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Microsoft Pulls Windows 8.1 Update (Bricks RT Devices)
Mashable ^ | Oct 19, 2013 | Adario Strange

Posted on 10/19/2013 1:06:03 PM PDT by dayglored

The much-anticipated Windows 8.1 update was finally released on Thursday. Since then, however, early reports of bricked devices and lost data from some users indicate that the release may have been premature. In response, Microsoft took its Windows 8.1 update offline until further notice on Saturday.

The Redmond, Wash. company posted the following a message to its website:

Microsoft is investigating a situation affecting a limited number of users updating their Windows RT device 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.
... there are, as of this writing, no official instructions from Microsoft regarding the issue, Ulanoff said the company advised him download an ISO file to a USB stick as a possible recovery tool for his device. Unfortunately, when Ulanoff attempted to retrieve the ISO file that Microsoft provided, he was unable to download it.

So far, the problem appears to be limited to Windows RT devices. How long will those who attempted to update their Windows RT devices have to wait for answers? According to Microsoft's website: “We will provide updates as they become available.”

(Excerpt) Read more at mashable.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: epicfail; microsoft; miserablefailure; msn; rt; update; windows81; windowsrt
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Uh, oh. This appears to be limited to RT (ARM-based) devices, but a lot of people don't know the distinction, so it's bound to hurt the mainline Intel-based product also, which is a drag.

OTOH, this could be Microsoft's quiet effort to kill off RT, which has not done well. Shades of Win-ME, which was "broken by design" to kill off the DOS-based Windows product line.

Anyway, if you have RT devices, don't upgrade yet.

1 posted on 10/19/2013 1:06:03 PM PDT by dayglored
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To: rdb3; Calvinist_Dark_Lord; Salo; JosephW; Only1choice____Freedom; amigatec; Still Thinking; ...

2 posted on 10/19/2013 1:06:32 PM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: ShadowAce

tech ping, fer shure.


3 posted on 10/19/2013 1:07:00 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is...starting to sound pretty good actually)
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To: dayglored

I was going to download the update onto my laptop until I read this. What is an RT device?


4 posted on 10/19/2013 1:10:32 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (NRA)
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To: dayglored

My two surface RT’s updated ok. I LOVE the new OS. I now have full office 2013 including Outlook on my surfaces.


5 posted on 10/19/2013 1:10:50 PM PDT by bigtoona
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To: ShadowAce

Geez, you’re clairvoyant! :)


6 posted on 10/19/2013 1:10:53 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is...starting to sound pretty good actually)
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To: Inyo-Mono
> I was going to download the update onto my laptop until I read this. What is an RT device?

The lower-priced tablets (mainly) that run Windows-RT rather than Windows-Pro. They are built around a different kind of CPU chip (ARM) not aa standard Intel (x86) chip.

7 posted on 10/19/2013 1:12:37 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is...starting to sound pretty good actually)
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To: dayglored

Hmmm....shoving out a bad product that is “broken by design” for self-serving reasons...

Perhaps we should refer to Obamacare as the “Windows ME of healthcare reform”.


8 posted on 10/19/2013 1:13:14 PM PDT by bigbob (The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly. Abraham Lincoln)
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To: dayglored

How ‘bricked’ is bricked one wonders...Hard to believe one has to pitch the machine... which is what ‘bricked’ used to mean...


9 posted on 10/19/2013 1:13:28 PM PDT by roamer_1 (Globalism is just socialism in a business suit.)
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To: dayglored

Well, I guess there are reasons to upgrade to 8 but I fail to understand why...


10 posted on 10/19/2013 1:15:03 PM PDT by Deagle (m)
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To: dayglored

Obama should take the hint here.


11 posted on 10/19/2013 1:15:17 PM PDT by tje
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To: bigtoona
> My two surface RT’s updated ok. I LOVE the new OS. I now have full office 2013 including Outlook on my surfaces.

Cool, yeah if I had an RT tab I would probably have updated already also, for much the same reason. If this reported problem turns out to be widespread, it'll hurt a lot of people who were holding out hope for their RT devices, though.

I haven't seen any indication of what they think is causing some to brick and others to be fine. Have you seen any reports with additional data?

12 posted on 10/19/2013 1:15:18 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is...starting to sound pretty good actually)
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To: dayglored

Thanks for the info!


13 posted on 10/19/2013 1:16:02 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (NRA)
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To: bigtoona

Heh... You are one of the faithful!


14 posted on 10/19/2013 1:16:06 PM PDT by Deagle (m)
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To: roamer_1
> How ‘bricked’ is bricked one wonders...Hard to believe one has to pitch the machine... which is what ‘bricked’ used to mean...

I doubt they're really in "Permanent Doorstop Mode" -- hopefully they just fail to boot, and can be booted from another device to clear and reload. The reported failure of a boot-from-USB doesn't sound good, though.

15 posted on 10/19/2013 1:17:07 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is...starting to sound pretty good actually)
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To: Inyo-Mono

Windows 8 RT is for ARM-based tablet devices. Your laptop is not RT.


16 posted on 10/19/2013 1:17:47 PM PDT by Squawk 8888 (I'd give up chocolate but I'm no quitter)
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To: dayglored

Hope is synonymous with Microsoft these days...


17 posted on 10/19/2013 1:18:54 PM PDT by Deagle (m)
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To: dayglored

LOL!


18 posted on 10/19/2013 1:19:11 PM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: Deagle
> Well, I guess there are reasons to upgrade to 8 but I fail to understand why...

Personally I'm a huge fan of Windows 7 Pro, and have no reason to migrate to Win8.

It does look like a decent interface for a tablet. I presently have an older iPad, but when I upgrade that I intend to at least evaluate the Surface line that exists at that time.

19 posted on 10/19/2013 1:19:27 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is...starting to sound pretty good actually)
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To: dayglored

It has not been a red-letter day for Microsoft. Windows 8 has not been doing well by any means. The patch was developed to return Windows 8 usability, customer familiarity to be more reminiscent of Windows 7. Meanwhile, the future of computers is in the mobile arena which does not play to Microsoft’s strengths. The future of computers on the desktop, Microsoft does not look upbeat as sales continue spiraling downward. the prospects for Microsoft does not appear to be


20 posted on 10/19/2013 1:20:24 PM PDT by lbryce (Obama:The Worst is Yet To Come)
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