Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Boot from USB for Linux and Windows

We will explain to you to Boot from USB in Microsoft Surface Pro 3. There are many ways to boot from USB for installing Windows 10, Ubuntu, Arch Linux or any other Linux Distro.

About Microsoft Surface Pro 3

  • Microsoft Surface Pro 3 comes with a 12-inch display with a resolution of 2,160 by 1,440.
  • It is powered by 1.7 GHz Core i7 processor with storage options 256 GB or 512 GB storage with 8 GB RAM and 64 GB or 128 GB storage with 4 GB RAM.
  • Battery Life of Surface Pro 3 is Up to 9 hours.
  • Finally, Windows 10 is pre-installed.

Read Review of Surface Pro 3

What is Boot from USB?

  • It is a process of starting a Computer operating system from the USB drive.
  • Booting from USB enables to get booting information in a USB  rather than using a hard disk or the CD drive.
  • All new operating systems support to boot from USB in Microsoft Surface Pro 3.

Advantages of Booting from USB?

There are many advantages of Booting from USB over other booting options such as DVD and other which are discussed below,

  • No need to purchase any blank CD and you can fill your own stuff along with the ISO file.
  • USB Drives are reusable
  • Faster read and write than CD
  • Very convenient and portable

Disadvantages of Booting from USB

  • Booting from USB is depended on the Hardware such as BIOS, motherboard and flash drive model as it may be working with one computer and refuses to another.
  • CD has wider support and USB boot functionality is not available for may operating systems.

Ways to Boot From USB in Microsoft Surface Pro 3

1. Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Boot from USB using Rufus

Download Rufus

Surface Pro 3 Boot from USB guide

  1. After installing Rufus simply select the ISO file from the file manager and accept all settings when the popup window appears.
  2. Select the MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI  and If your laptop has UEFI bios then select the other two options.
  3. For the Filesystem select NTFS  option and select if your PC has UEFI bios then select FAT32.
  4. The default Cluster size option should be selected.
  5. Make sure all three options including Quick Format, Create a Bootable disk using and Create extended labels and icon files are selected.
  6. Finally, start the process and this software will automatically format and create a bootable USB flash drive.

2. Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Boot from USB using Unetbootin

UNetbootin enables you to create a bootable USB drive for the Live operating system for Ubuntu and other Linux distributions. To create a Bootable Live USB drive follow the instructions below,

Download UNetbootin for Windows
  • Surface Pro 3 Boot from USB guide with unetbootin
  • UNetbootin installs the Linux Distros ISO files for you if you want to use your own downloaded ISO file then follow instructions below,
  • Surface Pro 3 Boot from USB guide
  • To use already downloaded ISO file select the disk image option and provide the location of the file by clicking “…”.
  • After selecting the Linux Distribution or ISO file Format your USB drive as FAT32.
  • Target the USB drive on your Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and click on OK.
  • The process will automatically start and in case the installation doesn’t complete you can reformat USB as FAT32.

3. By using Universal USB Installer

Download Universal USB Installer
  • Using Universal USB Installer is the easiest way to create a live Linux USB or bootable USB on your Microsoft Surface Pro 3.
  • All you need to do is selecting the ISO file, your Flash Drive and, finally, Click Install.
  • The process will automatically start and you will receive a ready bootable USB Flash Drive.

Change boot-order to boot from USB in Microsoft Surface Pro 3

  • Turn your Microsoft laptop off
  • Once your Microsoft Surface Pro 3 has turned off, press and hold the volume-up button.
  • With the volume-up button held down, press and release the power button.
  • Continue holding the volume up button until the Windows logo no longer appears on the screen.
  • You should now see the Surface UEFI.
  • Now Select Boot configuration.
  • Next, Select the USB Storage and drag it to the top of the list.
  • You can also swipe left on USB Storage to boot to the device immediately.
  • Finally, click on Exit and then select Restart Now.

Information provided by Microsoft

Read also – Surface Pro 3 Overheating issues and other problems Fixed

Read OS installation guides – Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Ubuntu 18.04 installation guide

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Kali Linux installation guide for beginners

Any problem with Surface Pro 3 –  Ask a Question

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