[cameradork]

Anyone successfully boot the Surface Pro from USB yet (specifically with Linux)? I tried two different methods of creating an Ubuntu bootable USB key (unetbootin and Universal-USB-Installer-1.9.2.4, both using Ubuntu 11.10 Desktop downloaded yesterday on two different SanDisk Cruzer drives). Both boot to Linux fine on other older laptops, but I can't get the Pro to boot off them.

Steps taken (with the key in the USB port the entire time):
Power on holding Volume Up
- Disable Security Device Support (unsure if this was needed, didn't seem to make a difference either way)
- Disable Secure Boot Control
Save and exit
Reboots into Win8
Settings>Change PC Settings>General>Advanced Startup>Restart Now
Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Startup Settings>
Reboots into startup setting screen
(8) - Disable early launch anti-malware protection
Shuts down
Turn it on
Boots into Win8
Settings>Change PC Settings>General>Advanced Startup>Restart Now
Boots into options screen
Use a device
UEFI: SanDisk Cruzer 1.26
Boots into Win8

Anything I'm missing?

[cameradork]

Tried a Lexar 16GB using LiLi to create the boot disk and going to Use a Device in Advanced Startup. Both times Secure Boot Control was disabled. Once with Security Device Support enabled, once with it disabled. Didn't seem to matter.. neither worked.

Also just tried a LaCie Itsakey with Ubuntu 10 on it that I've been booting another laptop off for a year without any issues. Didn't work on the Pro either. What am I doing wrong? :)

[rcx84]

If it's anything like Surface RT, try holding down the Volume down (or was it up) button when powering the computer up from a cold boot.

[Po_MD]

How to install Ubuntu on the Surface Pro | Geek Pick | Geek.com

[Talderon]

Taken from the article linked by po_MD:

Put your USB disk in the USB 3 port on the Surface Pro, and head back to the Settings menu on the Charm Bar. Navigate back to the General PC settings and boot into Advanced Startup. Tap the icon with the USB stick and the DVD labeled Use a Device one the Surface has booted into the Advanced settings.

From here, you will be presented with a list of available boot options that are currently detected. Your USB disk will be clearly labeled in the list, and when you tap on the icon for your drive the Surface will reboot. From this point, you will no longer be in Windows, as you will be booting from the USB drive.

[cameradork]

Taken from the article linked by po_MD:

Put your USB disk in the USB 3 port on the Surface Pro, and head back to the Settings menu on the Charm Bar. Navigate back to the General PC settings and boot into Advanced Startup. Tap the icon with the USB stick and the DVD labeled Use a Device one the Surface has booted into the Advanced settings.

From here, you will be presented with a list of available boot options that are currently detected. Your USB disk will be clearly labeled in the list, and when you tap on the icon for your drive the Surface will reboot. From this point, you will no longer be in Windows, as you will be booting from the USB drive.

Yes, did that with a total of four different USB keys created in four ways. All of them were recognized in advanced boot, and none of them booted into Linux when I selected them.

[jhoff80]

The Surface Pro uses a UEFI bootloader. You need a version of Ubuntu that is 12.10 or newer.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI

Edit: Sorry, that version is the one which supports UEFI Secure Boot. Apparently UEFI support came sooner, though they do say it's more stable in 12.10. It might depend on how your drive is formatted. I believe for UEFI it needs to be formatted as FAT32, but if you're using Linux it's probably already FAT32.

[cameradork]

If it's anything like Surface RT, try holding down the Volume down (or was it up) button when powering the computer up from a cold boot.

volume Up on the pro - that gets you into the UEFI menu and allows you to disable Secure Boot, which I did. Still no luck. It sees the USB keys (all of them, in fact), but just doesn't boot from them.

[cameradork]

The Surface Pro uses a UEFI bootloader. You need a version of Ubuntu that is 12.10 or newer.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI

ohhh, 64-Bit! I have the 32-bit image... ok, great - I'll try that!

[cameradork]

Success!

..mostly.

Ubuntu 12.10 64-Bit runs off a USB key when you turn off Secure Boot. Pen and Touch works right out of the box, Wireless does not. I've been down this path way too many times to screw around with it more. Linux IMO is a giant timesuck, and it's not worth it to me, but I have Linux friends who were on the fence about getting a Pro, and now I can safely tell them they can waste countless hours getting all the drivers to work properly on this device too :D

[cameradork]

Oh cool - it looks like you may not even have to turn off Secure Boot in the future :)

Linux Foundation finally gets Microsoft signature on secure UEFI bootloader

[Polychrome]

Hope your buddies get the 128 gig version then. I can't imagine trying to set up a useful dual-boot off the 64 gig. D:

[cameradork]

Hope your buddies get the 128 gig version then. I can't imagine trying to set up a useful dual-boot off the 64 gig. D:

Most of them have no intention of ever using Windows on it, but I agree, MS really shouldn't have even considered a 64GB version. Guess they were just trying to hit a price point or something. I find 128GB Internal (even keeping the recovery partition) + 64GB SDXC + Cloud Storage/USB3 keys to be enough for what I want to do with this tablet, but I would have snapped up an 8GB RAM/256GB storage version of it in a second, even at $300/$400 more.

[Haukeberg]

Want to install Windows 8 enterprise on Surface or any other OS for that matter...

Complete guide here from Microsoft here. Adapted from an internal email recipe i got.
Hope it helps

Installing #Windows8 Enterprise on #Surface PRO | Håvard aka Howie

[this signup is frustrating]

I have a boot drive that can easily boot when on the surface pro BUT I need to be able to boot that drive even when Windows 8 is not working.
The drive I have is for complete system restore.
Does anyone know how to boot to an alternate device without going through windows and reboot?

[Guzzler3]

I have a boot drive that can easily boot when on the surface pro BUT I need to be able to boot that drive even when Windows 8 is not working.
The drive I have is for complete system restore.
Does anyone know how to boot to an alternate device without going through windows and reboot?

To boot from a USB manually, do this:

Attach a bootable USB storage device.
Hold the volume down button.
Press and release the power button
When the Surface logo appears, release the volume down button.