Repeated BSOD after firmware update - Surface pro 3, Windows 10

Anonymous
2015-09-30T05:24:22+00:00

Hey everyone

There was a firmware update for the SP3 I just did and my device now seems completely bricked. When I boot it, I instantaneously get a BSOD with one of those two messages : kernel security check failure or driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations.

The BSOD tells me I have to use a win10 device to boot it from, but when I tell the BIOS to boot with my USB win10 key, it doesn't and keeps telling that the OS can't boot and to use a win10 disc (no CD reader on the SP3). Nothing I've tried works so far. 

I've had my sp3 for just over a year and I really liked it before windows 10, and I really hope I can get it fixed.

Thanks for your help, 

Émile

Surface | Surface Pro | Install and update

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Anonymous
2015-10-01T02:21:41+00:00

MODERATOR EDIT (10/5/2015): Steps listed here previously are now updated to the following.  If you receive a blue screen error after installing the 9/29/2015 Surface Firmware Update please start at step 1 to address.

Step 1 – System Restore Point

1.    Boot Surface using USB recovery media.  If you do not have recovery media you can download from here: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/warranty-service-and-recovery/downloadablerecoveryimage.  Once you have recovery media proceed to next steps.  Note:  The USB drive must be formatted to FAT32 (not NTFS) in order to work correctly.

2.    Press and hold the volume-down button while you press and release the power button.  When the Surface logo appears release the volume-down button.

3.    When prompted select the language and keyboard layout you want.

4.    Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options, followed by selecting System Restore then select the target operating system.

5.    In System Restore, click Next.

6.    Click on a system restore point that was prior to applying the System Firmware update. Please use a restore point 9/28 or earlier.

7.    Click Next.

8.    Click Finish.

9.    Click Yes when asked if you want to continue.

10.    After moving to an earlier restore point you should boot into Windows.

If you were able to restore to an earlier restore point you should now be able to use your Surface again, no additional steps are needed.  If you were not able restore to an earlier restore point or you did not have a restore point then continue to step 2 below.

Step 2 – Safe Mode

1.    Boot Surface using USB recovery media by pressing and holding the volume-down button while you press and release the power button.  When the Surface logo appears release the volume-down button.

2.    When prompted select the language and keyboard layout you want.

3.    Select Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options, followed by selecting Command Prompt.

4.    Type the following command in the command prompt and then press enter:

               bcdedit /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu yes

5.    Type the following command in the command prompt and then press enter.

               exit

6.    Press Turn off your PC.

7.    Press the power button on Surface to turn it on.

8.    Press F8 when the Windows Boot Manager screen comes up to go to Startup Settings.

9.    Press “4” to enable Safe Mode.

10.    Surface may do disk checking as well as perform a scan and repair.  Surface will then restart.  If Surface does not do this and instead boots into Safe Mode, go to step 13.

11.    Press F8 when the Windows Boot Manager screen comes up to go to Startup Settings.

12.    Press “4” to enable Safe Mode.

13.    Surface will start in Safe Mode.  Sign into Surface.  Press the Windows Start Menu, press Power and select Restart.

14.    Press Enter when the Windows Boot Manager screen comes up to boot into Windows 10.

15.    Surface will start normally.  Sign into Surface.  Right-click the Windows Start Menu and click Command Prompt (Admin).

16.    Click Yes to allow this app to make changes.

17.    Type the following command in the command prompt and then press enter.

               bcdedit /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu no

18.    Press the Windows Start Menu, press Power and select Restart.

If you are now able to boot into Windows you should now be able to use your Surface again, no additional steps are needed. If you were not able to boot into Windows then continue to step 3 below.

Step 3 – Reset Surface to factory settings

1.    Follow the steps in the article below to boot Surface using USB recovery media and reset Surface back to factory settings: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/warranty-service-and-recovery/usbrecovery

Please let us know how it goes.

Thanks,

Josh

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-10-03T11:42:33+00:00

    On Fri, 2 Oct 2015 19:39:37 +0000, PA Bear MS MVP [Insider, MVP] wrote:

    >>

    >>

    >>AFAIK, it hasn't been fixed yet - but there may be a workaround.

    As of 10/3/2015 7:30am ET

    The solution is a System Restore prior to the date the firmware update was

    installed. The bits that caused this are supposedly pulled from WU.

    1. The zip and MSI files MS posted yesterday do NOT fix the wireless gone

    missing issues. Or BSOD reboot loops.

    1. I've asked Microsoft to post stand alone wireless drivers, but I don't know

    if those will fix anyone who currently can see their wireless adapter in device

    manager but no where else.

    1. some people are successfully doing the nuclear reimage fix (painful) to

    recover and that may be the only near term solution.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Barb

    Windows Experience MVP

    My Blog - http://digitalmediaphile.com/

    Please mark as answered if this answers your question

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-10-03T00:43:40+00:00

    My wifi was originally bugged showing to network adapter. I used a system restore and it worked until the next reboot. Now I have the bsod on starting and none of the steps listed here works. I'm hoping to bring it in to the Microsoft store tomorrow but I fear all my files that I haven't backed up are lost.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-10-02T23:23:31+00:00

    (SurfacePro3_Win10_150929_1.msi): http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=38826

    I just bit the bullet and tried the downloaded driver update above that is marked as the "solution" now. Suffice to say, I'm now doing my 3rd system restore as I report this. Same old BSOD after the above installer installed, then asked to reboot the device. Upon boot, same blue screen error.

    I'm about to leave work after this finish restoring. Being on call, I'm not going to try anything else at this point.

    update:

    Great. seems like the system restore restored the same bad image. I picked the one that was supposed to be prior to the above installer run, but it's bad. going to pick an older restore point. *sigh*

    update2:

    after running 3 more system restores, the device is alive again without system firmware update.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-10-02T23:00:19+00:00

    Hello BarbaraAshton ,

    Thank you for contacting the Surface community and sorry to hear you are having some troubles with your Surface. According to your post the system recovery tool failed after many tries. You can use the USB recovery drive to reset the Surface.

    Alternatively, if the recovery failed you will need to contact our assisted supportfor help.

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