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

I recently downloaded KB3033055 but my Surface RT running Windows 8.1 RT turned black with a flashing wifi icon and never rebooted to normal since then. Is there a known issue with this update? Then why are we not told? Why is it continuously offered as an update just to kill our Surface RT? My device is now a complete brick and useless. Is there now a fix for this? I am very disappointed with Microsoft that Imam thinking of switching my loyalty to another reliable OS out there.

The customer did not know Bitlocker was enabled (as most customers that I've had who have owned Surface tablets) and therefore had not backed up their key or written it down. Thus I had no way of doing anything outside of the operating system. Clicking "not this drive" is a complete waste of time because it's impossible to fix the operating system with the drive locked. I checked their Microsoft account and it had no Bitlocker keys associated with it. Regardless, plugging in an external display and simply logging into the OS and removing the offending update was much easier than any of the other (very helpful, no less) suggestions mentioned here. I'm not sure if the same goes for the original Surface, but at least on the Surface 2, this worked for me. KB3033055 was the problem in this instance.

Bit locker is enabled by default on Surface RT devices. You can scroll to the bottom of the page that asks for the key and select 'not this drive' and go on to the next page. The device bit locker key is associated with you MS account, get it here. Find my BitLocker recovery key https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026181/windows-find-my-bitlocker-recovery-key One would see this and possibly think that KB3033055 is the problem, which is not the case. It is Update 3 for the RT operating system that was released in Sept, 2015 and still functions on fully updated Surface RT and Surface 2 devices and does away with the start screen and gives a Win 10 like interface. This inability to boot problem did not start until the 2018-01 (Jan) Security Monthly Quality Rollup, KB4056895, was released. Like you said, Update 3 has to get installed first and KB3033055 is an optional update. So, if you decide to install optional updates on a working RT or refresh or reset, go through downloading and installing over 200 updates and then install Update 3 you have a brick Now the 2018-02 (Feb) Security Monthly Quality Rollup, KB4074594, and probably future Security Monthly Quality Rollups will do the same. MS has not fixed this after two months. Guess the RT operating system is down on the list for support like Windows 8.1 phones. Yes, they say support for the RT operating system has not ended. There is a way to get Update 3 installed quickly and not worry about it.

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.

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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

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78 additional answers

Anonymous

2018-03-20T11:44:38+00:00

I recently downloaded KB3033055 but my Surface RT running Windows 8.1 RT turned black with a flashing wifi icon and never rebooted to normal since then. Is there a known issue with this update? Then why are we not told? Why is it continuously offered as an update just to kill our Surface RT? My device is now a complete brick and useless. Is there now a fix for this? I am very disappointed with Microsoft that Imam thinking of switching my loyalty to another reliable OS out there.
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2018-03-10T16:26:44+00:00

The customer did not know Bitlocker was enabled (as most customers that I've had who have owned Surface tablets) and therefore had not backed up their key or written it down. Thus I had no way of doing anything outside of the operating system. Clicking "not this drive" is a complete waste of time because it's impossible to fix the operating system with the drive locked. I checked their Microsoft account and it had no Bitlocker keys associated with it.

Regardless, plugging in an external display and simply logging into the OS and removing the offending update was much easier than any of the other (very helpful, no less) suggestions mentioned here.

I'm not sure if the same goes for the original Surface, but at least on the Surface 2, this worked for me. KB3033055 was the problem in this instance.
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2018-03-10T01:56:54+00:00

Bit locker is enabled by default on Surface RT devices.

You can scroll to the bottom of the page that asks for the key and select 'not this drive' and go on to the next page.

The device bit locker key is associated with you MS account, get it here.

Find my BitLocker recovery key

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

One would see this and possibly think that KB3033055 is the problem, which is not the case. It is Update 3 for the RT operating system that was released in Sept, 2015 and still functions on fully updated Surface RT and Surface 2 devices and does away with the start screen and gives a Win 10 like interface.

This inability to boot problem did not start until the 2018-01 (Jan) Security Monthly Quality Rollup, KB4056895, was released.

Like you said, Update 3 has to get installed first and KB3033055 is an optional update.

So, if you decide to install optional updates on a working RT or refresh or reset, go through downloading and installing over 200 updates and then install Update 3 you have a brick

Now the 2018-02 (Feb) Security Monthly Quality Rollup, KB4074594, and probably future Security Monthly Quality Rollups will do the same.

MS has not fixed this after two months. Guess the RT operating system is down on the list for support like Windows 8.1 phones. Yes, they say support for the RT operating system has not ended.

There is a way to get Update 3 installed quickly and not worry about it.
Was this answer helpful?

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