What is 'Bricking'?

Hi Friends!

Windows last weekend released Windows RT 8.1 update. But alas! things didn't work out as expected and it was reported that the Surface devices have bricked.

Let us understand what does bricking a device means.

Bricking of a device(computer, router, mobile devices...) means that the device will not normally boot up or function properly. In simpler terms, the device(i.e. the software part of the device) has become a brick: hard, rigid and untenable( i.e. its current position cannot be justified).

Causes:

Bricking is caused usually when there is an up gradation of lower level system or firmware. Mostly, on a Windows machine, you would have seen notification as shown below:

Some of these updates requests you to restart your system. And while you are restarting, you see a screen like:

This is the time when most of these low level operations take place, say up gradation of BIOS , then your system restarts and the new configuration is loaded.

But, in case, your device switches-off during this instant(while the operation is in progress) or the battery dies, the firmware is partially over-written. Hence, the next time you try to boot your system, nothing may happen, it may not even allow you to install a new OS!

Solution

Well, recovery options may not be helpful technically, here's what you can try:

• Contact your system manufacturer and get it done by them: This is plain and simple advice. Don't get your hands dirty on something where your domain knowledge is low.
• For Apple devices, there is a DFU Mode for recovering from seemingly bricked situation.

So, be sure of the place from where you download updates for your devices! I am getting a one-liner here:                       

                                   Smart Device In The Hands Of A Smart User 

                                               (I'll get a copyright for this line!)

Also, Microsoft has released an fix for this. You can read the coverage here.

Cheers!