How to enable keyboard in WinRE environment?

WinRE uses its own Windows image and drivers. Your Surface keyboard working in Windows and UEFI therefore does not guarantee it will work in recovery. Missing or incompatible Surface drivers in WinRE are a possibility, although all input failing could also mean the recovery environment is freezing.

Start with a way to access the menu:

1. Connect a basic wired USB keyboard through a USB-C adapter before entering WinRE. Avoid Bluetooth keyboards, which generally are not available there. If the USB keyboard works, you can use Tab, arrow keys and Enter to reach Advanced options.
2. Back in Windows, install available Windows and Surface firmware/driver updates, including applicable optional driver updates, then restart and retest. Updating the normal Windows keyboard driver alone does not necessarily update WinRE.
3. If built-in recovery still fails, download the official Surface recovery image for your Surface Pro 8 from Microsoft’s Surface recovery page. Follow its instructions to create a recovery USB. Creating it erases the USB drive, so use one with nothing you need on it.
4. With the Surface shut down and the recovery USB connected, hold Volume Down, press and release Power, then release Volume Down when the Surface logo appears. Test whether the keyboard and touch work in that recovery environment.

Booting the recovery USB does not itself erase the Surface. Do not select “Recover from a drive” just to test input, and have your BitLocker recovery key available.

If input works from the official recovery USB but not the internal WinRE, that strongly points to the internal recovery image. Repairing or rebuilding that image with the correct Surface drivers is the next step for Microsoft support or an experienced technician. Simply disabling and re-enabling WinRE does not add missing drivers. Keep the tested recovery USB as a fallback until the internal environment is repaired.