Microsoft has published instructions for patching a Surface RT that had been bricked by the "faulty" Windows 8.1 update, along with a recovery image that must be loaded onto a USB flash drive. The company released the instructions and image two days after it yanked the Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store. The original Windows 8.1 RT update did not allow some Surface RT devices to boot following its installation.

The 3.7GB download will restore a Surface RT to its original state. It requires a USB drive with over 4GB of storage, and a PC running Windows 7 or later. Microsoft's recovery image is only limited to Surface RT devices.