Boot Configuration dialog box and click OK. This will allow the method to proceed without secure boot enabled.

6. Go to the Boot Configuration tab

7. To enable alternate boot sequence and boot from USB devices, simply switch on the Enable alternate boot sequence and Enable Boot from USB devices options.

8. To configure the boot device order, go to the settings and pull the USB storage boot option to the top of the list, making it the first boot device.

9. Proceed to the Exit page, click on Restart now, and restart your Surface from your USB.

To change the boot order on your Surface, follow these steps: since the process may differ depending on the specific model of your Surface, you'll need to consult the user manual or online documentation for your device. This will allow you to boot your Surface in a way that enables data recovery, such as using a recovery drive or booting from a USB drive.

Solution 2: Restore Surface with USB Recovery Image

Recovering data from a crashed Microsoft Surface Pro 3/4/5 can also be done using a USB Recovery Image. This method reimages the device's files and hard drive partition, allowing you to restore your Surface while still trying the "Keep my files" option.

It is recommended to have a USB key of at least 16GB/32GB formatted to FAT32 before downloading the Recovery image to restore your Surface device.

This is possible only on Windows 7 or higher.

1. Go to the page https://www.surface.com/support/warranty-service-and-recovery/downloadablerecoveryimage

2. Microsoft account sign in with email used to create account

3. To get the recovery image for a Surface Pro, go through the list of Surface Pros registered under your account and choose the device you need the recovery image for. If the device is not registered, you can still get the image, but you'll need the device's serial number. This will allow you to access the recovery image for the device, even if it's not registered under your account.

4. Download the recovery image and save it where you want.

To prepare the USB, ensure it is empty and formatted to the FAT32 system. If it's not, format the USB drive by right-clicking on it, choosing format, selecting FAT32 as the file system, giving it a label, and clicking OK.

Create a Recovery drive

To prepare a USB recovery image, you need to download an image, locate it on the PC, right-click and select "Extract", then choose the prepared USB as the extraction path. This process completes the preparation of the USB recovery image.

To restore your Surface Pro using the USB recovery image,

1. Turn off the Surface Pro.

2. Plug the USB recovery drive into the Surface pro.

3. Press and hold volume-down.

4. Press the power button then release immediately. Once you see the Surface logo appear, release the volume-down button.

5. The Surface Pro will start the recovery software on the USB drive.

6. You will be asked to select your preferred language and keyboard layout. Please choose the options that suit your needs.

7. Choose to Troubleshoot and select Recover from a Drive. You'll be asked to choose between keeping your files or removing everything.

8. When prompted, choose to re-partition the drives and skip the drive that requires the BitLocker key.

To recover data from a Surface laptop, follow these steps: Insert the USB recovery drive into the Surface laptop and restart it. Once the Surface is restarted, select the language and other preferences, then click on the "Next" button.

Part 3: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Surface book Data Recovery

How do I recover deleted photos on my Surface Pro 3?

To recover deleted photos from a laptop, you can use Deep Data Recovery, a tool that helps in the data recovery process.

1. To recover data from a drive, download Deep Data Recovery, and install it on a different drive than the one containing the data you want to recover.

2. To recover lost pictures, select the drive or folder where the photos were stored, then click the "Scan" button to initiate the recovery process.

3. Select the photos you may want to recover and click "Recover" to save them on your Surface.

You can browse through files during the scan process and stop it if you find your photos beforehand. Some photos are available for preview before recovery, while others must be recovered first to be viewed.

How do I backup my Surface Pro 3?

Backing up your data using a tool like Qiling Data Backup is an efficient way to prepare for any future data loss scenario, allowing you to recover your data even in the event of loss.

To backup your Surface Pro 3 using Qiling Data Backup, follow these 3 simple steps:

1. To back up your Surface Pro 3, launch the application and select the system backup option. This will allow you to create a backup of your device's system and data, ensuring that your information is safe and secure.

2. To start a backup on your Surface Pro 3, select the files, folders, or the entire system you want to back up. You can also edit the backup path at the bottom of the page. Set your desired backup time and click on the "Start Backup" button.

3. Once you've completed the backup process, you can edit the backup and if needed, restore any data from it. This way, you can maintain a record of changes made to the data and have a safety net in case anything goes wrong.