Upgrade Surface 8 pro SSD into 1 tb WD 740 SD

Replacing the SSD in a Surface Pro 8 requires more than just the physical swap. After installing a new 1 TB SSD (such as a WD SN740), sleep/resume restarts or instability typically indicate that the drive has not been imaged with the correct Surface recovery image and/or that required Surface firmware and drivers are missing.

To stabilize the device after the SSD upgrade:

1. Verify the SSD installation
   • Ensure the rSSD is fully seated at about a 15-degree angle in the connector and that the rSSD screw is tightened only until snug, then an additional ~45° turn (do not overtighten).
   • Confirm the rSSD/SIM door is properly closed.
2. Reimage the new SSD with the official Surface image
   • Use a Surface-specific recovery image for Surface Pro 8, not a generic Windows install.
   • Create a USB recovery drive using the Surface recovery image as described in the Surface imaging tools guidance, then boot from it and reinstall Windows on the new SSD.
   • This ensures the correct partition layout, power management configuration, and Surface firmware/driver set are applied to the new drive.
3. Install all Surface and Windows updates
   • After reimaging, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security and run Windows Update repeatedly until no further updates are offered.
   • This pulls down the latest Surface Pro 8 firmware and drivers, which are important for sleep/modern standby stability.
4. Run Surface Diagnostic Toolkit (SDT)
   • After imaging and updating, run SDT to verify that all device features and functions (including sleep/resume) operate as expected.

If, after a clean Surface reimage and full update, the device still restarts when resuming from sleep, re-check the SSD seating and consider testing with the original SSD to rule out a compatibility or hardware issue with the new drive.

References:

• Surface Pro 8 Component Disassembly and Reassembly
• Best practices for SSD removal from compatible Surface devices
• Surface Pro 8 features and specs
• Surface Pro 8 update history
• Surface storage options and hard drive sizes