To PXE boot a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 follow these steps:

  1. Plug in the Microsoft Ethernet Adaptor into the USB port
    1. I have tried other adaptors that other people say work, but I have not found success
  2. Power off the Surface – a reboot is not sufficient
  3. Press and HOLD the Volume DOWN button (on the left side of the tablet)
  4. Press and HOLD the Power button for FIVE seconds (on the top of the tablet)
  5. Release the Power button after five seconds but KEEP HOLDING THE VOLUME button until your see PXE start
  6. Have a nice day.

8 Comments

Mark · December 9, 2022 at 11:24 am

Here is another way:

1. Plug the ethernet adaptor into the USB Port and add the ethernet cable to the adaptor
2. Start the computer from a shutdown (hold the power and up-volume [Left side of volume] buttons and release the power when you see the win logo). Keep holding up-volume in until the bios starts.
3. Change the boot order so PXE is 1st, Win BOOT Manager is 2nd and Internal Drive is 3rd.
4. Make sure Enable USB boot is set [Won’t work without this setting]
5. Disable the IPV6 for PXE boot
6. Goto Security and Disable Secure Boot [Set it to none] [Won’t work without this setting]
7. Goto Devices and Disable the last device in the list => (LTE Modem) [Won’t work without this setting]

Then just save and exit. When it asks the question at the bottom of the screen to enter PXE boot by pressing enter just press enter finish the PXE boot.

Mark Frost · December 9, 2022 at 11:10 am

Here is another way:

1. Plug the ethernet adaptor into the USB Port and add the ethernet cable to the adaptor
2. Start the computer from a shutdown (hold the power and up-volume [Left side of volume] buttons and release the power when you see the win logo). Keep holding up-volume in until the bios starts.
3. Change the boot order so PXE is 1st
4. Make sure Enable USB boot is set [Won’t work without this setting]
5. Disable the IPV6 for PXE boot
6. Goto Security and Disable Secure Boot [Set it to none] [Won’t work without this setting]
7. Goto Devices and Disable the last device in the list => (LTE Modem) [Won’t work without this setting]

Then just save and exit. When it asks the question at the bottom of the screen to enter PXE boot by pressing enter just press enter finish the PXE boot.

Corbelen · December 17, 2018 at 11:21 pm

I followed your tip to pxe boot my surface pro 4. I used the freeware tftpd32 to set up the PXE server. https://www.top-password.com/knowledge/windows-password-recovery-using-pxe.html

It worked! Thanks a lot!

Dean · August 19, 2014 at 10:51 am

Once booted the load of the bootimage.wim is taking several HOURS! is there anything I should be looking at from an infrastructure perspective?

    Ian Matthews · August 31, 2014 at 4:19 pm

    I do not recall the specific amount of time it took for mine to complete, but it definitely was not hours. Can you confirm you are using the specific Network adaptor that Microsoft wants you to use… i.e. theirs?

    Tircuit · September 3, 2014 at 8:06 am

    There’s a SCCM and/or image update that speeds things considerably. I can’t find it now, but if you search “surface sccm pxe”, it should turn up.

    Jack · March 23, 2015 at 5:09 am

    Sounds like your device needs a firmware update. I had a similar issue.

delete badoo · August 3, 2014 at 9:43 pm

I like the idea, but it is just too expensive. I have a tablet and a computer and I’d like a laptop, but I can get one for tons cheaper. Even if it could replace all of my doodads at once, I don’t have the money to replace them all at once, which is where the price point of this baby leaves me.

Leave a Reply to Ian Matthews Cancel reply

Avatar placeholder

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *