%PDF-1.4 %âãÏÓ 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 2 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Count 2 /Kids [5 0 R 7 0 R] >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /BaseFont /Helvetica >> endobj 4 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold >> endobj 5 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 2 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 595.28 841.89] /Resources << /Font << /F1 3 0 R /F2 4 0 R >> >> /Contents 6 0 R >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Length 5388 >> stream BT /F2 21 Tf 0.06 0.08 0.12 rg 1 0 0 1 46 789.89 Tm (Surface Pro 9 suddenly won't boot - now I see a) Tj ET BT /F2 21 Tf 0.06 0.08 0.12 rg 1 0 0 1 46 763.89 Tm (hard drive icon with an X in UEFI. Is this the end?) Tj ET BT /F2 11 Tf 0.72 0.14 0.18 rg 1 0 0 1 46 727.89 Tm (TechRounder Help Center PDF) Tj ET BT /F1 9.5 Tf 0.36 0.39 0.46 rg 1 0 0 1 46 711.89 Tm (Live article:) Tj ET BT /F1 9.5 Tf 0.36 0.39 0.46 rg 1 0 0 1 46 699.39 Tm (https://www.techrounder.com/help/surface-pro-9-suddenly-wont-boot-now-i-see-a-hard-drive-icon-with-an-x-in-ue) Tj ET BT /F1 9.5 Tf 0.36 0.39 0.46 rg 1 0 0 1 46 686.89 Tm (fi-is-this-the-end/) Tj ET q 0.82 0.85 0.9 RG 1 w 46 668.39 m 549.28 668.39 l S Q BT /F1 10 Tf 0.24 0.27 0.32 rg 1 0 0 1 46 656.39 Tm (By Vipin PG | Published August 14, 2026 | Updated August 14, 2026 | Topic: Solution | 3 min read) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 635.39 Tm (That X sitting on top of the drive icon isn't Microsoft telling you the tablet's dead. It just means the) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 620.39 Tm (firmware booted into UEFI and couldn't find \(or couldn't read\) a bootable operating system on the) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 605.39 Tm (internal drive. Most of the time that's fixable from the UEFI screen itself. And even in the rare case) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 590.39 Tm (where it's actually the SSD, the Pro 9 is one of the few Surfaces where the drive isn't soldered to the) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 575.39 Tm (board - so "the end" is a lot less final here than it would've been on, say, a Surface Pro 7.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 553.39 Tm (Work through these in order. Don't skip to the SSD swap until you've ruled out the software stuff) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 538.39 Tm (first.) Tj ET BT /F2 13 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 510.39 Tm (Force a Restart) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 488.39 Tm (Sounds too simple, but a corrupted boot cache or a stuck power state causes this exact screen more) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 473.39 Tm (often than people expect.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 451.39 Tm (1. Press and hold the power button for about 20 seconds, until the screen goes fully black.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 434.59 Tm (2. Let go, wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 417.79 Tm (3. Watch for the Windows logo. If it loads normally, you're done - go into Windows Update and grab any) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 403.99 Tm (pending Surface firmware updates so this doesn't repeat.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 387.19 Tm (If it boots straight back to the X icon, move on.) Tj ET BT /F2 13 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 359.19 Tm (Check the Boot Configuration in UEFI) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 337.19 Tm (This is the fix that actually resolves it for most people, because the drive itself is fine - the boot order) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 322.19 Tm (just got scrambled, usually after an interrupted update.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 300.19 Tm (1. From the error screen, select OK to dismiss the dialog if one's showing.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 283.39 Tm (2. Go to Boot configuration on the left-hand menu.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 266.59 Tm (3. Make sure all four options are checked: Windows Boot Manager , Internal Storage , USB Storage , and) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 252.79 Tm (PXE Network . If Internal Storage got unchecked somehow, that alone explains the X.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 235.99 Tm (4. Exit and restart.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.28 0.31 0.36 rg 1 0 0 1 56 217.19 Tm (Quote: If you don't remember how to get into UEFI manually: hold volume-up and press power, then) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.28 0.31 0.36 rg 1 0 0 1 56 203.19 Tm (release volume-up once the Surface logo appears.) Tj ET BT /F2 13 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 177.19 Tm (Boot from a USB Recovery Drive) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 155.19 Tm (If the boot config looks fine but Windows still won't load, the next step is booting from external media) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 140.19 Tm (to see if the problem is with Windows itself rather than the hardware.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 118.19 Tm (1. On a working PC, create a USB recovery drive \(search "Create a recovery drive" in Windows, plug in a) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 104.39 Tm (16GB+ USB stick, and don't check "backup system files" unless you specifically need offline reinstall) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 90.59 Tm (media\).) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 73.79 Tm (2. Plug that drive into the Surface Pro 9.) Tj ET q 0.86 0.88 0.92 RG 1 w 46 42 m 549.28 42 l S Q BT /F1 8.4 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 30 Tm (TechRounder Help Center | Page 1 of 2) Tj ET BT /F1 7.2 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 19 Tm (https://www.techrounder.com/pdf/help/surface-pro-9-suddenly-wont-boot-now-i-see-a-hard-drive-icon-with-an-x-in-uefi-is-this-the-end.pdf) Tj ET endstream endobj 7 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 2 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 595.28 841.89] /Resources << /Font << /F1 3 0 R /F2 4 0 R >> >> /Contents 8 0 R >> endobj 8 0 obj << /Length 3821 >> stream BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 789.89 Tm (3. Press and hold volume-down , then press and release the power button . Keep holding volume-down until) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 776.09 Tm (the Surface logo shows up.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 759.29 Tm (4. If it boots into the recovery environment and can see your internal drive, run Troubleshoot > Recover) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 745.49 Tm (from a drive or a Startup Repair first before wiping anything.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 728.69 Tm (If the recovery environment loads fine but can't see the internal drive at all in Boot Configuration or) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 713.69 Tm (Disk Management, that's your answer - this has moved from a software problem to a hardware one.) Tj ET BT /F2 13 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 685.69 Tm (If the Internal Drive Isn't Detected at All) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 663.69 Tm (Here's the part that actually matters for your "is this the end" question: unlike the Pro 8 and earlier,) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 648.69 Tm (the Surface Pro 9 uses a user-replaceable M.2 2230 NVMe SSD tucked under the kickstand, not a) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 633.69 Tm (soldered chip. Microsoft even sells the exact replacement part directly and publishes a service guide) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 618.69 Tm (for swapping it.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 596.69 Tm (- Removing it needs a Torx T3 screwdriver and a plastic pry/SIM tool to pop the small door under the) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 582.89 Tm (kickstand.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 566.09 Tm (- If you've got a spare M.2 2230 NVMe drive \(not the more common 2280 size - it won't fit\), you can drop) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 552.29 Tm (it in, boot from your USB recovery drive, and do a clean install.) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 535.49 Tm (- Before you do that, if there's anything on the drive you care about, pull it and try reading it externally with) Tj ET BT /F1 10.5 Tf 0.2 0.23 0.28 rg 1 0 0 1 46 521.69 Tm (an M.2-to-USB NVMe enclosure first. Once you reinstall, that data's gone unless you back it up beforehand.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 504.89 Tm (If you'd rather not open the case yourself, Microsoft's self-repair program will sell you the part and) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 489.89 Tm (the guide, or you can send it in / use an authorized service center and let them confirm it's actually the) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 474.89 Tm (drive before anything gets replaced.) Tj ET BT /F2 13 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 446.89 Tm (One Thing Worth Ruling Out First) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 424.89 Tm (Before you assume it's the SSD, check if the Type Cover or a dock is interfering - some users have) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 409.89 Tm (seen this exact X icon triggered by a flaky USB-C dock or a Type Cover with a stuck key holding the) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 394.89 Tm (system in a weird state during POST. Disconnect everything except power and try the force restart) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 379.89 Tm (again before you commit to opening the device.) Tj ET q 0.86 0.88 0.92 RG 1 w 46 42 m 549.28 42 l S Q BT /F1 8.4 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 30 Tm (TechRounder Help Center | Page 2 of 2) Tj ET BT /F1 7.2 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 19 Tm (https://www.techrounder.com/pdf/help/surface-pro-9-suddenly-wont-boot-now-i-see-a-hard-drive-icon-with-an-x-in-uefi-is-this-the-end.pdf) Tj ET endstream endobj xref 0 9 0000000000 65535 f 0000000015 00000 n 0000000064 00000 n 0000000127 00000 n 0000000197 00000 n 0000000272 00000 n 0000000414 00000 n 0000005853 00000 n 0000005995 00000 n trailer << /Size 9 /Root 1 0 R >> startxref 9867 %%EOF