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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- How to easily upgrade your surface pro 7+, Surface Pro 8 or Surface Pro 9 easily!
** Create a Windows 10 Recovery USB with EaseUS Todo Backup - prf.hn/l/wLOvQ5j **
The Surface Pro 7+ is the first Surface in the range that allows consumers to change the SSD. In this video we step through the process of producing a USB recovery drive, replacing the physical SSD, and then reinstalling Windows from the USB recovery drive, including the Surface drivers.
This video also works for the newer surface pro 8
Download to the recovery tool: support.micros...
Laptop precision screw driver set: geni.us/alhsP
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Buy the signature type cover: geni.us/z05oiQb
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this channel is the only one that details the steps to run the recovery tool. Other channels only show where the SSD is located which is elementary at best. Thank you for making this video.
It's one of the best tutorials on TH-cam. I followed these steps, and it works like a charm. I purchased a 2T SSD to replace 128GB, which wasn't enough for me.
Thanks so much for this terrific tutorial! I found an SSD on eBay, followed your instructions exactly and was able to upgrade my SP7+ from 128Gb to 512Gb for minimal cost. Great guide and very easy to follow. Thanks!
Hi.... Can you share the eBay link please?
Link
@@AmmarAlAkshardude. how hard is to find an ssd?
I'm already halfway done on the process of upgrading I had to pause and subscribe to you after watching this video dozens of times. Thank you for saying it's a t4 screwdriver because I would have strip my screw 👍🏿😷👍🏻🇨🇦🇵🇭🇺🇲
So glad to be able to help 😀
One alternative to the recovery drive would be getting an M.2 to USB adapter and then just cloning the existing drive onto the new one. You can do it directly from the Surface. Macrium Reflect is what I personally use. Completely free, and it has saved me many times. There will be a bit of learning (not much) compared to the simple recovery drive, but if you have use for the adapter and cloning software in the future, why not? Cloning is also super useful if you already have lots of files and programs since it makes an exact copy and you don't have to mess with transferring files or reinstalling programs (usually).
Nice idea. I will try this. I hope it works well.
Thanks a million. I was also thinking about this method.
When I saw all this videos with this method I thought they are all doing so because it's not possible to clone the disk, for some reason (encryption maybe)... I always did the clone method and I was desperate seeing this: "how am I gonna do with all the files"... thank god I stumbled on your comment!!! thank you man
Excellent video, thanks! Just enough detail to tell me everything I need to know and little to no rambling like some other how to videos do. Much appreciated!
Thanks, that is really kind of you to say :)
Excellent video. I have the Surface Pro 7+ with the 128 GB version and i5 11th gen. Can I upgrade to 1 TB without any Problems ?
Very interesting to note it only supports SSDs that are 30mm. I first encountered this tiny form factor in a Dell G5 desktop(!) 512 GB SSD.
Yes it is odd that dell are using the 30mm SSD, I have seen a few in their m15r5 and G15 range too
Nice video, please can you help me with one thing, I have surface Pro 7 plus. After it is on for 8 or more hours horizontal gray and dark line start appearing on the screen and they vanish after it is turned off for more than a day.
Great video. Yours should be top of the search results. Some others waffle for 10 minutes without actually showing you what to do to prepare the old and new SSD.
Thanks mate, that is really kind of you to say
@@MashITTech great channel as you cater both to novices and pros 👍
amazinggg finally a surface that allows to increase ssd! def upgrade from my sp3. PD.- before doing this procedure remember to make a backup of your data of interest & I would select the "just erease my files" option 👍🏻
The 7+ and the new 8 both have this feature and it’s about time!
At least you won’t have to destroy your surface in order to upgrade your SSD
@@TheAikatsuFanexactly, I had to use HDD which is not very practical; I was tempted to do the mod but glad I waited
One of the best if not THE best videos on SSD upgrades for surface pros! Thank you very much.
Very informative no frills video. Straight and to the point will be doing this soon
Thermal tape is usually 2-sided...did you attach it to both the ssd and the "access door"?
Very useful and helpful. I have just upgraded from Pro Surface 6 to Pro 7 Plus and want to upgrade my SSD and this has made me feel more confident about doing it myself. Many thanks
Just make sure you buy a gen 3 drive 👍
@@MashITTech Yeah I have checked into what one is best and seen a Crucial one that is compatible
@@MashITTech The one I looked at is a Gen 4, so not sure if that would work?
it wont. You need gen 3, sorry. People have tried to get gen 4 working but it causes sleep issues
@@MashITTech Thanks very much for that, much appreciated
Excellent video! I was able to seamlessly upgrade my SP7+ from 256GB to 1TB. Thanks.
So glad to be able to help 👍
Hi! Can you suggest an eBay link or Amazon for the SSD?
Thanks!
Hi, Can you post the link from where did you by the SSD?
Thanks
Link please
@@AmmarAlAksharYou can buy 2230 type nvme ssd. There are lots of them.
The thermal tape/sheets I find is all double-sided with adhesive. Did you peel the plastic protective off the top, or leave it on? If you peel it off, won't it stick to the compartment's cover and make re-opening the compartment difficult (impossible?)
the thermal tape is not so sticky so you may open it again without any issue
@@wedjatube should I use thermal tape or thermal paste?
@@okaythen001 dunno what's better, I used the thermal tape and it's all working fine for the last 6 months.
Hi: I did the upgrade on my surface pro x, but it recover to 54% then stops, says it has problems. What should I do? Thanks
Regarding to Microsoft surface pro 7+, how much big the storage can you install in it?
Thank you for the video. Please let me know if we dont put thermal tape what will happen?
I have to say thank you to your instruction video. It's very helpful and easy for following. I'm an IT so reload window on PC or Laptop is easy but MS Surface is new device to me and ya... your video is magic.
Glad it helped :)
How do I know all of my files, documents, etc., will transfer over with the new SSD? I made sure to check the 'back up system files' option when creating the recovery drive. Is that all I have to do?
The way you just demonstrated making the boot - able drive; is that the same process when swapping out a mini pc, or Laptop SSD, and then load everything off that flash drive, & onto the new drive that you installed into that mini pc, or Laptop?
maybe i missed,,, but i dont know how many gig of recovery stick required? usual 16 gig enough?
16gb is ideal. You can often get by with an 8gb but with prices so cheap just get the 16
So ok the SIM card is for me to be able to access internet wherever I go right? So if I’m in school and my school has the wifi blocked I can just use a SIM card to get internet right?
would it be possible to put in a new larger ssd put the old one in a caddy and then clone the old driver to the new larger ssd so that it would'nt be necessary reinstall all of the applications again?
Followed these steps for my surface pro 9 and it worked 👌
I plan to buy a refurbished MS pro 7. But i plan to choose the lowest spect i5/8g/256ssd. Is that worth to change it 1TB even my RAM only 8g?
Wonderful! Described so clearly and in detail (screw T4) 😊. Thermal paste and cover conversion also work well if you use it carefully. Thank you!
After upgrade to WD SN740 1TB at my Surface Pro 7+ Windows began to randomly freeze and reboot without any bsod. Don't know how to fix that
So is it standard that after SSD change it will only power up and boot up with the power connector plugged in?
would you be able to not make a recovery drive if it’s a brand new surface pro? like straight out of the box/ factory resetted?
Thank you ~ i had
a question , when we create the recovery drive there is the
operating system?
which brand is best additional SSD card
Maravilloso!! Pasé de 128Gb a 1Tb siguiendo las instrucciones
Muchas gracias
Thank you very much! I followed the tutorial and was able to make my new drive to work!
Glad it helped :)
Excellent video, thanks a lot. I also enjoyed your other video.
May I ask a quick question here, do you know if there's any chance that I can connect my surface pro 6 to another PC, so that I can run forensic software ? I'd need to recover the super important data that I cannot afford to lose in the computer storage..
(There's no build in firewire port for surface pro)
sorry, I am not quite sure what you are asking. Do you mean in the event of a failure to be able to retrieve the data?
Thanks a lot for replying!!!
Yes my surface pro 6 is accidentally bitlockered during an window update, I couldn't find the key (It's a 48 numeric digit) despite trying a lot of different Microsoft account.
I've also tried to downgard the bios (as i found this solution somewhere else on the internet), but in vain.
I'm now thinking to buy an forensic tools (passware / Elcomsoft /Thegrideon), and decrypt my device.
