You may recently have been advised by iSolutions that your computer needs updating to a newer, and supported, version of Windows 10. This is a mandatory requirement to be able to keep your computer up-to-date and securely patched.  

Computers that have not been patched may be temporarily removed from the network to ensure the safety of the rest of the infrastructure.

The upgrade process can take an extended period of time - especially if your computer is away from the University network (for example, at home). It's advised that you:

1. Start this process early on in the working day. Doing this you will allow components to download in the background without affecting your ability to work.
2. Carry out the main reboot towards the end of your working day. Doing this you will be sure that it can take place out-of-hours ready for you to start work again the next day.

Please remember to keep your laptop plugged into the power adaptor during the upgrade. If you do not do that, the battery may expire before the upgrade is complete and so you could return to an unusable laptop.

Upgrading your computer from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 

The upgrade requires you to be on site and to be connected to the network using an Ethernet cable. The update will not work over the Eduroam wireless network.

If you have a laptop, you must connect your charger. Be sure that there are no USB sticks or USB external hard drives before you start the upgrade.

The upgrade process can take between 2 to 4 hours. We suggest you to start the start the process towards the end of your day.

Step 1

On the desktop you will have a desktop shortcut titled "Upgrade to Windows 10":

When you click on the shortcut a web browser will appear with instructions about the process:

 After a couple of minutes, you will see the following progress bar:

Then it will appear a new screen that introduces you the procedure:

a. By selecting  ‘Next’, you will have different options to backup your data (if it is not saved in your MyDocument, MyDesktop, MyPictures, or MyVideos).

b. A couple of checks need to be performed to ensure that the PC is ready for the upgrade.

 
c. After the checks, select ‘Next’

Step 2 – The most important part of the upgrade

There will be 3 options. Please select the option that fits better for you:

• Option 1): I DO NOT need data on this computer backed up
  If you select this option your computer will be wiped. Please only select this if you have saved all your files in your MyDocuments folder, MyDesktop, MyPictures, MyVideos or J:Drive. Anything saved in your Downloads folder will not be backed up.
  
  
• Option 2): I DO NEED data on this computer backed up
  Selecting this option will back up the contents of the C:\Local folder, everything else will be wiped.
  
  
• Option 3): I DO NOT KNOW where I keep my data on this computer
  Selecting this option will try and find where you keep your data and back it up. This is a best guess approach and data stored in obscure locations on your PC may be lost and unrecoverable. Please ensure all your important files are copied to your MyDocuments folder or to OneDrive
  

Once chosen the right one for you, select “Next’.

You will see with the final screen. Once you select ‘Finish’, please do not continue doing any work - the computer will reboot as necessary.

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Upgrading an old version of Windows 10 

Summary of the process

1. Early on in your working day, run the Windows 10 Upgrade application using the desktop shortcut

2. The required components will download to your computer in the background. Your ability to use the computer will not be affected.

3. When the download is complete you'll see a "reboot required" notification. This reboot may take an extended period of time. We recommend deferring it until you're ready to finish work for the day.

4. The computer will then automatically reboot several times and will return to a normal login screen when complete. At this stage you can shut down your computer, or logged into as usual.

Detailed description of the process

Step 1 - Run the upgrade application

Using the Windows 10 Upgrade shortcut on your desktop

To update your PC to the latest version of Windows 10 please double click on  the “Windows 10 Upgrade” shortcut found on your desktop.

The application will launch with the following screen:

The duration of the upgrade will depend on what version of Windows 10 your PC is currently on and your PC’s hardware specifications.

At this stage, you can press the “Start Upgrade” button to start the upgrade or the “Maybe Later” button exit the application.

If you click on the “Start Upgrade” button you will see the following message:

Once you select “OK” the application will be minimised to the system tray and the first part of the upgrade will start.

If you change your mind, you can still press the “Cancel” button to exit the application and then run it again later.

 

What to do if you cannot find the Windows 10 Upgrade shortcut on your desktop

1. Launch the “Software Center” portal from the Start Menu

2. Select the “Updates” tab.

3. Install the package "Feature update to Windows 10 (business editions), version xxx (for example: "version 21H2"), en-us x64" 

The upgrade will then start and will proceed as per the Step 2, Step 3 and Step 4.

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Step 2 - Downloading process

Once the download is started, you can continue working on your PC.

Please remember: the PC must still be powered on and show a login screen. Shutting the PC down at this stage will defer the next stage of the process to when the PC is powered back up.

How to track the progress of the upgrade

To track the progress of the upgrade, you can launch the “Additional Software” portal from the Start Menu and select the “Updates” tab.

Here below you can see an example of the Feature Update to Windows 10 in the “Downloading” stage:

When the download is complete the update will begin “Installing”.

The “Additional Software” portal does not display the progress of the installation, but you can still see this if you:

• navigate to the system tray (on the bottom right of your screen)
• hover the cursor over the “Windows 10 Upgrade” blue icon.

Later you will need to reboot to complete the upgrade later. At this stage you can:

• Reboot your pc
• Continue working and then sign out (log off) of your PC for the day. The PC will restart when needed by itself.

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Step 3 - Reboot required

When the first part of the upgrade is complete, you will see a pop-up notification appear in the bottom left-hand corner.

You can now choose to:

• Start the second part of the upgrade, by pressing the “Restart Now” button
  or
• Update it later, pressing the “I will Restart Later” button. Please note that if you shut down the PC, the second part of the upgrade will continue when you next turn on your PC.

We strongly advise that you restart your PC just before you finish work for the day. That allows the second part of the upgrade to take place out-of-hours.

If you press the “Restart Now” button you will see the following message on your screen before the computer restarts:

You can press “Close” to dismiss the message and save any work before the PC restarts.

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Step 4 - Automatic reboots

When the computer next comes back, the second and final part of the upgrade will be underway. You will see the following screen and several more automatic restarts in between:

Please note this part of the upgrade can take several hours.

When the upgrade is complete there will be one final reboot. Then you will be back at the normal login screen, ready to begin using the computer again.

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What to do if you are facing any issue

Please get in touch with ServiceLine if you:

• Cannot see the the progress of the installation from the system tray
• Are facing other system issues

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