Emdoor EM-I8170 or Unisurf 7″ Tablet: Upgrading to Windows 10

/ 91 Comments

Intro

While this tablet may be one of the cheapest windows tablets that money can buy, I still see it as a worthwhile challenge to try upgrading one to run windows 10. The tablets only have a meagre 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. While these are a real limitation, for basic tasks it is still a usable machine – akin to a netbook from previous years, but with a faster processor and better form factor for content consumption.

The license for windows 8 is burned into the BIOS – there is no actual license key. As the July deadline for upgrading to windows 10 has passed, I do not know if you will need a new license key for windows 10. However, even though the July deadline has expired, if you have issues with activating windows 10, please see this link for a possible workaround.

Disclaimer:

  • This upgrade process will require you to wipe the device entirely, which will lose all data.
  • I don’t recommend you attempt this if you are not confident with troubleshooting.

Tools needed

  • USB Micro OTG (On-the-go) adapter
  • USB Hub
  • USB Stick (8GB or larger)
  • USB keyboard & mouse

Download Links

  • Windows 10 Media Creation Tool: here (scroll down on that page)
  • Direct download of ISO: here (be sure to choose the 32bit option!)
  • Rufus (ISO-to-USB tool): here
  • Drivers: download here. If the link does not work, please leave a comment or send me a message and I will email you a new link to download the drivers.
  • Touchscreen rotation fix: here

 

Instructions:

  1. Download the ISO for windows 10, 32bit from here
  2. Download Rufus, and use it to “burn” the ISO to the USB stick as a bootable drive
  3. Plug in the on-the-go adapter into the tablet, and then the hub into that.
  4. Plug keyboard and mouse, and the USB stick into the hub.
  5. Startup the tablet, and press delete to get into the BIOS.
  6. Choose the option to boot off the USB – it is on the fourth page in the BIOS.
  7. Perform the installation of windows 10 using the keyboard and mouse. Make sure you wipe the internal drive and delete all the existing partitions.
  8. Boot into windows 10 using the USB keyboard and mouse.
  9. Copy the driver zip file to the tablet with a USB stick, or, download it directly on the tablet from any web browser.
  10. Extract the zip file and run the “Double Driver” program (dd.exe).
  11. Choose “Restore” and follow the prompts to allow administrator access.
  12. Click “Locate Backup” and choose the compressed (zipped) backup file “Drivers Backup.zip”
  13. Choose “Restore Now”, and follow all installation steps that pop up. Some of the drivers are unsigned so windows will produce a warning – install those drivers anyway.
  14. Wait for the  driver installation to complete, then choose the option “restart later”. Click “close” on any windows that remain open.
  15. Double click on the “orientation fixer.reg” file (download it here)to add it to your registry.
  16. Reboot the tablet
  17. Enjoy windows 10!

Let me know if you have any questions about any of these steps – I know that this is brief, and I am happy to provide further details if you would like.

 

Emdoor EM-I8170 & Unisurf 7″ Misc Specs

  • Audio Codec: Realtek
  • Audio Amp: ALC5640
  • Wifi: Realtek
  • Touchscreen: Silead
  • Accelerometer: Kionix
  • Camera: GC310

 

Most of these drivers will also work on the Pendo Pad 7″ for windows 10 – you will have problems with the touchscreen as there is a different driver required for that tablet. You can get that driver and more information over at this link.

91 Comments

  10. Carlos

    Hi bro! Can I have the drivers please? Thanks! Oh and when downloading the ISO, which version do I choose?
    Windows 10 or Windows 10 Single Language?
    and which language do I choose?
    English or English International?

    Thanks a lot mate!

    Reply

  16. Cary

    Hi there,
    Could you kindly send me the link for the drivers:) i’ve updated to the recent version of windows 10 and my copy of them doesn’t seem to work this time!
    thanks

    Reply

  18. Tina

    Hi there,
    Could you kindly send me the link for the drivers:) i’ve updated to the recent version of windows 10 and my copy of them doesn’t seem to work this time!
    thanks

    Reply

  24. Tania

    I found this page while looking for the drivers for my Unisurf 7, I did a clean Win 10 install on my Uniserf 7, thinking Win 10 can automatically identify the required drivers 🙁

    Can I trouble you for the link as well?

    Thanks,

    Reply

      • Peter

        Hallo Samuel
        Thank you very much for your effort! Unfortunately your Drivers did not match. I own a Emdoor Surf 7 Tab (EM-I8270-D) as I just found out.
        Now I am trying Linux Fedora Workstation 30-1.2. WiFi and Bluetooth worked out of the box. The Touchscreen works, but there are issues with the rotation. Audio works after the first update. I don’t care about the cameras (they are way too bad).
        The performance of Fedora on the Atom Z3735 G is a bit sluggish but acceptable. Up to now, this seems to be the best way to go…

        Reply

        • admin

          Thank you for your reply Peter, I’m glad you’ve found a suitable solution with Linux. I’m sorry to hear the windows drivers did not work, unfortunately I no longer have this tablet so I am unable to help with further troubleshooting. Best regards, Sam

          Reply

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