For instance one of the biggest differences between Windows RT and Windows 8, is that RT do not support traditional Windows programs (iTunes, Photoshop, VMware, Filezilla, etc. — you get the point.), even though it includes the Windows 8 Desktop. And as this new variant operating system is not the kind of software anyone will be buying from any outlet by itself, there is not a Windows RT DVD installation or recovery media. By now we all know that computers are doomed to fail, no one knows when, but is going to happen. Now questions to answer are: How can you prepare when, for example, your new Surface RT fails or there are missing or corrupted system files? Or what is going to happen when the system will just not boot? In these cases what someone should do is to always have a backup in place and create a Recovery media using a USB drive to save the RT installation files. To create a USB Recovery Drive for a Microsoft Surface with Windows RT, simply use the step-by-step guide below:

Instructions

  1. Plug a USB flash drive with at least 4GB of free space to your Surface.
  2. While in the Windows Desktop, open the Windows Explorer and from the menu on the right, click Desktop and tap Control Panel.
  3. From the Control Panel, tap System and Security and then tap File History.
  4. Next, in the bottom-left corner of the window, tap Recovery, and then tap Create a Recovery Drive.

The recovery wizard will launch and guide through, then it will copy the Surface’s recovery partition to the external drive.

Recovery

In the event that your tablet will not boot, use these steps to boot from the newly Recovery Drive:

  1. Shut down the tablet and insert the USB recovery media.
  2. While holding down the Volume Down switch, press and release the Surface with Windows RT Start button. After a few moments, the tablet will start and loads the recovery media, displaying the screen below.

Follow the onscreen instructions to reset your Surface tablet. These are not the kind of instructions anyone wants to be using on a regular basis, but they are good to know to be prepared if something wrong were to happen and you end up with a tablet that does not boot properly. Source Andy Rathbone All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.