But actually I'm a complete technobimbo, dont even know how to connect my laptop to another PC. A friend of mine said it's impossible for my surface pro 6 as there's no firewire port, and USB just couldn't work out...
Sorry for such a long comment, but my question is : do you know if there's any chance that I can connect my surface pro 6 to another PC (even without firewire port?)
@@MashITTech
I'm wondering why Surface Pro 9 is running SSD on PCIe 3.0. According to specs both device and drive are PCIe 4.0 compatible. I wanted to upgrade my drive with WD SN770M SSD(which has 5150MB/s and 4900MB/s read/write speed). It seems pointless when Pro 9 is running SSD in a mode that is limited to 4GB/s(limit for PCIe 3.0 x4).
Some YT tutorials for this upgrade include speed tests done after replacement and authors are dissapointed with results. I suspect it is rather a problem with PCIe 3.0 limit than the drive itself.
why dont you remove the with sticker from the new SSD back ? paper is a pretty good insulator... makes no sense to leave it on.
Hi! I was planning on upgrading my MSP 8. I am having some doubts on whether booting my laptop with the recovery drive. Will it still have the same OS (W11 pro and its license). I'm new to DIY upgrades and I can't afford to make mistakes as it will hold me back financially. I hope somebody could answer. Thanks!
please could you provide the link for the thermal tape? many thanks for the informative video.
Hey, the video is great, thank you for making it easy to follow.
Question though.. Can the same process be done on a Surface Pro 6?
sorry unfortunately the SP6 doesn't allow easy access to the SSD slot like the 7+
But if you do that, do you need a new Windowskey or is it witin the iso File from Microsoft?
Or is the windowsky inbetet in your surface motherboard ifen if you never bootet the system?
Nope, luckily the key is now on a ms database that is locked to your hardware. As soon as you get back on the internet with the new drive installed it activates windows automatically 👍
Okey thank you, so you can just reinstall Windows on the new drive, without booting it with the original drive once and at the same time Windows gets activatet if you come online?
And does ist work the same with the Surface Pro 8 (Windows 11)?
@@Sfs678 yes it certainly should but I haven’t tested in windows 11 yet
@@MashITTech Okey, very thank you for your help 👌❣
Excellent Tool!!!! It works perfectly. I upgraded to 1TB.
The only doubt I had was about the thermal tape.
Does it work, just the tape, without any metal to transfer the possible heat?
I'd appreciate any comments
my tape brought the level to the metal plate so transferred the heat to the back of the SP. In all honesty these SSDs don't get that hot so it isn't necessary but I had the tape to hand so decided to use it
i got a micro Sd mini card to use as a flash drive since for the Surface Pro 8 the side doesnt not have a usb to store info i want to tranfer to another tablet or computer. Now with the surface pro 8 how would i save files and more to tranfer it to another computer or tablet?
sorry, I am a bit confused by the question. What device do you have now and what do you want to move it to?
Hello. Thanks for this great video. I also enjoyed your i5 vs i7 comparison video. My question is: If I follow the steps above, the surface will be reset and I will lose my set up. I know I can drag the files onto an external or cloud drive, but I dread having to set it up again and reinstall software. Would you recommend a solution I can use to back up the surface prior to the storage upgrade that will then let me press a couple buttons and have it restored with all my settings and programs reinstalled? Thank you!
I sure can, I am just out of the office at the moment, give me a couple of hours and I can answer you properly
@@MashITTech hi just following up :)
@@MashITTech Hi following up one last time. My SSD is here and I'm planning to perform the upgrade within the next few days. I would love to hear what solution recommendations you've had. Thanks!
Nice, I just learned about the 7+ line today and was looking to get the i3 Surface Go 3 to compliment my gaming laptop. Didn't know the 7+ had a upgradable SSD while having a SD slot.
You wouldn't know by chance if the USB C port can output video, do you? I want to connect a display art tablet when I don't want to use my laptop.
Thx.
I don’t think you can upgrade the go 3 I am afraid. But yes you can output video through usbc
What Torx screwdriver size?
I need to change mine
But i read in Google some say T3 or T4
Which one?
Surface pro 7plus
I think its Torx 3 rather than Torx 4. Torx 3 is mentioned in most videos and works with my SP8
Have a link to a T4 tork screwdriver?
I followed Mash IT's well organized presentation to install a 1TB in my Surface Pro 7+. Please note that the SSD screw to be removed in mine required a T3 driver (not T4 which I had, will not work and using it will ruin the screwhead). I had to go to Home Depot and buy another set of drivers that had the T3. I obtained the 1TB SSD by extracting it from a CalDigit "tuff nano". The tuff nano is very well made and will house the 256GB SSD removed from the Surface. I say "will" house because I need to obtain a longer screw because the Microsoft SSD has a very narrow width screw post gap and will not fit around the tuff nano post leaving the screw about 2mm short.
Hi Gregory, nice work on the caldigit nano! what a great way to get hold of a 1tb. I might do the same for my incoming Surface Laptop 4. Was the caddy still useable once you had ripped the drive out? You could then pop the surface drive in that :)
T3 is correct , me too faced the same issue
Can you name spec or size/ type information of the screwdriver fo ssd screw? I cant hear you clearly because English is not my native, I'm sorry and thank you for your answer 🙏
I bought the ssd, but i cant install it because I dont have the exact size of screwdriver 😂
Excellent tutorial. Works with Windows 11 as well. Thank you!
Glad to be able to help :)
Hi. My surface pro 7 plus is not recognized new ssd. What can i do?
What ssd did you buy?
Hi, is it possible to simply clone the SSD (in NVME SSD enclosure) using a software like macrium?
Yep they should work perfectly
Hi from Athens-Greece! Nice video. I have ordered a KIOXIA M.2. BG4 512GB SSD and I look forward to install it, since it is even faster than the original SAMSUNG PM991/ 128GB SSD. Just one (silly) question. What is the difference between checking and unchecking the "Bakup system files" button at the Recovery drive creation procedure?
Hello to Athens! Ok, in answer to your question:
Back up system files will take a snapshot of your current system and takes a long time to recreate.
uncheck backup system files and you get a fresh image as if you bought your surface new
@@MashITTech thank you for your prompt and accurate reply!
have you installed KIOXIA M.2. BG4 512GB SSD, how it is working? did you get any blue screen error and auto restarting ?
Why do you uncheck "Back up system files to the recovery drive"? and does the recovery also include all the software you already installed?
Because I wanted a fresh install. You can check it and it will save you files and I believe the programs you preset installed. It does take AGES though
What would happen to my documents, photos, etc? Is this effectively a factory reset?
What if I only have thunderbolt ports available on the Pro 8?
will usb c stick work?
yes it will
Any ideas on what to do if the screw spins and spins but won't come out?
when you say the screw spins, you mean the actual screw or the screwdriver in the head?
@MashITTech Thanks for getting back to me, it's the screw itself. I've watched it spin as I turned the driver and it does move but it doesn't get any tighter or loose.
its possible to upgrade ram memory of pro7+??
Hello, I have a Surface Pro 9 with 256g memory, I would like to increase the memory to 1T. It would be possible to find a card with 1T of memory for this Surface Pro 9. If you have a website to recommend for purchasing this memory card, you could leave a description of the website.
I am not sure what country you are in but this should take you to your local amazon: geni.us/PUTWz this is the WD SN770M, a well priced drive in 512/1tb/2tb with good speeds and 5 years warranty. I just used it in the surface pro 11 upgrade video I dropped on the channel today: th-cam.com/video/-3SR5wGrGkM/w-d-xo.html
where is the sim injection part of this device ?
so I just picked up a SP8 with 128GB, trying to upgrade to 512GB, I tried hynix 711, did not work, after doing recovery, it locks up at choose region screen, and no response whatsoever. I was told that only PCIE-Gen3 is natively supported, so I ordered a Kioxia BG4 gen3, and it still does exactly the same thing, locks up at the choose region screen, can anyone help? shed some light on which m.2 I can get natively and just work, without having to do a bunch of configuration changes. thanks in advance
Can you sure that when you open the ssd plastic cover the device power is fully cut off?
Yes, you need to make sure you shut the surface pro down first.
