Originally posted this up on this deal for the Unisurf tablet, but thought it may help a few more people find it being here. Hopefully it is in the right place.
Hi all!
I can indeed confirm that Windows 10 Pro Insider Preview (Build 10130) does work on the Unisurf 7" tablet. In fact, it runs very, very well for a cheap tablet and for preview build of Windows! It even lets you run the native 1024x600 resolution and run universal (modern) apps! Please follow the below steps carefully.
Proceed with caution and at your own risk; I will not be held responsible for loss of information, data, damage to the device or persons, supernovas, etc, blah blah blah!
Prerequisites:
- 3x BLANK USB Drives (2 at least 4GB, 1 at least 16GB+) all formatted as NTFS
OR - USB Hub (4 port+) to support mouse, keyboard and USB drive
- Access to another computer
- Macrium Reflect Free here.
- Windows 10 Insider Preview ISO (32-bit) here
- Driver software such as Treexy Driver Fusion (optional)
- 7-Zip
- Lots of free time.
- The ability to get yourself out of trouble when the proverbial hits the fan.
Process
Creating a Windows 10 install USB
On a computer
- Download Windows 10 ISO.
- Install 7-zip or preferred software for viewing contents of ISO.
- Insert one of the smaller USB drives and ensure it is formatted as NTFS.
- Open the Win10 ISO with 7-zip or preferred software.
- Select entire contents of archive and copy and paste onto USB drive.
!!!If this fails to boot later, acquire Windows USB/DVD Download Tool and follow the steps.!!!
Creating a backup
On the tablet
- Install Macrium Reflect Free on your tablet, make sure you accept the prompt to download the WinPE component. This may take a while (~500MB).
- Insert the 16GB+ USB, this will hold the backups you're about to create.
- Create a folder called Drivers and copy the entire contents of .\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository into it, or run driver back up software (such as Driver Fusion) and follow the steps to create a backup of system drivers.
- Create another folder and call it Drive Backup. Open Macrium Reflect, select 'Create and image of the partition(s) required to backup and restore Windows', mark all checkboxes to select all partitions (should be 4), make sure Destination is set to the location the Drive Backup folder. Leave the remaining settings as is an click Next.
- Ignore the 'Edit the Plan for this Backup' page and hit Next.
- Click Finish.
- Check Run this backup now and uncheck Save backup and schedules as an XML Backup Definition File. Hit Ok.
- Wait for completion.
Creating a WinPE recovery media
On the tablet
- Still in Macrium Reflect, got to Other Tasks menu and select Create Recovery Media.
- Hit Next until you reach the Prepare Windows PE Image page. Make sure PE Architecture is set to 32 Bit and that Default base WIM is selected. Click Next and wait for it to build the WIM.
- On the Burn Rescue Media page, under the CD/DVD burner option, pick Create ISO image file. Hit Finish. Save the Rescue.iso to the USB drive used previously for the backups.
- Once Macrium completes the process, close it and safely unmount the USB drive.
Creating a WinPE recovery USB
On a computer
- Insert another spare USB and ensure it is formatted as NTFS.
- Insert the backup USB just used on the tablet.
- Open the Rescue.iso with 7-zip and copy contents to the root of the USB.
- Wait for copy to complete and unmount USB when safe.
Booting into WinPE
On the tablet
- Connect the USB hub to tablet and connect mouse, keyboard and USB containing the WinPE environment created in the last section.
- Follow this video to access the tablet's bios.
- Go to Chipset tab > USB Configuration > change USB OTG Support to PCI Mode. (May be required to detect USB/Keyboard after WinPE. Might be optional).
- Next go to Security tab > Secure Boot menu > Make sure Secure Boot is set to Disabled.
- On the Boot tab, change Setup Prompt timeout to 5-15 seconds. Gives you more time to access 'BIOS' on future reboots.
- Still on Boot tab, disable Quiet Boot to display legacy-style BIOS screen.
- Save & Exit tab > Save changes and Exit.
- Hit DEL or ESC on reboot to re-enter 'BIOS'(UEFI Firmware settings).
- Go to Save & Exit tab > Boot override and select UEFI: <Insert your USB name or unique ID here>. This may take a few tries to select the right one. If you accidentally select UEFI: Built-in EFI Shell, just type exit at the prompt or if Windows Boot Manager, just restart tablet once booted and retry.
