Just bought a Surface Pro 9 can I use software from a laptop and an iPad on it?

Question

I have just bought a Surface Pro 9 WIFI for my wife to take the place of her old laptop and and old iPad Air 2.

Obviously she has a load of software on her laptop and apps on her iPad that I am sure she would like to keep and use on the surface pro. Can she? How do I get them onto the Surface Pro?

And, As I read upgrading the rSSD in the Surface Pro is straight forward, if there is too much to go on the 256GB rSSD in the surface pro and I upgrade it before giving her the Surface Pro how do I transfer the contents of the rSSD that came already installed on it (windows etc) to the new 1TB drive???

Answer 1

Hi Gypo-01

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

Congratulations on your new Surface Pro 9! Based on the description you posted, it seems that you have an issue with Surface Pro9 wherein you can install and use software that is compatible with Windows 11. However, software that is designed for other operating systems, such as iOS on the iPad, will not work on the Surface Pro 9.

To transfer software from your wife's old laptop to the Surface Pro 9, you will need to reinstall the software on the Surface Pro 9 using the installation files or installation media. If the software was purchased through a digital store, such as the Microsoft Store or Apple App Store, you may be able to download and install it on the Surface Pro 9 using the same account that was used to purchase it.

Regarding upgrading the SSD, it is recommended that you seek assistance from a professional technician to ensure that the upgrade is done correctly. SSD removal in compatible Surface devices - Surface | Microsoft Learn and Download Surface Service Guides from Official Microsoft Download Center

I hope I have answered all your questions. Thank you for your understanding. Please let me know how it goes.

Kind regards,

Christopher.

Answer 2

Hi Christopher,

As for the software, much as I thought, thank you.

The SSD, I was hoping that the Surface Pro might have an inbuilt HD cloning function built in or SOC seeing as it is cheaper to buy one with a small drive and upgrade it and having an SOC that you can upgrade the software on would make life that much simpler.

Thanks for the advice about going to a Pro to do the upgrading, I have enough knowledge to do that simple task. I just wanted to make sure things hadn't progressed and that there wasn't an 'updated' / automated way to do it now. I guess they haven't.

I'll need to wait for my wife to give me the go ahead before (as she calls it) messing with her stuff. I only gave the Surface Pro to her at Xmas and she likes things to be unopened when she gets them. Otherwise I'd have done it before wrapping it.

Thanks again

Answer 3

Hi Gypo-01,

Thank you for getting back with us. Once the device is on and it's connected to the network, it will automatically check for the update and install it. If you need more information on the device, information how to or any troubleshooting issue. Please don't hesitate to reply on this thread. I will leave the threads open for a few days to make sure we address all your concerns.

Please let me know how it goes.

Kind regards,

Christopher.

Answer 4

Hello Gypo-01

We haven't heard from you, so we assume that your issue has already been addressed. We will not be monitoring this thread moving forward so, if you need further assistance, please create a new thread to discuss these concerns by clicking this link: Create a new question (microsoft.com)Thank you for understanding.

 Regards,

Christopher