What you need to know
- Microsoft released recovery images for the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7.
- Recovery images are used to reset your PC if it won't start or if recovery information has been removed from the device.
- It's possible to reset your PC without a recovery image, but there are instances in which that won't solve the issue your computer is facing.
Microsoft just launched its Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7. The devices are among the first wave of Copilot+ PCs that run on Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus processors. If you grabbed yourself one of the new flagship PCs during launch week and have run into serious issues, there is a new solution available. Microsoft released recovery images for the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7, giving users another way to reset their PCs.
There are multiple ways to reset a Windows 11 PC, including options that do not require a recovery image. Generally speaking, those options should be tried first before using a recovery image to reset your PC. But there are cases in which resetting your PC to factory conditions is not the solution to an issue. A recovery image can provide a way to reset your PC in those instances.
To get a recovery image for your Surface device, you'll need to sign into Microsoft's website. Once signed in, you can select the product you need a recovery image for and then enter the serial number of your device. Note that due to Microsoft's naming scheme for the new Surface devices, which are officially called the Surface Pro 11th Edition and Surface Pro 7th Edition, the PCs appear in the dropdown menu in an order you may not expect.
If you can't find the serial number of your Surface device, the page has a tool that shows the location of the number depending on the PC you select.
Downloading a recovery image requires you to have a USB drive that's been formatted to FAT32. Microsoft has a guide on how to use that drive to reset your Surface to factory settings.
Using a recovery image is for when your Surface won't start or if you want to reset the PC and recovery information has been removed from the device. The process requires a recovery drive and a bit of technical knowledge. Microsoft's guide is thorough. Take a look through that guide and see if you're comfortable following it before starting the reset process on your PC.
