surface go 3 wont factory reset and locked me out

Anonymous
2025-03-21T22:45:24+00:00

i have a surface go 3 and i have no keyboard and have downloaded the recovery drive for it and plugged the type c in and it still doesn't want to read or anything. i don't have any of the passwords and just want to factory reset and start over. if i c ant figure this out how can i send it to Microsoft and have you reset and send it back?

Surface | Surface Go | USB-C

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-22T02:50:18+00:00

    Hi Tim, 

    Welcome to Microsoft Community.

    I'm sorry to hear about the issue you're experiencing with your Surface Go 3.

    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.

    Here's how:

    1. Shut down your Surface.
    2. After the Surface has turned off, press and hold the volume-up button.
    3. With the volume-up button held down, press and release the power button.
    4. Continue holding the volume-up button until the Surface or Windows logo no longer appears on the screen.
    5. You should now see the Surface UEFI. You'll need to change the boot order so that your Surface boots from a USB.

    To change the Surface boot configuration:

    1. Select Boot configuration.
    2. Select USB Storage and drag it to the top of the list. Alternatively, you can swipe left on USB Storage to boot to the device immediately. This won't affect the boot order.
    3. Select Exit and then select Restart Now.

    Make sure that the USB drive is formatted as FAT32. Use another USB drive, if possible. For more info, see Boot Surface from a USB device. If that fails, Microsoft support is your next step, and they can handle the reset for you. Contact Us - Microsoft Support

    Let me know if you need help with any specific part of this process! Your SincerelyHahn. W - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments