Latest firmware update bricks base configs of Surface Go

Living in 2022 with a Windows device that has only 4GB of RAM and a puny 64GB of eMMC storage is not something you can call fun. Still, devices with such modest specs can do light PC work as long as a firmware update does not entirely brick them. Unfortunately, that is what happened to the owners of the original Surface Go.

A thread on Microsoft support forums reveals numerous reports from the first-gen Surface Go owners with complaints about a firmware update bricking their devices. In early May 2022, Microsoft released a set of patches that threw multiple devices into an unbootable state. Upon attempting to start their base-config Surface Go, users see a "No Bootable Device" error.

As of now, there is no way to bypass the problem, which means affected devices will remain bricked until Microsoft provides a workaround. Interestingly, this is not the first time a firmware update bricks Surface computers. In February, a new storage driver did the same to the third-gen Surface Book, and Microsoft quickly pulled the update.

For some reason, the botched firmware update for the first-gen Surface Go is still available for download. If you have the original Surface Go with eMMC storage, pause Windows Update and do not install the latest firmware. You cannot uninstall firmware on Surface devices, so disabling Windows Update is the only way to ensure your tablet will not download the problematic driver.

Fortunately, it appears that Microsoft is aware of the issue. One of the affected users reported that Microsoft Business Support let them know that the company's engineers are investigating the problem. Still, there is no information on when the needed fix will be available or how the affected users will have to restore their now-dead Surface Go tablets.

Latest firmware update bricks base configs of Surface Go