Hi I reset my Surface RT recently. After resetting, I could not get Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 back like before. My Windows Update now checking for update forever. I left it open for 24 hours, the process is in infinite loop. I tried the method reset the Windows Update components (Stop services, delete Windows\SoftwareDistribution). It doesn't work. I check my installed update, I can't find KB2919442. I can't download or update any apps from Windows Store too. (wsreset.exe tried) ================ Updates (JANUARY 2017) *You can skip this to the solution below ================ gianpietromerighetti found Windows RT 8.1 update 3 standalone installer Evan Forrest made a step by step guide to get Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 Windows update and Windows Store issues are still not solved. According to Barb Bowman, Surface Support is aware of the problem and working to push a fix out quickly but don't have an exact time frame. ================ Solution (Issues solved) ================ Thanks to one of the community member Stjinchan found a solution and provided a complete guide . Step 1: Download KB3173424 from HERE . Step 2 : Download KB3172614 from HERE . Step 3: TURN OFF your WiFi, and reboot the surface. Step 4: Install KB3173424 by opening it. Step 5: Reboot the surface. Step 6: Install KB3172614 by opening it. Step 7: Reboot the surface. Step 8: TURN ON your WiFi, start searching for updates. ▲ Windows Update: I completed every updates using the method above. ▲ Windows Store: My Windows Store is working and got a new interface.

it worked for mine to I had all kinds of updates and I can install apps from the store but now I get only the defender definition update and it doesn't install. But I'm happy I have gotten this far and I can install apps from the app store again.

I can't download the update to do any manual procedures when it is only offered thru windows update. A point would be that apparently you are getting it downloaded and (probably) expanded and even run the way the KB article describes. So at least you could investigate to see how much of it is left. For example, maybe that wnfcleanup tool is still there undeleted and not run. Or maybe the thing it was downloaded as is the .msu file that the article describes and you could start from that. Etc. Another thing that you could do is look at the ReportingEvents.log and the WindowsUpdate.log. There may also be clues in the Events logs. Unfortunately we do not have a tool like ProcMon to use to help us figure out how stuff works and why it doesn't but there are lots of other clues available to get a better idea of what is wrong. I can't investigate why it fails - it never fails. Then you should be able to at least do this part of the article's manual procedure <extract>SCHTASKS /QUERY /V | findstr /I "wnfcleanup" > .\cleanup.txtCleanup.txt Note The Cleanup.txt should show a status of "Ready." If it shows as "Running," rerun the two commands above. As soon as the status shows "Ready," locate "cmd /c c:\wnfcleanup\wnfcleanup.exe -delete" in the Clanup.txt. Immediately to the left is the result code that is followed by the account name which created the scheduled task. It will be as follows "0 Administrator." The result code should be "0" that indicates the task ran successfully. </extract> Heh. So I tried that on my RT and the authors were not thinking of its users. It works with modifications. You must be using the Administrator Command Prompt (not PowerShell) and you must give the full path and extension (or be at the %windir%\System32 level so that they are found in it). In fact, instead of using the findstr I found it illuminating to pipe to clip.exe and then Paste the whole thing into Notepad. Presumably then you could do your own manual Find (F3) for wnf I just realized something else from this. The example shows that the patch may try to execute cmd.exe without specifying the file extension. We know that this will not work normally, so this could also be a sign that it could be a good idea to give your RT a permanent PATHEXT=.exe so at least that much could work. How bizarre. I do have a permanent PATHEXT but it only contains .cpl You can use set pa to check what you have. I am frequently annoyed by this usability defect and only now realize it is more than a usability defect. It may also affect some script processing as we have seen with this example. I do not see kb3000850 in my installed list. It should be optional; so is it listed that way? In fact, the KB article says that this one is supposed to be optional too, so maybe that would give you another method of controlling it. Good luck Robert

I still can't get past kb3063843 Notice that its KB article describes a manual procedure you can try as well as the file information for the 5 affected modules. However, it would make more sense to investigate why the update failed (regardless of what "can't get past" means.) BTW that was from 2015. Do you have KB3000850 now then? I can't download the update to do any manual procedures when it is only offered thru windows update. It offers that same update every time I check for updates. It tells me it installed correctly every time. I can't investigate why it fails - it never fails. (as far as it will tell me anyways - alternative facts? ) I do not see kb3000850 in my installed list.

This man deserves an award. Did everythig you wrote there, installed all the 200+ updates -> everything works just fine now. I will drink a beer for you today. Thanks a lot!!!

Resetting Surface RT in NOV 2016. Cannot get Windows RT 8.1 Update 3. [Solved]

Anonymous

I reset my Surface RT recently. After resetting, I could not get Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 back like before.

My Windows Update now checking for update forever. I left it open for 24 hours, the process is in infinite loop.

I tried the method reset the Windows Update components (Stop services, delete Windows\SoftwareDistribution). It doesn't work.
I check my installed update, I can't find KB2919442.
I can't download or update any apps from Windows Store too. (wsreset.exe tried)

================

Updates (JANUARY 2017) *You can skip this to the solution below

================

gianpietromerighetti found Windows RT 8.1 update 3 standalone installer
Evan Forrest made a step by step guide to get Windows RT 8.1 Update 3
Windows update and Windows Store issues are still not solved.
According to Barb Bowman, Surface Support is aware of the problem and working to push a fix out quickly but don't have an exact time frame.

