Current eMessage > Technical Information > July 2016

Technical Information

Five things to know about upgrading to Windows 10

by MACC’s Technical Support Team

Windows 10 is currently available as a free upgrade for most systems.  With the deadline quickly approaching, we thought we’d share a few tips to help ensure your upgrade goes as smoothly as possible.  If you are considering making the move to Windows 10, don’t delay!  The free upgrade offer ends July 29th.

1. Run the Windows 10 upgrade advisor
Doing an in-place upgrade has its pros and cons. Even though Microsoft claims that software running on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 will run on Windows 10, there will be exceptions to the rule. The same can be said about hardware, too. Remember that Windows 10 will only come with generic drivers for a good portion of available hardware. Running the upgrade advisor will tell you what issues you may have so you can find a fix prior to performing the upgrade. Download any hardware specific drivers that you will need and save them to a flash drive or network folder before you begin.

2. Create another user on your PC with Administrator rights
By default, Windows 10 will disable the Local Computer Administrator account, and if you are using that account as your login, you will be left with no way to access your PC.

3. Uninstall or disable your antivirus software
Some antivirus software will require a new version to work with Windows 10.  Download and reinstall the new version after the upgrade is complete.

4. Uninstall unnecessary or outdated software
Not only will this free up disk space, but it will also help to minimize conflicts during the upgrade.

5. Backup your files and folders
While the upgrade allows you to keep all your files, it is a good idea to have them backed up in case something goes wrong. Most pertinent files will be located in the default locations like Desktop, Downloads, Documents, Music, Video, Pictures, etc.

If all else fails, roll back.

Upgrades to Windows 10 are able to be rolled back for 30 days after the upgrade. To restore the previous version of Windows, go to Settings > Update & security > Recovery. This will keep your personal files, but will remove the apps and drivers that were installed after the upgrade.

To roll back, you’ll need to:
• Ensure the windows.old and $windows.~bt folders remain in place after the upgrade.
• Remove any user accounts that were added after the upgrade.
• Know the password used to sign in before the upgrade (if you used one).
• Have the USB drive used to upgrade to Windows 10 (if you used one).

Note:  If you go back to Windows 8.1, some apps that came with Windows, like Mail and People, might not work anymore. To fix, simply reinstall them from the Store.

Remember:  MACC Technical Support is here to help answer your questions before, during, or after your upgrade. Your Tech Support team can help with planning and implementing this upgrade as well. Feel free to contact us at 402-533-5300 or [email protected] with any questions or concerns that you may have. We look forward to working with you!

Check out our new technical form! Is there something technical that you would like to know more about?  Please submit your questions and we will feature them in our monthly newsletter articles.