Surface Pro 4 won't boot from downloaded Recovery Image (via USB drive)

Question

I am trying to restore my surface to factory default. I have tried all the easy methods from within Windows, but there are still some major issues, so I decided to download a recovery image.

1. Entered my serial number here and downloaded the correct recovery image.
2. Ran the recovery Drive app to create a bootable USB (16GB stick) recovery drive
3. Copied all files from the downloaded image to the USB drive. Overwrote conflicting files, as per the Microsoft instructions.

The USB drive will not boot, even though I have correctly set it as the first drive in the boot order. I have also tried swiping the drive in the UEFI menu and choosing "Boot this drive now." Instead of booting the recovery drive, it just brings me back into the UEFI settings after reboot.

NOTE: If I stop before #3 and do not copy the downloaded recovery image files, the USB drive can boot! Obviously this is a big clue. Is there something I could be doing wrong when copying the recovery image files to the USB drive?

Note that I'm a programmer with ~20 years of experience. Not that you should trust me, but I'm not an idiot and I've re-attempted the entire process above 3 times.

Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Try using the Rufus tool https://rufus.akeo.ie/ and format FAT32 (GPT). Use a different 16GB USB stick if you can.

To start your Surface from your USB recovery drive:

Step 1: Make sure your Surface is turned off and plugged in.

Step 2: Insert your USB recovery drive into the USB port on your Surface.

Step 3: Press and hold the volume-down button while you press and release the power button on your Surface.

Step 4: When the Surface logo appears, release the volume button.

Step 5: Follow the on-screen instructions, such as selecting the language and keyboard layout, to enter the recovery tools menu, etc.

Hope this helps. If it was of assistance, please DO mark as Answer.

Answer 2

Thank you, this method worked!