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

Anonymous
2016-11-15T05:47:14+00:00

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.

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

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

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

  1. gianpietromerighetti found Windows RT 8.1 update 3 standalone installer
  2. Evan Forrest made a step by step guide to get Windows RT 8.1 Update 3
  3. Windows update and Windows Store issues are still not solved.
  4. 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.

Surface | Other

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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Anonymous
2017-01-17T19:55:27+00:00

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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  1. Anonymous
    2017-01-04T14:10:36+00:00

    Thank you for your reply. There have been no optional updates that were downloaded. I checked the list of installed updates and the latest was KB2919355. I downloaded (manual) KB3000850. When I open the file to try and update, a window opens up 'searching for updates on this computer' but nothing happens.

    Any suggestions will be appreciated.

    Thanks.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-01-04T02:54:13+00:00

    Does this help point us in the right direction?

    Good grief.  I have never seen this before.  I mean I wasn't even aware that PendingDeletes was a possible hardlink.  Bizarre.

    Anyway, my point was to have been that the version it seems to be linked to is 6.3.900.17031 and as suspected that is not what it should be.  For example, I have 6.3.9300.18541 (from the December rollup).  This means that you are not getting security patches applied.

    So, let's see where you might have got that one.  We can start with KB2919355.

    Apparently we need to download  file information for update 2919355  as a .csv file.

    ARM modules are not mentioned in there but it is enough to see that 17031 is correct.

    Maybe those PendingDeletes are a useful clue after all.  E.g. they might be a sign that you do have things installed but just not applied.   Let's try checking on that possibility with another PowerShell pipeline

    PS>cd ..

    PS>LS -Re -Fi bcrypt.dll -Fo -Ea "SilentlyContinue" | sort LastWriteTime | select Length, FullName | ft -wrap -AutoSize | Out-String -width 90

    So, note the first command which should take you up to  C:\Windows so then the second command can find stuff in  WinSxS.    Your command line prefix may look different from mine.  I use it to save space and then use gl to check that I am where I think I am when I need to.  I am taking advantage of the -wrap option to try to highlight the version level and avoid truncation in small windows.

    BTW have you done a proper manual Restart since the last update?  If not, do the pipeline, do a Restart and then do the pipeline again to see if anything changes from the Restart. 

    HTH

    Robert

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-01-04T00:25:18+00:00

    Here is the result of the command:

    \Windows\WinSxS\arm_microsoft-windows-bcrypt-dll_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.17031

    _none_8361bc900ad6a705\bcrypt.dll

    \Windows\WinSxS\Temp\PendingDeletes$$DeleteMe.bcrypt.dll.01d2650e14dee2d6.0015

    \Windows\WinSxS\Temp\PendingDeletes$$DeleteMe.bcrypt.dll.01d2651484be8778.0015

    \Windows\WinSxS\Temp\PendingDeletes$$DeleteMe.bcrypt.dll.01d2653aa624fe07.0016

    \Windows\System32\bcrypt.dll

    Does this help point us in the right direction?

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-01-03T23:33:28+00:00

                Are you suggesting that 2919355 did not install properly?

    I'm saying that having that as a hypothesis fits the facts.  We haven't done anything to test it.

    Here's something you could do  (in an Administrator command prompt)

    .\fsutil  hardlink  list  bcrypt.dll

    C.f.

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfwinrt-surfupdate/resetting-surface-rt-in-nov-2016-cannot-get/7a6ef150-a5a3-4b2b-b363-28436761548e?page=7#LastReply

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