My Surface tablet is locked.

Fernando Cáceres 5 Reputation points
2026-08-05T15:45:55.64+00:00

I have a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (12.3").

I don't know what I did, but the screen is black with the text "SURFACE" and a red rectangle with an open padlock icon at the top.

What can I do to get out of this state?

Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen
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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-05T15:46:12.5+00:00

    That screen means Secure Boot is turned off on the Surface. The red bar with the unlocked lock icon is the indicator for that state.

    To get out of it, turn Secure Boot back on in Surface UEFI:

    1. Shut down the Surface and wait about 10 seconds.
    2. Press and hold the Volume Up button.
    3. While holding Volume Up, press and release the Power button.
    4. Keep holding Volume Up until the UEFI screen appears.
    5. Select Security.
    6. Under Secure Boot, select Change Configuration.
    7. Select a Secure Boot certificate keyset, such as Microsoft only.
    8. Select Exit > Restart now to save the change and restart.

    If the device is still stuck after that, try a forced restart:

    • Press and hold the power button until the Surface shuts down and restarts and the Windows logo appears again, which can take about 20 seconds.

    References:

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

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  2. S.Sengupta 32,031 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-08-06T00:30:39.9866667+00:00

    This isn't a hardware failure. That red bar with the open padlock just means Secure Boot is turned off in your Surface's firmware. Secure Boot is a security feature designed to prevent malicious software from loading when your PC starts up, and this screen appears when it's disabled.

    Shut down completely

    Hold the power button until the Surface fully powers off, then wait about 10 seconds to make sure it's completely off

    Boot into UEFI

    Press and hold the Volume Up button, then press and release the Power button while still holding Volume Up. Keep holding Volume Up when the Surface logo appears until the blue UEFI settings screen shows up (this can take several seconds).

    Go to Security settings

    In the UEFI menu, navigate to the 'Security' section.

    Re-enable Secure Boot

    Under 'Secure Boot,' select 'Change Configuration' and choose a certificate keyset — 'Microsoft only' is the standard/recommended option for most users.

    Exit and restart

    Select 'Exit', then 'Restart now' to save the changes. The Surface should boot normally without the red bar this time.

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