Hello! I've recently reset my Surface RT to factory settings. Now after setting it up again and installing all needed updates via WindowsUpdate, I also wanted to install the optional ones - especially the one with the Windows 10-like start menu because I like it much better than the big tiles :D So here I go... but after the needed restart the screen stays black with a blinking WiFi icon in the bottom left and a mouse arrow when I touch the screen or the touchpad (watch here: Youtube Video ) I waited a few hours if there was an update to be finished (until the battery ran out!) - but nothing happened. I already did a complete factory reset Also a complete reset with a recovery USB drive (Windows 8.1 RT image 20.8.17.0) I am out of ideas... I tried these procedures already... The first time I installed many updates by hand because WindowsUpdate got stuck - OK I thought this was the mistake... So the second time I installed only KB2919355, KB3173424 and KB3172614 by hand because of WindowsUpdate stuck again... afterwards I thought this was the mistake because it didn't work... So the last time I tried everything over WindowsUpdate - which worked only because I flushed the DNS cache before and did the WindowsUpdate repair option from the settings. Again it didn't work... It works completely flawless until I install an optional update. PS: I've seen there are already others with this issue which seems to happen since this january... Please help! Thank you.

Hi everyone, Thank you for your feedback. We have identified the root cause and published a fix through Windows Update. This fix is available in the August 14, 2018—KB4343898 (Monthly Rollup) package . Addresses an issue that may prevent your device from starting up properly if you install KB3033055 (released September 2015) after installing any Monthly Rollup dated November 2017 or later. If your device is already booting to a black screen, you may need to Restore/refresh Surface with a recovery image. Greg

Hi, I have a questions in regards to the sulotions. I use my tablet for school and there are a lot of very important files on it.. like papers, essays etc. Is there a way to keep them save? I mean, i need those files! Thx in advance, appreciate your dedications at this forum!

You can reset or recover your Surface RT device. A reset removes all personal files from the device, not the SD card if installed. A recover does not remove personal files but takes about 3GB of hard drive space to perform. You also need your bitlocker key to recover. The bitlocker key is associated with your MS account and can be found here. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026181/windows-10-find-my-bitlocker-recovery-key Use it on the page that asks for the key during recovery.

I brought the SurfaceRT out for the first time a few weeks ago and hit the black screen issue. I have just reset it (from a USB recovery drive) and tried this workaround. I did not have to shut the PC down. I simply did the following: Check for updates Look at the details before installing If KB3033055 wasn't offered, let WU install whatever it had already pre-selected. Reboot when prompted. Back to step 1. Eventually I was at a point with ~149 important/recommended updates offered to me, and I saw KB3033055 listed under Optional. I manually unchecked every update and only selected KB3033055. Then I clicked install, but with all the wifi issues the SurfaceRT has before you've updated, it took forever for that one update. Eventually I had to just leave the machine running overnight. When I came back, it said I needed to reset, so I reset. Then while booting it was like "Installing update 142 of 149" and I thought, crap, it didn't work and it just decided to install all those other updates. But when I logged in, I got a notification that I could now switch to the Start Menu instead of the Start Screen, and it worked. Machine boots just fine, and I kept on installing the next round of updates. The funny thing was I was super mad when it didn't work the first time, and now after re-setting up the whole machine, I don't even think I like the Start Menu on this device. The Start Screen makes way more sense to me on this machine, since it's not like I can install anything but tablet-mode friendly apps.

Surface RT "dead"/black screen after installing optional upgrade(s)

Anonymous

Hello!

I've recently reset my Surface RT to factory settings.

Now after setting it up again and installing all needed updates via WindowsUpdate, I also wanted to install the optional ones - especially the one with the Windows 10-like start menu because I like it much better than the big tiles :D

So here I go... but after the needed restart the screen stays black with a blinking WiFi icon in the bottom left and a mouse arrow when I touch the screen or the touchpad (watch here: Youtube Video)

I waited a few hours if there was an update to be finished (until the battery ran out!) - but nothing happened.