@@MashITTech Shut the OS down does not mean cut the power off in the hardware level, thinkpad has a maintenance setting in the bios to cut the power off in hardware level before begining the hardware service, user must connect the power adapter when finishing the hardware maintenance to turn on the thinkpad again, for the Surface Pro 7+, I am wondering if the short little rod in front of the SSD screw is the hardware power disconnector? I also read the MS official surface hardware maintence guide, they did not even mention this important safety point....
Thanks. Is the white sheet you attached on the surface of SSD a silicon rubber?
That was just 1mm thermal tape 👍
@@MashITTech I bought a 1 mm thermal pad 12.8 w/mk but I had to press it very well because it seemed a little bit too thick for the 1 TB tuff-nano I got.
I wish you had dwelled a little more on the metal surrounding the original drive. It is physically part of the drive--it cannot be removed? Does the metal serve some other purpose besides heat dissipation, such as EMI shielding? Did you test the thermals of the new drive--it is crammed into a tiny spot with no air circulation--to see what temperatures you get with prolonged data transfers?
@Mash IT what SSD did you pick? is it gen4 or gen3?
for teh 7+ or 8 you need to use Gen 3 drives. Surface pro 9 and beyond you can use Gen 4
Any maximum capacity of the SSD upgrade? Could you put a 1TB drive in there?....the price of SSDs have come down quite a bit in recent years. Thanks!
You are only limited by the size of the 30mm. 1tb is the maximum they make at the moment
@@MashITTech yes, and 1TB is also the max configuration they offer for the 7+
thank you for your teachings, It strengthen my decision which surface pro I will buy. 7+ it is...!!!
You have made a good choice, the 7+ is a lot better than the 7 even without the ability to upgrade the SSD :) I did a video where I compared the i5 to the i7 if you are trying to decide on a config to buy: th-cam.com/video/3XbAuBYsRCc/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for a clear and concise video.
Glad it was helpful!
Quick question. The Surface Pro 7+ I am upgrading runs Windows 11 pro, I'm having trouble finding the link to download the that iso. Any assistance is appreciated.
did you upgrade to windows 11 or did it ship with it?
Shipped with it. @@MashITTech
if you follow my link and use your serial number it *should* give you the windows 11 image
Hi, great video. I just I have ordered a KIOXIA M.2. BG4 512GB SSD and a Surface Pro X . I'm planning to change the SSD and then turn on for the first time. In that case, should I do the procedure with the USB or its not neccesary? Thanks in advance.
if you install a new SSD you will still need to create the USB surface image to install windows on your new SSD 👍
i bought the same one. I hope your machine is running well
is your machine running fine??any errors or blue screen
Planning on doing the same thing how is it?
My lap is fine :)
Hi! Thank you for the video and your expertise! The replacement SSD you used is a SSD M2 PCIe NVMe 2330? Or 2230? Thank you again
It’s a pcie nvme 2230, I bought the wd sn530 on eBay, it was the easiest place to get hold of them in the U.K.
@@MashITTech help please, you know if PCIe 3.0 3D NAND is compatible? or PCIE 4 is compatible? Thank U
what is 'back up system files' and why would you uncheck it? i don't want to loose my apps settings and its files plus my media files also. i just want to have everything on my old ssd transfer to my new ssd including the systems settings
Then leave the box checked. I wanted a fresh install which I why I mentioned it. If you leave the box checked the process takes a long long time so be patient :)
does every M2 SSD 2230 work with surface pro 7+?
thanks for info, 2 part question, can I use the microSD slot as a bootable drive to create an image. Also I already did my MS Updates, downloaded the apps I need and prefer avoiding reinstalling all of them, will the bootable USB copy those to an image or should I leave the box checked to include that?
1. I have not tried booting from the SDcard but in theory it should work.
2. It should also copy the windows image across with the patches but again I wanted a clean copy of windows so didn't use it
I did everything you said, but I'm getting this error: "windows cannot find a system image on this computer" can you please help me?
What version surface pro do you have and what 30mm SSD did you buy?
@@MashITTech its working now, it was a problem with the image file. thank you for your help.🥰
Can also help to use sn740 2T ssd to try too?
The sn740 doesn’t work well in the 7+ or 8 but should be fine in the 9
Can try upgrading 16G to 32G ram please? If can, that would be rewarding and wonderful breakthru.
