Windows RT 8.1 Update 01:19 0 comments

BY ADARIO STRANGE

Microsoft took its Windows RT 8.1 update offline until further notice on Saturday, after users reported that it resulted in bricked devices and lost data.

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.

Lance Ulanoff offered an early warning regarding the problem on Friday, when he tweeted the following message and screenshot:

The Windows 8.1 RT update just cooked my original Surface RT #notgood #microsoft pic.twitter.com/3DSkI7bMq8
— Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) October 18, 2013

Quickly after, several other users confirmed the same results by replying via Twitter:

@LanceUlanoff DITTO! How Easily MS RUINS Its Reputation & A Good Product :( Lost All DATA Too #microsoft #surface
— Ram Prasad (@ramvee) October 19, 2013

@LanceUlanoff Mine too! #brandnewlaptop #stinks #microsoft
— Rafael de Haan (@bigrooster) October 18, 2013

And while 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.”

Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff