Failed Format Drive in Microsoft Surface 3 TPM Update Tool !

Greetings,

I ran into the same problem with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 TPM Update Tool failing when trying to format the USB flash drive.

I was trying to create the bootable USB flash drive on the Surface Pro 3 directly and not on a separate computer.

I also have a docking station that my Surface Pro 3 sits in so I can use it like a desktop computer. 

I did the following while running the Update Tool in both standard and administrator modes:

1. I used a 16GB USB 2.0 flash drive formatted as FAT32 - FAIL
2. I used a 256GB USB 3.0 flash drive formatted as NTFS (exFAT and NTFS were the only format options) - FAIL
3. I went out and bought a brand new 16GB USB 3.0 flash drive formatted as FAT32 - FAIL
4. Using the newly purchased 16GB USB 3.0 flash drive, I tried 3 different USB 3.0 ports (the one on the Surface Pro 3 itself and two on the docking station) - FAIL

After these attempts I finally found what worked on my Surface Pro 3:

• I created a new local user account and set it as an administrator and I was able to create a bootable USB 3.0 flash drive using the Update Tool under this new account.
• I had to set the UEFI boot order to be USB first for it to boot from the bootable USB flash drive. Plugging the bootable USB flash drive in did not boot from it automatically. This was the only step missing in the TPM update instructions.

Need to run the firmware tool as administrator

I also ran into the same problem, repeatedly, also working on a Microsoft Surface Pro 3.

I was also trying to create the disk directly on the Surface Pro 3.

I used a Lexar 32 GB jump drive (product code LJDS50-32G-000-112). I do not have the original packaging, but based on info from an online store, it is USB 2.0.

Proceeding as initially instructed on Microsoft's support page failed with the error shown in the initial post. I tried several variations, all of which failed with the same error.

An article on windows central was helpful for working out a process which worked for my setup. The url for that article is: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-format-new-hard-drive-windows-10.

What finally worked for me was to preformat the USB drive using FAT32. Here are the specific steps I followed - it is unclear which ones were significant and which were not:

With the USB drive plugged directly into the Surface Pro 3, and using an existing local admin user's account …

1. In Windows 10 Disk Management, choose the USB drive and choose "Delete Volume".
2. I exited all programs, shut down, removed the USB drive, and restarted and logged in, and reinserted the USB drive.
3. In Disk Management, format the USB drive as FAT32, with the option for fast format turned off.
4. I had chosen an invalid drive name during the format step, so in properties, I gave the drive a different name (LEXAR-FAT32).
5. Proceed as instructed to run the Surface Pro 3 TPM update tool as administrator and then follow the steps presented to create the bootable USB flash drive. This is the step which had failed previously, multiple times. This time it worked.
6. Proceed with the remaining steps to use the TPM update tool, exactly as instructed. No other errors encountered.

Just wanted to throw this out there for anyone who is still running into the SP3 TPM Update Tool failing to format and/or copy binaries to the USB stick.

I tried at least 4 different USB sticks, even a brand new 32 GB USB 3.0 stick and they all failed initially, even on a different computer (my desktop computer). I can't find the thread now, but someone here on the Microsoft forums suggested creating a new user account and run the tool under that account. It actually worked for me!

So after all that, I believe the root cause is that the tool will not work when your are logged into your computer with a Microsoft account, as was the case for me on my SP3 and my other desktop. After creating a new local (non-Microsoft) account it worked.

can you provide step by step as to what you did and what failed? are you saying

you can't use your Surface? Did you try to prepare the took ON your SP3?