Windows 10: Surface IT Toolkit recovery USB, Data Eraser USB. Windows Media Creation Tool Failing

BenCT · Jun 19, 2024

Hi All, I'm currently using the Surface IT Toolkit to create a recovery drive and a couple data erasers for some of our surfaces. When trying to create these it fails to format the USBs instantly and I've tested this on multiple Windows 11 devices. I'm currently running Windows 11 Education 23H2 and the same on other devices it fails on all these devices. However when I go to create a USB with the IT Surface Toolkit on a windows 10 machine it works perfectly with the SAME USB. I believe its an Issue with Windows 11 and I'm wondering if there is a fix for this as I don't want to keep having to

:)

Cluster Head · Jun 19, 2024

Microsoft Surface Data Eraser

Microsoft Surface Data Eraser

Find out how the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser tool can help you securely wipe data from your Surface devices.

Microsoft Surface Data Eraser is a tool that boots from a USB stick and allows you to perform a secure wipe of all data from a compatible Surface device. A Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB stick requires only the ability to boot from USB. The USB tool is easy to create by using the provided wizard, the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser Wrapper, and is easy to use with a simple graphic interface, no command line needed. To learn more about the data wiping capabilities and practices Microsoft uses during the service process for Surface, see Protecting your data if you send your Surface in for service.

Compatible Surface devices include:

•Surface Book

•Surface Pro 4

•Surface Pro3

•Surface 3

•Surface 3 LTE

•Surface Pro 2

Some scenarios where Microsoft Surface Data Eraser can be helpful include:

•Prepare a Surface device to be sent for repair

•Decommission a Surface device to be removed from corporate or organizational use

•Repurpose a Surface device for use in a new department or for use by a new user

•Standard practice when performing reimaging for devices used with sensitive data

Note: Third-party devices, Surface devices running Windows RT (including Surface and Surface 2), and Surface Pro are not compatible with Microsoft Surface Data Eraser.

Note: Because the ability to boot to USB is required to run Microsoft Surface Data Eraser, if the device is not configured to boot from USB or if the device is unable to boot or POST successfully, the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser tool will not function.

How to create a Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB stick

To create a Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB stick, first install the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser setup tool from the Microsoft Download Center using the link provided at the beginning of this article. You do not need a Surface device to create the USB stick. After you have downloaded the installation file to your computer, follow these steps to install the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser creation tool:

1.Run the DataEraserSetup.msi installation file that you downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center.

2.Select the check box to accept the terms of the license agreement, and then click Install.

3.Click Finish to close the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser setup window.

After the creation tool is installed, follow these steps to create a Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB stick. Before you begin these steps, ensure that you have a USB 3.0 stick that is 4 GB or larger connected to the computer.

1.Start Microsoft Surface Data Eraser from the Start menu or Start screen.

2.Click Build to begin the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB creation process.

3.Click Start to acknowledge that you have a USB stick of at least 4 GB connected, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Start the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser tool

4.Select the USB drive of your choice from the USB Thumb Drive Selection page as shown in Figure 2, and then click Start to begin the USB creation process. The drive you select will be formatted and any existing data on this drive will be lost.

Note: If the Start button is disabled, check that your removable drive has a total capacity of at least 4 GB.

Figure 2. USB thumb drive selection

5.After the creation process is finished, the USB drive has been formatted and all binaries are copied to the USB drive. Click Success.

6.When the Congratulations screen is displayed, you can eject and remove the thumb drive. This thumb drive is now ready to be inserted into a Surface device, booted from, and wipe any data on the device. Click Complete to finish the USB creation process, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Complete the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB creation process

7.Click X to close Microsoft Surface Data Eraser.

How to use a Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB stick

After you create a Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB stick, you can boot a supported Surface device from the USB stick by following this procedure:

1.Insert the bootable Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB stick into the supported Surface device.

2.Ensure your system firmware is set to boot to USB. To enter the firmware settings:

1.Turn off your Surface device.

2.Press and hold the Volume Up button.

3.Press and release the Power button.

4.Release the Volume Up button.

3.When the Surface device boots, a SoftwareLicenseTerms text file is displayed.

Figure 4. Booting the Microsoft Surface Data Eraser USB stick

4.Read the software license terms, and then close the notepad file.

5.Accept or Decline the Software License Terms by typing Accept or Decline.

6.Select one of the following three options:

◦Enter S to start Data Erase – Select this option to begin the data erase process. You will have a chance to confirm in the next step.

◦Enter D to perform Diskpart – Select this option to use diskpart.exe to manage partitions on your disk.

◦Enter X to shut device down – Select this option to perform no action and shut down the device.

7.If you typed S to begin the data erase process, the partition that will be erased is displayed, as shown in Figure 5. If this is correct, press Y to continue, or N to shut down the device.

Figure 5. Partition to be erased is displayed in Microsoft Surface Data Eraser

8.If you pressed Y in step 7, due to the destructive nature of the data erasure process, an additional dialog box is displayed to confirm your choice.

9.Click the Yes button to continue erasing data on the Surface device.
Click to expand...

Source: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/...ce-data-eraser

Derrick.Q - MSFT · Jun 19, 2024

make a surface pro recovery USB

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

Creating a recovery USB for your Surface Pro 8 is a straightforward process, but there are a few considerations and steps to keep in mind. Here's how you can create a Surface Pro recovery USB in Windows 11, along with important considerations:

Prerequisites:

USB Drive: You'll need a USB drive with at least 16 GB of space. Note that all data on this USB drive will be erased during the process, so make sure to back up any important data beforehand.

Internet Connection: Ensure you have a stable internet connection to download the recovery image.

Considerations:

Data Loss: The process will erase all data on the USB drive. Ensure you've backed up any important files from the USB drive before proceeding.

Battery Level: If you’re creating this USB from your Surface Pro 8, make sure it's either plugged in or has sufficient battery life to complete the download and creation process.

Correct Recovery Image: Download the recovery image specifically designed for the Surface Pro 8 from Microsoft’s official website to avoid compatibility issues.

Steps to Create a Surface Pro 8 Recovery USB:

Download Recovery Image:

Visit the official Microsoft Support website for Surface recovery images.

Select your Surface model (Surface Pro 8) and enter your serial number if prompted.

Download the recovery image for your device.

Format USB Drive:

Insert your USB drive into your computer.

Open File Explorer, right-click your USB drive, and select “Format”.

Choose “FAT32” as the file system, ensure “Quick Format” is selected, and click “Start”.

Create Recovery USB:

Once the recovery image has downloaded, unzip the file.

Copy all the files from the unzipped folder to your USB drive.

Using the Recovery USB:

With the USB still inserted, shut down your Surface Pro 8.

Press and hold the Volume Down button on your Surface, then press and release the Power button.

Release the Volume Down button once the Surface logo appears. Your Surface will boot from the USB drive into the recovery environment.

Additional Tips:

Secure Your USB: Once created, keep the recovery USB in a safe place. It can be used to access your device if you forget your password or if it needs to be recovered.

Regular Updates: If significant updates or changes are made to your system, consider updating the recovery drive by creating a new one to reflect these changes.

Creating a recovery USB for your Surface Pro 8 is a form of insurance against future system failures, ensuring you can restore your device's software to its original state if needed.

Let me know if you need further assistance.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

StuartUster · Jun 19, 2024

Cannot create recovery drive or bootable usb using media creation tool

I have a Surface 4 and I am attempting to make a recovery drive and/or a bootable USB using media creation tool.

I have been searching the web and I have tried:

sfc/scannow

another USB drive

Any ideas what I can do? I have just completed this process on an older PC with no problems at all.

Thanks in advance.

Windows 10: Surface IT Toolkit recovery USB, Data Eraser USB. Windows Media Creation Tool Failing

Surface IT Toolkit recovery USB, Data Eraser USB. Windows Media Creation Tool Failing

Surface IT Toolkit recovery USB, Data Eraser USB. Windows Media Creation Tool Failing

Surface IT Toolkit recovery USB, Data Eraser USB. Windows Media Creation Tool Failing

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