Surface recovery image contains 0kb file in zip

Sam Sam 0 Reputation points
2026-05-23T18:29:28.1733333+00:00

I am trying to recover my Surface Go 1824 but the recovery file does not work and fails at 12%. Upon further investigation, The ZIP file contains a file at 0kb.

I have Downloaded using 3 machines, I have a 1Gb Fibre Connection, I have Tried to download the zip from different places, I have suspended anti-virus & security to no avail.

The recovery package is SurfaceGo_BMR_21_2.001.1 and within this zip, the 0kb file is Surface_Go_1824.21.NonCompact.CONFIG.2.001.1.wim.mrk

Please can you advise? or tell me where to find a different but still compatible Recovery Package?

Surface | Surface Go | Install and update
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  1. Alex-L 12,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-25T01:26:39.02+00:00

    Hi Sam Sam

    I'm sorry to hear you're running into this. The 0 KB *.wim.mrk file in the recovery package is expected and does not indicate a faulty image. Surface recovery images must be used exactly as provided for the specific device model, and individual files inside the ZIP cannot be substituted.

    A recovery failure at around 12% typically points to the system being unable to properly read or apply the recovery data during the process, rather than an issue with that marker file itself.

    If the issue persists across multiple attempts with freshly prepared recovery media and the correct image for Surface Go 1824, it may indicate a deeper read/write issue (for example with the internal storage) rather than a problem with the recovery package itself.

    What you can do to help diagnose further:

    • Try the same recovery USB on another Surface (if available) → confirms whether the image/media is usable
    • Check in UEFI if the internal storage is consistently detected → rules out failing eMMC
    • Leave the device running during failure to see if an error code appears (sometimes it’s delayed)
    • If possible, attempt recovery via the Surface IT Toolkit (auto-build method) to eliminate manual prep variables

    If it still fails at the exact same point across multiple attempts, the most likely cause is a hardware-level storage issue rather than the recovery package itself.

    Feel free to update here if anything comes up!

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-23T18:29:42.2866667+00:00

    The Surface recovery image must be downloaded and used exactly as provided for the specific device model; there is no supported way to substitute individual files inside the .zip. A 0 KB marker file inside the archive does not by itself indicate that the image is invalid, but a failure at 12% during recovery typically means the recovery media or image is not being read correctly.

    To obtain a different but still compatible recovery package and recreate the USB recovery drive:

    1. Go to the Surface Recovery Image Download page: Surface Recovery Image Download.
    2. Select the exact device model (Surface Go 1824) and download the latest available recovery image .zip for that device. If multiple images are available, select the most recent version.
    3. Prepare a new USB drive following the official process:
      • Use a USB drive that is large enough (32 GB is sufficient for any Surface image) and supports USB 3.0 or higher.
      • Use the built-in Windows Recovery Drive tool to create the base USB recovery drive:
        1. Insert the USB drive.
        2. In Windows, search for recovery drive and select Create a recovery drive.
        3. In User Account Control, select Yes.
        4. Clear Back up system files to the recovery drive, select Next.
        5. Select the USB drive, then Next > Create and wait for completion.
      • When the tool finishes, open the downloaded recovery image .zip and copy all files from the .zip into the USB recovery drive, choosing to replace files in the destination when prompted.
      • Safely eject the USB drive.
    4. Boot the Surface Go from this newly created USB recovery drive and run the recovery again.

    If the recovery still fails at the same point after recreating the USB with a freshly downloaded image, use another USB drive (different brand/model if possible) and repeat the steps above, as media issues are a common cause of partial-progress failures.

    For IT-managed or business devices, the Surface IT Toolkit Recovery Tool can also be used to automatically download and create a recovery USB for the correct Surface model.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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