I already did a complete factory reset
Also a complete reset with a recovery USB drive (Windows 8.1 RT image 20.8.17.0)
I am out of ideas...

I tried these procedures already...

The first time I installed many updates by hand because WindowsUpdate got stuck - OK I thought this was the mistake...
So the second time I installed only KB2919355, KB3173424 and KB3172614 by hand because of WindowsUpdate stuck again... afterwards I thought this was the mistake because it didn't work...
So the last time I tried everything over WindowsUpdate - which worked only because I flushed the DNS cache before and did the WindowsUpdate repair option from the settings. Again it didn't work...

It works completely flawless until I install an optional update.

PS: I've seen there are already others with this issue which seems to happen since this january...

Please help!

Thank you.

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.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

You can remove KB3033055 after getting the flickering wifi icon, no need to reset from scratch.

- Interrupt the boot process a couple times by holding down the power button to force windows into startup repair.

- Open the command prompt from the menus. (Troubleshoot, Advanced, Command Prompt)

- You will be prompted to enter username and password

- At the command prompt type:

dism /image:c:\ /get-packages > c:\dism-output.txt

notepad c:\dism-output.txt

In notepad press ctrl-f and type 3033055, you should find the full name (In my case it was Package_for_KB3033055~31bf3856ad364e35~arm~~6.3.1.19)

Back to the command prompt, In my case I typed:

dism /image:c:\ /remove-package /packagename:Package_for_KB3033055~31bf3856ad364e35~arm~~6.3.1.19

exit

From there you should be able to continue to Windows as normal.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your feedback. We have identified the root cause and published a fix through Windows Update. This fix is available in the August 14, 2018—KB4343898 (Monthly Rollup) package.

Addresses an issue that may prevent your device from starting up properly if you install KB3033055 (released September 2015) after installing any Monthly Rollup dated November 2017 or later.

If your device is already booting to a black screen, you may need to Restore/refresh Surface with a recovery image.

Greg

0 comments

78 additional answers

Anonymous

2018-06-05T13:08:14+00:00

Hi,

I have a questions in regards to the sulotions. I use my tablet for school and there are a lot of very important files on it.. like papers, essays etc. Is there a way to keep them save? I mean, i need those files!

Thx in advance, appreciate your dedications at this forum!
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2018-06-05T14:03:00+00:00

You can reset or recover your Surface RT device.

A reset removes all personal files from the device, not the SD card if installed. A recover does not remove personal files but takes about 3GB of hard drive space to perform. You also need your bitlocker key to recover.

The bitlocker key is associated with your MS account and can be found here.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026181/windows-10-find-my-bitlocker-recovery-key

Use it on the page that asks for the key during recovery.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2018-07-05T18:17:48+00:00
I brought the SurfaceRT out for the first time a few weeks ago and hit the black screen issue. I have just reset it (from a USB recovery drive) and tried this workaround.

I did not have to shut the PC down. I simply did the following:
1. Check for updates
2. Look at the details before installing
3. If KB3033055 wasn't offered, let WU install whatever it had already pre-selected.
4. Reboot when prompted.
5. Back to step 1.
Eventually I was at a point with ~149 important/recommended updates offered to me, and I saw KB3033055 listed under Optional. I manually unchecked every update and only selected KB3033055.

Then I clicked install, but with all the wifi issues the SurfaceRT has before you've updated, it took forever for that one update. Eventually I had to just leave the machine running overnight.

When I came back, it said I needed to reset, so I reset. Then while booting it was like "Installing update 142 of 149" and I thought, crap, it didn't work and it just decided to install all those other updates.

But when I logged in, I got a notification that I could now switch to the Start Menu instead of the Start Screen, and it worked. Machine boots just fine, and I kept on installing the next round of updates.

The funny thing was I was super mad when it didn't work the first time, and now after re-setting up the whole machine, I don't even think I like the Start Menu on this device. The Start Screen makes way more sense to me on this machine, since it's not like I can install anything but tablet-mode friendly apps.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments