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.

I've fixed my update problems with the RT and am running Update 3, but I didn't need to install the recovery image or msu files. With the msu files it comes up with an error saying incompatible with this device.

I don't understand how you're supposed to manually download the updates on a 32bit RT device either (core steps 14 & 15 as you mentioned) because the Surface RT cannot open 3rd party software, or download anything outside the Windows Update service and the Windows Store AND cannot use the Standalone Installer - something gives me the feeling whoever's having success with this fix is not actually using a Surface RT 32bit device The three files you have to download and install are msu files. Right click and open. They install. I just finished and ended up with Update 3 installed. The recovery image from my RT worked better than the one that was downloaded. I probably went through it three of four times before success. I just installed updates for Windows RT and hid all the Office updates. Made it a litter faster. I'll go back through and install the security updates for Office. I don't need feature updates.

I had the exact same problem as where I could reach update kb2919355 and then would get stuck on an infinite loop of "preparing to install" (seems to completely skip the downloading phase, which seems to be a catalyst in the problem, atleast for me) however the "15 step fix" that you're trying I just gave up on after trying the process a hundred times. I don't understand how you're supposed to manually download the updates on a 32bit RT device either (core steps 14 & 15 as you mentioned) because the Surface RT cannot open 3rd party software, or download anything outside the Windows Update service and the Windows Store AND cannot use the Standalone Installer - something gives me the feeling whoever's having success with this fix is not actually using a Surface RT 32bit device (but maybe a Surface Pro 64bit or later device) ANYHOW I personally fixed the problem by simply creating another pc user account followed by a new Microsoft account, and then trying to update through the new user profile using the new Microsoft account. Once the updates started downloading then Windows Store apps then magically started downloading too, after I'd installed KB2919355 I reverted back to my original accounts, everything downloads and seems fine... I don't expect this to work for everyone as the "preparing to install" disaster problem seems so broad that who would actually know except for the RT technicians/developers who were probably fired 3 or 4 years ago now. Windows knows it's a big time issue but they've tried washing their hands of the RT architecture since 2014/2015. Let us know how you get on, there are a few things you can try.

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

2017-05-08T05:59:12+00:00

I've fixed my update problems with the RT and am running Update 3, but I didn't need to install the recovery image or msu files. With the msu files it comes up with an error saying incompatible with this device.
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Anonymous

2017-05-08T03:43:42+00:00

I don't understand how you're supposed to manually download the updates on a 32bit RT device either (core steps 14 & 15 as you mentioned) because the Surface RT cannot open 3rd party software, or download anything outside the Windows Update service and the Windows Store AND cannot use the Standalone Installer - something gives me the feeling whoever's having success with this fix is not actually using a Surface RT 32bit device

The three files you have to download and install are msu files. Right click and open. They install.

I just finished and ended up with Update 3 installed.

The recovery image from my RT worked better than the one that was downloaded. I probably went through it three of four times before success. I just installed updates for Windows RT and hid all the Office updates. Made it a litter faster. I'll go back through and install the security updates for Office. I don't need feature updates.
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2017-05-08T02:41:41+00:00

I had the exact same problem as where I could reach update kb2919355 and then would get stuck on an infinite loop of "preparing to install" (seems to completely skip the downloading phase, which seems to be a catalyst in the problem, atleast for me) however the "15 step fix" that you're trying I just gave up on after trying the process a hundred times. I don't understand how you're supposed to manually download the updates on a 32bit RT device either (core steps 14 & 15 as you mentioned) because the Surface RT cannot open 3rd party software, or download anything outside the Windows Update service and the Windows Store AND cannot use the Standalone Installer - something gives me the feeling whoever's having success with this fix is not actually using a Surface RT 32bit device (but maybe a Surface Pro 64bit or later device) ANYHOW I personally fixed the problem by simply creating another pc user account followed by a new Microsoft account, and then trying to update through the new user profile using the new Microsoft account. Once the updates started downloading then Windows Store apps then magically started downloading too, after I'd installed KB2919355 I reverted back to my original accounts, everything downloads and seems fine... I don't expect this to work for everyone as the "preparing to install" disaster problem seems so broad that who would actually know except for the RT technicians/developers who were probably fired 3 or 4 years ago now. Windows knows it's a big time issue but they've tried washing their hands of the RT architecture since 2014/2015. Let us know how you get on, there are a few things you can try.
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