Well that's my problem. The surface works perfectly but when i install the update 3 from windows update (KB3033055) or the standalone pack (KB3097667) from the official microsoft site and i restart the surface in order to finish the installation it won't turn on. All i obtain is a black screen with the wifi logo blinking and the mouse icon moving but notting else. Only thing i can do after that is refresh the surface or a factory reset. I have all the updates installed except the ones i have mentioned. Please tell me if there's a solution for this, i really want the start menu on my surface but i can't install those updates.
Surface RT won't boot windows after the installation of update 3
- Thread starter MarioTH
- Start date
Sounds like you have done this multiple times so it's unlikely to resolve.
It's probably due to a unique operation in the update which attempts to use a function not previously used and the particular hardware for that function has failed. Gong back to the previous install is fine because it doesn't use that function.
I'm making this guess based on similar experiences with upgrading OSs on other machines with similar results. I was a computer technician in a former life and we typically experienced a rash of failures whenever updates went out (updates in those days were not as frequent) which resulted in having to replace components that only failed under the new code.
It's probably due to a unique operation in the update which attempts to use a function not previously used and the particular hardware for that function has failed. Gong back to the previous install is fine because it doesn't use that function.
I'm making this guess based on similar experiences with upgrading OSs on other machines with similar results. I was a computer technician in a former life and we typically experienced a rash of failures whenever updates went out (updates in those days were not as frequent) which resulted in having to replace components that only failed under the new code.
I am facing the same problem as MarioTH above. I updated from the official Microsoft site and upon restarting my Surface RT is not booting, only a black screen with the wifi signal and language icons blinking. After a while, the Surface starts to heat up.
Appreciate if anyone here can advise me how to reboot my Surface to pre-update status. All help most appreciated. Thanks.
Appreciate if anyone here can advise me how to reboot my Surface to pre-update status. All help most appreciated. Thanks.
shawnsbrain66
New Member
I'm having the exact same problem. I've reset and tried to updates (PAINFULLY SLOW) twice and always end up at the same point... the flashing wifi icon.
frankst237
New Member
All, I am a new Surface RT owner from England. Bought my used RT 64Gb over the weekend, reset it using the downloadable image from MS and started the update process. Lost count of how many updates but it has gone on for 3 days. Anyway, today there are more updates available so I just let it go - and got the same problem as above when it was going through the RESTART phase.
Tried various things but cannot get any further than the WiFi icon flashing and the trackpad pointer moving around a black screen.
I had created a USB recovery drive after the reset, so I plugged it in and forced the RT to boot from it (Volume down and Power etc.). Tried troubleshooting but it couldn't solve the problem. Then chose to Refresh and this seems to have worked - at least I can start the machine and everything seems to work.
I don't know how far back in the Update process it has gone (no Update History now) - I will have to wait for "These updates are available" to see if LOADS are there to be re-installed.
Does anyone KNOW which update is causing the problem? Are MS going to do anything about it? Can this specific update be excluded in any way from being installed and crippling the RT AGAIN???
If you have a USB recovery drive this post may help - if not I have no other ideas.
Tried various things but cannot get any further than the WiFi icon flashing and the trackpad pointer moving around a black screen.
I had created a USB recovery drive after the reset, so I plugged it in and forced the RT to boot from it (Volume down and Power etc.). Tried troubleshooting but it couldn't solve the problem. Then chose to Refresh and this seems to have worked - at least I can start the machine and everything seems to work.
I don't know how far back in the Update process it has gone (no Update History now) - I will have to wait for "These updates are available" to see if LOADS are there to be re-installed.
Does anyone KNOW which update is causing the problem? Are MS going to do anything about it? Can this specific update be excluded in any way from being installed and crippling the RT AGAIN???
If you have a USB recovery drive this post may help - if not I have no other ideas.
frankst237
New Member
All - me again from the post above.
LOADS of updates of all types including Windows, Security, Office, Microsoft .NET etc. It has taken about 11 hours in total to download and install all the updates after refreshing using the USB stick. I specifically excluded KB3033055 which was one of the updates offered but I did get a firmware update in one of the early (last evening) update packages that I don't remember from the last few days of resetting and installing updates. It may have been there but I didn't notice it previously.
RT now running 'normally' so MAYBE it is 3033055 which causes the problem - but I am reluctant to let it just install in case it brings the machine down again. It may be installed automatically at some point which could screw me up once more or MAYBE the firmware update handles the problem.
I have now created another recovery drive at the current standard of install - if anyone knows that this is going to be different to my old (pre loads of updates) recovery I would like to know please.
Another point - mine is a 64Gb model. When I first reset it on Sunday last the software consumed about 11Gb in total. After updates and then Cleaning System Files with the built in Disk Clean Up utility this dropped to about 8Gb but now (after a refresh from the USB and 11 hours of updates it is almost 20Gb - this is why I searched for a 64Gb model and not the 32 (which a friend owns and which ran out of storage because of uninstalled updates - which was her own fault but that's a different story). I am now running Disk Clean Up again and it is going to remove the Windows.old folder which is about 1.5Gb but not much else.
Onwards and Upwards!!
LOADS of updates of all types including Windows, Security, Office, Microsoft .NET etc. It has taken about 11 hours in total to download and install all the updates after refreshing using the USB stick. I specifically excluded KB3033055 which was one of the updates offered but I did get a firmware update in one of the early (last evening) update packages that I don't remember from the last few days of resetting and installing updates. It may have been there but I didn't notice it previously.
RT now running 'normally' so MAYBE it is 3033055 which causes the problem - but I am reluctant to let it just install in case it brings the machine down again. It may be installed automatically at some point which could screw me up once more or MAYBE the firmware update handles the problem.
