Purchased a Surface Pro 9 with no OS. Serial number not correct/recognised for Surface recovery.

Hi Roy Cullen,

I understand that you purchased a Surface Pro 9 without an operating system, the serial number is not recognized on the Surface Recovery Image page and the ARM64 Windows 11 USB is not detected.

First, please confirm which Surface Pro 9 version you have. The Surface Pro 9 with an Intel processor requires x64 Windows 11 installation media, while only the Surface Pro 9 with 5G and the SQ3 processor uses ARM64. You can check the model and serial number under the kickstand. Please do not post the full serial number publicly.

If your device has an Intel processor, recreate the USB using the standard Windows 11 x64 version. To boot from it, shut down the Surface, insert the USB drive, press and hold Volume Down then press and release the Power button. Release Volume Down when the spinning dots appear.

If the USB is still not detected, enter Surface UEFI by holding Volume Up while pressing and releasing Power. Under Boot configuration, confirm that USB boot is enabled, USB Storage is placed first in the boot order and the internal SSD is detected.

Kindly note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, cannot access back-end systems or directly verify or modify device information. I can only provide technical guidance based on the information shared here.

If the serial number printed under the kickstand continues to show as invalid on the Surface Recovery Image page, I recommend contacting Microsoft Surface Support with proof of purchase, a photo of the device label and the exact error message so they can verify the device identity. If possible, you may also want to contact the seller, retailer or marketplace through which you purchased the device to ask about its history and available return or replacement options, especially if the serial number cannot be verified or the internal SSD is not detected. Please keep the full serial number private when posting in this public forum.

Please let me know whether your Surface Pro 9 is the Intel or 5G/SQ3 model and whether the internal SSD appears in Surface UEFI.

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