DESTROYING the existing partitions
On the tablet
The tablet uses a special UEFI partition (among others) to boot a special 'partition' called a WIM. You can read up on it (here)[http://www.howtogeek.com/196416/wimboot-explained-how-windows-can-now-fit-on-a-tiny-16-gb-drive/]. The only way I know around it is to delete said partitions.
- If you successfully completed the previous section, you should now be within the Macrium Reflect WinPE environment.
- In the bottom left-hand side of the 'task bar' is an icon that belongs to CMD. Click it.
- Once CMD has opened, type diskpart.
- Type list disk, hit enter and make note of which drive is the tablets system drive (most likely Disk 0).
- Enter select disk <insert number belong to system drive here>. E.g select disk 0.
- Type list partition. This will show you all the partitions belonging to the system drive. We now want to delete them all.
- Repeat theses commands for each partition, substituting the partition number with each consecutive one:
- select partition <insert number here> > Hit Enter.
- delete partition override > Hit Enter.
- Repeat step 6 to check if partitions were removed successfully.
- Power-off tablet.
It probably won't let you, but be careful not to delete the partition on the USB.
Installing Windows 10 (or preferred OS)
On the tablet
Now that the 'special UEFI partition' has gone, the tablet should now allow you to boot into any USB installer. If not use Windows USB/DVD Download Tool to make a Windows 10 installer. This may also be useful if the WinPE boot doesn't work; just delete the Windows 10 files off the USB after using the Windows USB/DVD Download tool and extract the contents of the WinPE ISO to the root of the USB. E.g. E:.
- Swap out WinPE USB for Windows 10 installer USB. Power on tablet.
- The tablet should boot straight to the USb as it is the only 'suitable' boot device. If it does not, enter the BIOS, go to Save & Exit tab > select USB under the Boot override menu.
- Follow prompts to install Windows 10.
- Once Windows 10 is installed, you'll want to install some drivers. Plug in the Backup USB we created in the Creating a backup section. Go to Device Manager and go through the Unknown devices section, right-click, select Update Driver Software… > Browse my computer for driver software and point the location to the Drivers folder on the USB. Do this for each device. May require a few reboots and rinse and repeats to get all drivers installed.
Some notes
- You can get away with only 2 USBs, just don't create the Windows 10 installer USB first, wait until you finished with the WinPE USB and just delete the contents and paste the Windows 10 ISO contents onto it.
- I'm not sure of the Linux support for the hardware this tablet contains, but those people wanting to put Linux on it probably know a thing or two more than I do in that regard.
- And to all those more 'pro' than I am, I'm sure they won't need any more notes as they'll have their own ideas and ways of doing things.
- You may want to reverse changes to the BIOS.
- Another added benefit of Windows 10 is that speeds up the system drive! Since the previous Windows 8.1 install is running within a WIM (essentially an archive), it hampers the drives performance. Write speeds go from ~15MB/s to 40MB/s. Read speeds get another ~10MB/s to 150MB/s in some scenarios! Not bad!
- Check this out for some info on how to continue getting Windows 10 for free. You must be willing to remain a tester, though.
- The actual drive capacity is 14.44GB once formatted with the default partitions (300MB Recovery Partition, 100MB EFI System Partition, and 14.04GB System partition). A freshly installed Windows 10 will use ~8GB of the system partition.
…And we're done!
I apologise if I have missed a step (hopefully not a vital one! ;) ), but I wrote these instructions after the fact. Also hope these instructions ain't too verbose!
ENJOY!
EDIT: Not 100% sure if it is all the files required for an install, but if you don't want to download Office 365 again, the OEM setup files seem to be placed in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\OEMOffice15. Copy these out BEFORE you delete factory/OEM partitions.
Here is a driver dump, if you lose your own! Mega
Some users may have to look under System devices section of Device Manager and manually install driver for the first Atom I2C device, if they can't get touchscreen, camera, or other peripherals working!
i just reinstalled win 8.1 on my old laptop from scratch (delete partition, format, make bootable usb then install from usb) . i dont get why this method is so different and many softwares are required? i thought the tablet is very similar with normal pc/laptop?
great post anyway.