Microsoft Brings Windows RT 8.1 Update Back in the Windows Store

Windows RT is already viewed as a flawed product by many, so three days ago when the Windows RT 8.1 update was pulled down from the Windows Store this did nothing but to enfuriate even more users. Now, according to Microsoft’s Support Twitter account, the Windows 8.1 update for Surface RT is back in the Windows Store.

Windows RT 8.1 update is back in Windows Store

A Microsofot spokesperson said the following:

This was due to a rare situation where firmware updates had not completed at the time of the update to RT 8.1. In most cases, if a customer encountered this issue the result was simply an extra reboot. However, for a very small percentage, the boot configuration data was affected which prevented a successful boot. We worked to quickly resolve the issue and now encourage customers to update their Surface RT devices. Surface Pro and 8.1 customers were not impacted by this issue.

As previously announced, there is a recovery solution available for download here for Surface RT customers who experienced the installation issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If an issue occurs with our software or devices, we take immediate steps to ensure a quality experience for every single customer—that’s been our driving priority in this case, despite the very limited number of customers impacted. We are grateful to the customers who shared their Surface RT devices, assisting our efforts to determine the root cause quickly.

Also, this was posted on the support forums:

The update to Windows RT 8.1 is once again available as a free download in the Windows Store for users with Windows RT devices. We immediately suspended availability of the update after reports that a very small number of Surface RT customers—around 1 out of every 1,000 Surface RT 8.1 installs—had experienced an issue that left the update incomplete and their devices unbootable. This was due to a rare situation where firmware updates had not completed at the time of the update to RT 8.1.

In most cases, if a customer encountered this issue the result was simply an extra reboot. However, for a very small percentage, the boot configuration data was affected which prevented a successful boot. We worked to quickly resolve the issue and now encourage customers to update their Surface RT devices. Surface Pro and 8.1 customers were not impacted by this issue.

Microsoft has previously made available a Surface RT recovery image for those that have bricked Surface RT units. Even if Microsoft says only Surface RT owners had this issue, we’ve seen numerous reports of Windows RT users having the same issue. Can you check and confirm that the update is back in the Windows Store? If you run a Windows 8 version and for some reasons the Windows 8.1 update doesn’t show up, check this guide as it might help you out.