How to Hard Reset a Microsoft Surface RT
This article explains How to Factory Reset your Microsoft Surface RT.
To reset your Surface without logging in, please try the following:
1. Attach your Touch Cover / Type Cover (if no cover you can use a USB keyboard).
2. Power on your Surface.
3. Press and hold the Left Shift key at the Login screen.
4. Press the Power icon.
5. Press Restart
Your surface should boot to a light blue screen with some options on it.
1. Click on Troubleshoot.
2. Click on Reset your PC.
3. Follow the prompts.
How to reset surface?
1. Factory Reset.
Go to tap Applications list > Settings > about > reset your tablet.
Windows RT
Press Windows key and Power buttons together, same as Alt+Ctrl + Del on previous Windows OS.
You can use Backup and Restore Center to restore backups.
As last resort you can restore the factory image from the recovery partition. The recovery partition on a Microsoft Surface unit is a hidden partition on the drive. You should not delete this partition to free disk space, because the partition contains a copy of the factory image.
To restore the factory image
Turn on your device and press the BACKSPACE key.
Press F8 key.
Select Repair your computer and hit ENTER
After the recovery wizard (keyb. layout, user, pass etc.)
Select cmd Command prompt, and then open the D:\recovery directory.
Enter recovery.cmd and then hit the ENTER key. Wait until it finishes.
After restarting the device you need to go through the setup wizard.
Daniel Z. Stinson 
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I really like your write-ups, your blog is nicely written and easy to follow.
Keep up the good work!
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Exceptional Blog!
I thought i trashed my Surface Rt, but you brought it back to life, much gracias!
thanks for the post your article saved my surface!
merci pour l’article utile!
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Thank you so much, my surface is now working again!!!!!
Thank you so much for this “how to”. I thought I bricked my surface, but with your simple instructions, my device is back on!
You sir are a lifesaver!
What if you don’t have a recovery USB? Will this still work?
Yes it will, no recovery USB needed to reset!
Thank you for the article, you have save my Suface RT!
This is aсtսally a wonderful site. Your easy instructions fixed my Surface!
Mucho Gracias
I think this is among the most significant info for me. And i am glad reading your article. But want to remark on some general things, The website style is wonderful, the articles is really great D. Good job, cheers
My microsoft surface rt is having a problem, basically when I turn it on it stays on the black screen with just the surface logo coming up, is there a way I am able to fix this or do I have do reset it, if so how do I?
You will either need to take it to a Microsoft Store, or do the Factory reset.
Surface tablet powers on ok but that is it, stays on locked screen and cannot unlock.
The screen is not responding for slide to unlock and the attached keyboard cover has no effect.
Tried with a usb keyboard but it is as if there is no power goinh to it.
Connected my phone to the usb port and this charges so power is coming through but not reconizing any devices.
Anyone seen or resolved this issue?
When I try resetting the tablet is says there are files missing and it won’t reset, what do I do?
You will need to contact Microsoft Support.
that is other day to do this
with our key bord
just 1st turn it off thine whine you power it up perse the volume up key on the right side of the pc bat you shode late go off the power…..
Your surface should boot to a light blue screen with some options on it.
1. Click on Troubleshoot.
2. Click on Reset your PC.
3. Follow the prompts.
If I do a reset, will I lose word and therefore have to pay to get it back ?
If you purchased using your Microsoft Account, your app will by available as long as you login to device with the same MS ID.
I’ve read several excellent posts here. Definitely bookmarking for future visits.
Great site, keep up the good work!
Yo tengo un atablet surface rt y no puedo solo se queda en el logo se puede hacer algo para que buelva a funcionar
Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your site I actually enjoyed your blog posts.
Anyway I will be subscribing to your feeds. Keep up the good work!
Though this was posted a long time ago, I still found it SUPER useful. Thanks!
I have a surface RT running windows 8, anytime I try to download apps off the store, it won’t let me due to windows not being activated… is there some way I can reactivate it? Not sure what happened but Microsoft support has no solution either, other than buying windows 8 from a 3rd party source they can’t recommend.
Happy 2021, Dan! Useful is rare these days. I ended up going here to create a recovery USB as my RT wanted nothing to do with ANY sort of recovery:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/creating-and-using-a-usb-recovery-drive-for-surface-677852e2-ed34-45cb-40ef-398fc7d62c07
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/boot-surface-from-a-usb-device-fe7a7323-8d1d-823d-be17-9aec89c4f9f5
I thought it might be helpful for your readers.
I want that arsehole M$ to pick up their dropped-ball and create a small Win 10 image for the RT. My unit still runs all day on battery and is brilliant. Good Christ, Win 10 IOT runs an a frigging RP2!, but NOT on their own device??? FFS.
Microsoft: “anything we accidentally create that’s good, we’ll shaft you with it”. B*st*rds promoted it as the best thing ever– then DUMPED US!
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