Sorry, ram is soldered on and not possible to upgrade 😢
hello from Algeria!! just had this pro7+ baby, and as a big eater of space , I was reluctant - budget wise- about the ssd volume 128Go is unacceptable for me , but still had to buy (comparing prices, 7 vs 7+ , and the need of it ...) and guess what found this video !!! I didn't even know I could upgrade it!!! so happy!! can you please help with what model / which manufcturer of SSD to buy (if there any certified ones) so it won't damage the machine? much thanks :)
I don’t understand the thermal tape. What’s the point of it
Does that thermal tape come with the pc tools set you linked?
No sorry it was just some 0.5mm thermal tape I happened to have on hand
should I get this but the i3 8g 7+?
Hey man just a question can we also do the same in surface pro x? Or we have to open the whole laptop? 😅
it is exactly the same as this 👍
@@MashITTech can we do same in microsoft surface pro 7 VDV_00015 ??
Can you please provide link for the hard drives including 512 and 1 tb?
I would normally link them but they are not as easy to buy off the shelf. What country are you in?
@@MashITTech UK . I also wonder if you know good retailer to buy the laptop as well . And is it essential to have a business prior to buy it . Thanks in advance
I got mine from ballicom, you don’t need to be a business and they were cheapest in U.K. will get a link for ssd shortly
For the windows recovery USB you mentioned, Does this fully wipe out the windows 11 in the sp7? because I want a clean install, windows 11 in this sp7 got some problems.
It sure does. Just make sure you do not tick the box to keep your settings etc
we usually say great video great tutorial but hey. this was a great tutorial . many thanks you are the best
Glad you enjoyed it :)
i have a Surface Pro 7 and don't have that, I have the old SSD port on the side?
yes unfortunately the 7 has the SSD soldered onboard, this was the reason I bought the 7+
Which thermal tape did you use. Can you provide link.
Did you find out? should I use thermal paste for this? not good or something?
He said 1mm thermal tape or thermal pad is fine any on Amazon is fine I just bought some.
Can you use any m.2 2230 ssd?
depends on the surface model. What do you have?
@@MashITTech Surface pro 7 +
Because the surface 7+ was released a while ago they work best with Gen 3 drives (such as the Samsung PM991a) gen 4 drives will work but will crash frequently unless you change a lot of registry entries and power settings
I suggest to put the ssd back in to the original black case so you dont need the thermal patse
yes that's a good idea!
Can someone help please. I get to continue in selected language but the screens froze.
what Surface pro model are you using and what SSD did you buy?
Does the seven plus come with windows 11 only and does 10/11 matter in swapping the SSD’s?
If you are buying it new now you will get 11. There will still be a windows 10 7+ image on MS but I am not sure if it will auto license if it was shipped with widows 11
How much worse is the 11th gen i3 version of this compared to i5?
Thank you for this video!!! Worked great, with no issues.
Glad it helped!
Only problem is that now my keyboard does not work so I cant go through the prompts to install windows
WTF! never heard of anyone having that issue before! have you got a USB keyboard you can plug in to get you through?
@@MashITTech thats a good idea ill try that and let you know!
is 1TB WD SN530 m.2 2230 is suitable for SP 7+ ?
It sure is 👍
@@MashITTech Thanks for the quick reply,
@@MashITTech i just bought a WD sn530. I'm following your guide step by step but the surface is unusable because I'm having bsods all the time and the surface restarts in recovery mode. I try to restore but I don't get any improvement. What could i do?
@@aqualung10 so you have installed the new ssd and installed windows via the recovery usb? When do you get the bsod?
@@MashITTech yes via recovery usb. I get bsod very often, after loading Windows, once on my desktop, the surface start to restart randomly. The system goes on recovery mode but i can not solve
Whoa they made them upgradeable that's sick!
yeah, finally! especially with how much M$ charge to configure the SSDs, this is amazing news
i was wondering if you use a bigger ssd like instead of 165 you upgrade to 1 tb does that make your pc faster?
The SSD will be slightly faster and may make the machine feel a bit more snappy but that is it. The machine is already pretty quick with the tiger lake cpu
Muchas gracias un video genial y me srivio mucho, gran explicacion.
Thank you very much for this great tip, saved me a few hundred quids. Much appreciated