Microsoft Pulls Down Windows RT 8.1 Update After Users Report Boot Failure
Windows RT is already less than beloved--sales have been soft and some manufacturers soured on the tablet version of Windows 8 early on--so the news that Microsoft had to yank the long-awaited Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store is another chink in the armor. There also may be problems with Windows 8.1 Pro with tablets that have been undiagnosed, which we've experienced firsthand.
In response to a user asking why the update wasn’t available to him--for Windows RT devices, you can only get it from the Windows Store--a Microsoft forum moderator replied:
Microsoft hasn’t said anything, really, about the issue aside from pulling the update. So if you managed to get your Windows RT tablet updated, kudos (and let us know in the comments how you feel about the update), but if you missed the window, you’ll have to sit tight and wait until Microsoft figures out how to fix this embarrassing problem.
It’s embarrassing on multiple levels. On its face, problems for an update as major as this one is a huge black eye, but Windows RT is Microsoft’s own tightly controlled OS. You’d think updating it would actually be a lot easier than even the full desktop version of Windows 8. Further, many of the Windows RT devices are Surface RTs, which means that Microsoft failed to successfully update its operating system on its own devices.
Maybe even Microsoft’s own engineers are getting weary of Windows RT.
It's also possible that the problem is slightly more widespread; we had a similar problem updating Windows 8.1 Pro, as you can see in the photo above.
In response to a user asking why the update wasn’t available to him--for Windows RT devices, you can only get it from the Windows Store--a Microsoft forum moderator replied:
Windows RT 8.1. Microsoft is investigating a situation affecting a limited number of users updating their Windows RT devices to Windows RT 8.1. As a result, we have temporarily removed the Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store. We are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience. We will provide updates as they become available.It’s not clear what the problem is, exactly. Microsoft hasn’t specified, but it may be due to a boot configuration error, as one user pointed out in comments under the forum post mentioned above. Another user noted that the update didn’t work when the device was plugged in to AC power but suddenly worked when he unplugged it.
Microsoft hasn’t said anything, really, about the issue aside from pulling the update. So if you managed to get your Windows RT tablet updated, kudos (and let us know in the comments how you feel about the update), but if you missed the window, you’ll have to sit tight and wait until Microsoft figures out how to fix this embarrassing problem.
It’s embarrassing on multiple levels. On its face, problems for an update as major as this one is a huge black eye, but Windows RT is Microsoft’s own tightly controlled OS. You’d think updating it would actually be a lot easier than even the full desktop version of Windows 8. Further, many of the Windows RT devices are Surface RTs, which means that Microsoft failed to successfully update its operating system on its own devices.
Maybe even Microsoft’s own engineers are getting weary of Windows RT.
It's also possible that the problem is slightly more widespread; we had a similar problem updating Windows 8.1 Pro, as you can see in the photo above.
