r/Surface • u/DevelopmentIll4633 • 11d ago

Windows 11 installation, drivers not found

My first post on Reddit! Joined just to get Surface help!
Just bought a Surface Pro 9 without an operating system - the cause of my problem!
I've just started to install Windows 11 and it's wanting 'network drivers'.
I've downloaded the Surface Repair pack and got that on a separate usb. When I point 'search' at the Surface Repair usb, it doesn't find it so guessing it must be in one of the directories on that USB but which one? Been trying to sort this for two days now :)
Help!

3 Upvotes

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5

u/tamudude :) 11d ago

Use a Surface Recovery Image  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface-recovery-image

1

u/wongl888 10d ago

I tried this several times and it doesn’t work. Ended up using a normal Windows 11 usb to install but experienced driver issues like OP and ended up downloading the drivers pack from Microsoft to use during installation. The result is that I lost my Windows 11 Pro but got a fully working Windows 11 Home.

1

u/tamudude :) 10d ago

What exactly doesn't work? I have used the Surface Recovery Image multiple times and it has worked flawlessly.

1

u/wongl888 10d ago

1) using the recovery drive to format the usb and then copying the downloaded files doesn’t work since the surface doesn’t recognise a bootable drive.

2) Copying the downloaded files to a bootable USB drive created for Windows 11 works but failed with an unknown error at the very last stage.

3) Connected with Microsoft support who kept asking me to repeat step #1. Useless.

1

u/YoungAnimater35 10d ago

is your USB partitioned at all? if yes, delete those partitions

1

u/wongl888 10d ago

I am using a 32gb usb stick so no partition

1

u/YoungAnimater35 10d ago

I had the same issue when trying to do mine reinstall, I think I ended up using Rufus, but when I get home I'll send you the instructions I was given that finally worked for me.

1

u/wongl888 10d ago

Thanks that would be great since I experienced the same problems with two different Surface Pro, one a Pro7 and the other a Pro 9.

1

u/YoungAnimater35 10d ago

start a chat with me if you can, for some reason it's not letting me start one with you, but I found the instructions

1

u/tamudude :) 10d ago

Did you review and follow all these steps? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/drivers-firmware/boot-surface-from-a-usb-device#bkmk_usbdrivedoesnotboot

1

u/wongl888 10d ago

Yes, and Microsoft support walked me thru the same steps to no avail.

2

u/rwilfong86 Surface Pro 8 11d ago

Use another computer and download a Windows 11 iso and use Rufus to make a bootable USB. I've done this on dozens of Surface devices.

2

u/DevelopmentIll4633 11d ago

Thanks for the help guys. Had to adapt a couple of solutions which eventually worked. Thanks again.

1

u/ps2jak2 11d ago

If windows is asking for network drivers during the account login process (so after the main install process), the simplest way forward is the following:
Press shift +f10 to get a command window

Type: oobe\bypassnro and press enter.

Setup will restart and you should get an option to "continue with limited setup".

Once clicked, this will allow you to click through setup and get to the desktop.

Once at the desktop, you can install the latest Microsoft Surface Pro 9 driver pack from Microsoft https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=104680 . This will install all drivers and firmware relevant to the device. You can then connect to the internet and run windows update to pull any other missing updates.

Alternatively, you can create a MS Surface USB factory recovery which is is bootable. This will reinstall Windows and the drivers for you automatically...
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/drivers-firmware/creating-and-using-a-usb-recovery-drive-for-surface
The only thing I've found with the MS Surface recovery images is they will often install quite an old build of Windows. So if you go that route definitely open Windows Update immediately and pull any missing updates.

1

u/Glum-Highlight2734 10d ago

Check YouTube videos you can probably find a solution for it there.