================

Solution (Issues solved)

================

Thanks to one of the community member Stjinchan found a solution and provided a complete guide.

Step 1: Download KB3173424 from HERE.

Step 2 : Download KB3172614 from HERE.

Step 3: TURN OFF your WiFi, and reboot the surface.

Step 4: Install KB3173424 by opening it.

Step 5: Reboot the surface.

Step 6: Install KB3172614 by opening it.

Step 7: Reboot the surface.

Step 8: TURN ON your WiFi, start searching for updates.

▲ Windows Update: I completed every updates using the method above.

▲ Windows Store: My Windows Store is working and got a new interface.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

After contacting Microsoft, and doing research for at least a few weeks, I found a solution to this major problem.

Alright, so I got a permanent solution for the Windows Update searching disaster! :)

Step 1: Restore your Surface RT with the recovery image from the microsoft website. (optional)

Step 2: Set up your surface and head to Windows update.

Step 3: Search for updates, after 30m-1h you will see a firmware update, press install without modifying the update list.

Step 4: After the installation succeeded, and your surface rt restarted go ahead and search again for updates.

Step 5: Again you will see a package of updates, this update includes the Windows RT 8.1 Update 1 update (kb2919355).

Step 6: When you finished installing the updates and your surface rebooted again, go to "installed updates" and check if kb2919355 is installed.

Step 7: If not, try to install the updates again. If it did, start searching for updates again.

Step 8: Once Windows Update is searching for at least 4 hours we came at the point where most of us are stuck.

THE SOLUTION

Step 9: Download kb3173424 from HERE.

Step 10 : Download kb3172614 from HERE.

Step 11: Turn off your Wifi, and reboot the surface.

Step 12: Install kb3173424 by opening it.

Step 13: Reboot the surface.

Step 14: Install kb3172614 by opening it.

Step 15: Reboot the surface.

Step 16: Turn on your Wifi, start searching for updates and after 10+/- minutes you will see 180+ updates coming your way :D.

I hope this helps a lot of people, since it was a major problem on the Surface RT.

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319 additional answers

Anonymous

2017-02-01T18:38:41+00:00

it worked for mine to I had all kinds of updates and I can install apps from the store but now I get only the defender definition update and it doesn't install. But I'm happy I have gotten this far and I can install apps from the app store again.
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Anonymous

2017-01-27T04:17:12+00:00
I can't download the update to do any manual procedures when it is only offered thru windows update.

A point would be that apparently you are getting it downloaded and (probably) expanded and even run the way the KB article describes. So at least you could investigate to see how much of it is left. For example, maybe that wnfcleanup tool is still there undeleted and not run. Or maybe the thing it was downloaded as is the .msu file that the article describes and you could start from that. Etc.

Another thing that you could do is look at the ReportingEvents.log and the WindowsUpdate.log. There may also be clues in the Events logs. Unfortunately we do not have a tool like ProcMon to use to help us figure out how stuff works and why it doesn't but there are lots of other clues available to get a better idea of what is wrong.

I can't investigate why it fails - it never fails.

Then you should be able to at least do this part of the article's manual procedure
```
<extract>SCHTASKS /QUERY /V | findstr /I "wnfcleanup" > .\cleanup.txtCleanup.txt
```
Note The Cleanup.txt should show a status of "Ready." If it shows as "Running," rerun the two commands above. As soon as the status shows "Ready," locate "cmd /c c:\wnfcleanup\wnfcleanup.exe -delete" in the Clanup.txt. Immediately to the left is the result code that is followed by the account name which created the scheduled task. It will be as follows "0 Administrator." The result code should be "0" that indicates the task ran successfully.

</extract>

Heh. So I tried that on my RT and the authors were not thinking of its users. It works with modifications. You must be using the Administrator Command Prompt (not PowerShell) and you must give the full path and extension (or be at the %windir%\System32
level so that they are found in it). In fact, instead of using the findstr I found it illuminating to pipe to clip.exe and then Paste the whole thing into Notepad. Presumably then you could do your own manual Find (F3) for wnf

I just realized something else from this. The example shows that the patch may try to execute cmd.exe without specifying the file extension. We know that this will not work normally, so this could also be a sign that it could be a good idea to give your RT a permanent PATHEXT=.exe so at least that much could work. How bizarre. I do have a permanent PATHEXT but it only contains .cpl You can use set pa to check what you have. I am frequently annoyed by this usability defect and only now realize it is more than a usability defect. It may also affect some script processing as we have seen with this example.

I do not see kb3000850 in my installed list.

It should be optional; so is it listed that way? In fact, the KB article says that this one is supposed to be optional too, so maybe that would give you another method of controlling it.

Good luck

Robert
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Anonymous

2017-01-27T00:30:46+00:00

I still can't get past kb3063843

Notice that its KB article describes a manual procedure you can try as well as the file information for the 5 affected modules. However, it would make more sense to investigate why the update failed (regardless of what "can't get past" means.)

BTW that was from 2015. Do you have KB3000850 now then?

I can't download the update to do any manual procedures when it is only offered thru windows update.

It offers that same update every time I check for updates.

It tells me it installed correctly every time.

I can't investigate why it fails - it never fails. (as far as it will tell me anyways - alternative facts? )

I do not see kb3000850 in my installed list.
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2017-01-26T10:43:32+00:00

This man deserves an award. Did everythig you wrote there, installed all the 200+ updates -> everything works just fine now. I will drink a beer for you today. Thanks a lot!!!
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