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.

This whole thing is very frustrating. This is how I am using my RT these days. I did manage to download a few of the apps I use before the update issue arose. I have tried several times to download a weather app but gave up trying. When I am not using my RT I open up services and stop the Windows update. At this point I get Windows defender to update the latest virus definition. Once that is done the Windows update in services starts running again (with no results). If I am done with the RT at that time, I stop the windows update once more and turn wifi off. This way the windows update will not start again and drain the battery. When I need the RT again I turn on the wifi feature and perform whatever I have to do. If you turn off wifi but the windows update in services is running the CPU keeps on chugging regardless. Other than that unless MS gets a fix in soon I don't think there is much we can do especially for a non-techie like me. I laughed while reading your post but more or less it is the same way I am using my tablet in these days. When I go to sleep or having lunch I turn on windows update hoping it finds something, when I am back I turn WU service off and sometimes I have to reboot the surface because, even with the service down, svchost.exe keep using 25% of CPU. From time to time I realize that I forgot to install at the beginning some useful app, like a password manager, the Facebook app (using the website with the Surface RT is getting too frustrating... hardware of RT is no more able to handle big websites like Facebook), VLC for clips, and so on.... The Store is the biggest of the problems actually than Windows Update. Sometimes I feel like in a candid camera or a comedy....

This whole thing is very frustrating. This is how I am using my RT these days. I did manage to download a few of the apps I use before the update issue arose. I have tried several times to download a weather app but gave up trying. When I am not using my RT I open up services and stop the Windows update. At this point I get Windows defender to update the latest virus definition. Once that is done the Windows update in services starts running again (with no results). If I am done with the RT at that time, I stop the windows update once more and turn wifi off. This way the windows update will not start again and drain the battery. When I need the RT again I turn on the wifi feature and perform whatever I have to do. If you turn off wifi but the windows update in services is running the CPU keeps on chugging regardless. Other than that unless MS gets a fix in soon I don't think there is much we can do especially for a non-techie like me.

I would gladly help, but I don`t have much technical knowledge... Well, nobody is sharing any details. If we had details there would be a chance that we could understand the problem symptom cause and devise workarounds. Did you try getting into Administrator: Windows PowerShell and capturing any of the diagnostics I have been mentioning? Get-AppxLog -All | clip.exe is probably where I would start. I think the BITS thing I have been mentioning is probably a red herring for the Store problem symptom. OTOH in W10 when I do the (Get-BITSTransfer -AllUsers ).FileList thing it shows something about Skype (another artifact) so if that was coming from the Store it might be proof that BITS is used for downloading from the Store too. Who knows? This is a demonstration of Closed Source Software Support. No Source, no access even to Support documentation. So we are left to our own devices to attempt enough reverse engineering to try to figure out what it is supposed to be doing and devise workarounds when it evidently is not doing anything useful for us. But, for example, if you were really lucky it's conceivable that you might find your downloads had already been done completely but just left in a suspended state with both sizes the same. Then there would be a chance that you could treat that thing as a manual download and finish the install for it. Etc. FYI Robert

I would gladly help, but I don t have much technical knowledge... Let s hope they will be able to issue the fix as soon as possible. I would be very happy if I could at least be able to use the Windows Store again... the error "Your purchase could not be completed" still pops up, no matter what I try to download. Is there any chance that we could install those packages without downloading them from the Store? I mean, is there any other source for them? Thank you! I guess that another problem would be how to install those packages in case we would find them. Windows RT does not have a developer mode like windows 10, so I assume that it does not allow to install packages that do not come right from the Store (and this was the clear intention of MS when they built Windows RT). I am positive that they will provide a fix for these issue since Win RT 8.1 is supported until 2018.

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

2017-01-18T17:04:32+00:00

This whole thing is very frustrating.

This is how I am using my RT these days. I did manage to download a few of the apps I use before the update issue arose. I have tried several times to download a weather app but gave up trying.

When I am not using my RT I open up services and stop the Windows update. At this point I get Windows defender to update the latest virus definition. Once that is done the Windows update in services starts running again (with no results). If I am done with the RT at that time, I stop the windows update once more and turn wifi off. This way the windows update will not start again and drain the battery.

When I need the RT again I turn on the wifi feature and perform whatever I have to do.

If you turn off wifi but the windows update in services is running the CPU keeps on chugging regardless.

Other than that unless MS gets a fix in soon I don't think there is much we can do especially for a non-techie like me.

I laughed while reading your post but more or less it is the same way I am using my tablet in these days.

When I go to sleep or having lunch I turn on windows update hoping it finds something, when I am back I turn WU service off and sometimes I have to reboot the surface because, even with the service down, svchost.exe keep using 25% of CPU.

From time to time I realize that I forgot to install at the beginning some useful app, like a password manager, the Facebook app (using the website with the Surface RT is getting too frustrating... hardware of RT is no more able to handle big websites like Facebook), VLC for clips, and so on....

The Store is the biggest of the problems actually than Windows Update.

Sometimes I feel like in a candid camera or a comedy....
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Anonymous

2017-01-18T16:13:41+00:00

This whole thing is very frustrating.

This is how I am using my RT these days. I did manage to download a few of the apps I use before the update issue arose. I have tried several times to download a weather app but gave up trying.

When I am not using my RT I open up services and stop the Windows update. At this point I get Windows defender to update the latest virus definition. Once that is done the Windows update in services starts running again (with no results). If I am done with the RT at that time, I stop the windows update once more and turn wifi off. This way the windows update will not start again and drain the battery.

When I need the RT again I turn on the wifi feature and perform whatever I have to do.

If you turn off wifi but the windows update in services is running the CPU keeps on chugging regardless.

Other than that unless MS gets a fix in soon I don't think there is much we can do especially for a non-techie like me.
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Anonymous

2017-01-18T15:53:29+00:00

I would gladly help, but I don`t have much technical knowledge...

Well, nobody is sharing any details. If we had details there would be a chance that we could understand the problem symptom cause and devise workarounds. Did you try getting into Administrator: Windows PowerShell and capturing any of the diagnostics I have been mentioning? Get-AppxLog -All | clip.exe is probably where I would start. I think the BITS thing I have been mentioning is probably a red herring for the Store problem symptom. OTOH in W10 when I do the (Get-BITSTransfer -AllUsers ).FileList thing it shows something about Skype (another artifact) so if that was coming from the Store it might be proof that BITS is used for downloading from the Store too. Who knows? This is a demonstration of Closed Source Software Support. No Source, no access even to Support documentation. So we are left to our own devices to attempt enough reverse engineering to try to figure out what it is supposed to be doing and devise workarounds when it evidently is not doing anything useful for us. But, for example, if you were really lucky it's conceivable that you might find your downloads had already been done completely but just left in a suspended state with both sizes the same. Then there would be a chance that you could treat that thing as a manual download and finish the install for it. Etc.

FYI

Robert
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Anonymous

2017-01-18T14:33:24+00:00

I would gladly help, but I dont have much technical knowledge... Lets hope they will be able to issue the fix as soon as possible. I would be very happy if I could at least be able to use the Windows Store again... the error "Your purchase could not be completed" still pops up, no matter what I try to download.

Is there any chance that we could install those packages without downloading them from the Store? I mean, is there any other source for them?

Thank you!

I guess that another problem would be how to install those packages in case we would find them.

Windows RT does not have a developer mode like windows 10, so I assume that it does not allow to install packages that do not come right from the Store (and this was the clear intention of MS when they built Windows RT).

I am positive that they will provide a fix for these issue since Win RT 8.1 is supported until 2018.
Was this answer helpful?

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