Microsoft restores the Windows RT 8.1 update to the Windows Store after three days of absence due to a bug that was causing some issues on a tiny number of Surface RT devices during the install, which users were experience on October 19th.
For those affected by this problem, Microsoft has previously offered a resolution which involves downloading the Surface RT Recovery Image, create a USB recovery drive, boot the tablet with it to fix the boot-loader.
Now the problem seems to be permanently resolved, here is the official statement:
The update to Windows RT 8.1 is once again available as a free download in the Windows Store for users with Windows RT devices. We immediately suspended availability of the update after reports that a very small number of Surface RT customers—around 1 out of every 1,000 Surface RT 8.1 installs—had experienced an issue that left the update incomplete and their devices unbootable. This was due to a rare situation where firmware updates had not completed at the time of the update to RT 8.1. In most cases, if a customer encountered this issue the result was simply an extra reboot. However, for a very small percentage, the boot configuration data was affected which prevented a successful boot.
We worked to quickly resolve the issue and now encourage customers to update their Surface RT devices. Surface Pro and 8.1 customers were not impacted by this issue.
As previously announced, there is a recovery solution available for download for Surface RT customers who experienced the installation issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If an issue occurs with our software or devices, we take immediate steps to ensure a quality experience for every single customer—that’s been our driving priority in this case, despite the very limited number of customers impacted. We are grateful to the customers who shared their Surface RT devices, assisting our efforts to determine the root cause quickly.
For those wanting to grad the update now, they can do it from the store and if it doesn’t show up, check this previous article to force the Windows Store to display the update.
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Source Microsoft | Thank you for the tip Richard Hay!
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].