I have now created another recovery drive at the current standard of install - if anyone knows that this is going to be different to my old (pre loads of updates) recovery I would like to know please.
Another point - mine is a 64Gb model. When I first reset it on Sunday last the software consumed about 11Gb in total. After updates and then Cleaning System Files with the built in Disk Clean Up utility this dropped to about 8Gb but now (after a refresh from the USB and 11 hours of updates it is almost 20Gb - this is why I searched for a 64Gb model and not the 32 (which a friend owns and which ran out of storage because of uninstalled updates - which was her own fault but that's a different story). I am now running Disk Clean Up again and it is going to remove the Windows.old folder which is about 1.5Gb but not much else.
Onwards and Upwards!!
All I can tell you is other people have confirmed W8.1 Update 3 kb3033055 causes the problem.
frankst237
New Member
All, Yes - it is definitely KB3033055 that screws the RT. I had refreshed, installed ALL updates except 3033055 and then did a trial by ONLY selecting 3033055 and BOOM - a Surface RT that won't start and just displays the blinking WiFi logo. I m in the process of refreshing and updating again (which I have the time and inclination to do) but I will get on to Microsoft (if they care any more about the RT) and ask them for their solution. Will update when I hear anything (or not).
frankst237
New Member
10 minutes after the above post I was searching the MS Community and found this article:
Surface RT64 update KB3033055
I will try this during the refresh process (which is likely to take a couple of days) and see if this delivers a working Surface for me.
Will update in due course.
Frank
Surface RT64 update KB3033055
I will try this during the refresh process (which is likely to take a couple of days) and see if this delivers a working Surface for me.
Will update in due course.
Frank
frankst237
New Member
OK - The 'special' way of installing the updates worked for me. I reset the RT and then let it install updates in several batches allowing it to do them all in each batch with the following problem:
I wanted to exclude KB4074594 to ensure that I installed KB3033055 first in line with the instructions in the other link to the Microsoft community website. I didn't see it but before installing KB3033055 but when I checked the installed updates and found that it had been installed (no sign of the other January 2018 update KB4056895 that I THINK has been overtaken by KB4074594). I used the Control Panel Uninstall feature to uninstall update KB4074594, then checked for updates again ONLY selecting KB3033055 and I waited for another crash.
The crash didn't happen and I had the ability to turn on the old fashioned start menu (and not the tiled menu) which is one of the changes in this update I believe.
Check for updates again and KB4074594 was installed along with a couple of other updates after which the RT started fine and seems to be running well.
So, there does seem a way around this with it taking (for me) about 10 hours of time in updates and restarts over a couple of days. Not an elegant solution but it does mean that the last Feature Update for 8.1 RT (believe it is KB3033055) is now installed and available along with more recent security and bug fixes from later updates.
I hope that this helps others with the same problem - any questions please post them and i will try to help bearing in mind I am an end user and by no means an expert in this - but I can follow instructions.
I wanted to exclude KB4074594 to ensure that I installed KB3033055 first in line with the instructions in the other link to the Microsoft community website. I didn't see it but before installing KB3033055 but when I checked the installed updates and found that it had been installed (no sign of the other January 2018 update KB4056895 that I THINK has been overtaken by KB4074594). I used the Control Panel Uninstall feature to uninstall update KB4074594, then checked for updates again ONLY selecting KB3033055 and I waited for another crash.
The crash didn't happen and I had the ability to turn on the old fashioned start menu (and not the tiled menu) which is one of the changes in this update I believe.
Check for updates again and KB4074594 was installed along with a couple of other updates after which the RT started fine and seems to be running well.
So, there does seem a way around this with it taking (for me) about 10 hours of time in updates and restarts over a couple of days. Not an elegant solution but it does mean that the last Feature Update for 8.1 RT (believe it is KB3033055) is now installed and available along with more recent security and bug fixes from later updates.
I hope that this helps others with the same problem - any questions please post them and i will try to help bearing in mind I am an end user and by no means an expert in this - but I can follow instructions.
Interesting... to summarize : If this new patch KB4074594 is installed before Update 3 kb3033055 there's a problem but if installed after there is not. Which might indicate to the casual observer that Windows Update has a sequencing problem. i.e. Update 3 is an old update which has been out for a couple years or more, yet WU installs the newer patch before Update 3. However Update 3 is optional ... so ... order is optional ... therefore kb4074594 has pissed in the pool. Seems like somebody really defiled the pooch on this one.
frankst237
New Member
GreyFox - not quite my interpretation. I never actually let 3033055 install after 4074594 so I don't know if the replacement of the January update (4056895) by the Feb update (4074594) then allows 3033055 to install correctly.
I didn't want to do this and then have to go back and do another reset (although in the other link to the Microsoft community in my post of Tuesday 11:49 am does give a method for restarting and removing 3033055).
If this did happen and this 'clever' method for removing the 303055 works) then the RT should start and IF NEEDED the Feb update 4074594 can be undone using the control panel uninstall feature (as I did when it was installed during my last reset / update game and it installed 'accidentally'). All I can conclude is that if 3033055 is installed before 4074594 then all works fine - other than that no evidence of anything from me.
Frank
I didn't want to do this and then have to go back and do another reset (although in the other link to the Microsoft community in my post of Tuesday 11:49 am does give a method for restarting and removing 3033055).
If this did happen and this 'clever' method for removing the 303055 works) then the RT should start and IF NEEDED the Feb update 4074594 can be undone using the control panel uninstall feature (as I did when it was installed during my last reset / update game and it installed 'accidentally'). All I can conclude is that if 3033055 is installed before 4074594 then all works fine - other than that no evidence of anything from me.
Frank
