Preppiong a Os for New Hardware

Check out these tips to ensure a polish upgrade path before installing a Windows x feature update.

Microsoft has put an immense amount of work into making sure Windows 10 updates happen smoothly. But inevitably, there are a handful of users who experience difficulty during the upgrade. This is due to the millions of configurations that be and the complexity of making a product like Windows ten work on the vast majority of them.

Update: This post was originally written for Windows 10 1703, but all the steps are still audio and worth double checking before installing any new Windows 10 feature update.

In this postal service, we'll show you a few things to do before the Windows 10 update. Some of these are elementary safeguards that everyone should do. Others are more than conservative measures that might only be worth your time if your Windows ten PC is mission-disquisitional.

In this guide, nosotros'll walk through: backing up your information, creating recovery media, and disabling software and hardware that might interfere with the upgrade. Use this guide to reference what yous need to exercise to make sure the Windows 10 update goes off without a hitch.

Before Yous Brainstorm: Am I Eligible to Upgrade?

The latest cumulative update for Windows x now advertises the Windows 10 update to users who might be interested in condign early adopters. In Settings > Update & security > Windows Update, you'll see a bulletin that says, "Proficient news! The Windows 10 Jump Creators Update is on its style. Want to be one of the first to become it?" If you are excited to be among the first, follow the "Aye, show me how" link to join the upgrade. If you don't see the link, brand certain you have the latest public updates installed already.

Check out our guide: How to Install Windows 10 1803 (Bound Creators Update) Using Windows Update .

ane. Check Manufacturer's Website to Find Out if Your System is Compatible

Manufacturers of various brands actually practise a good chore of maintaining a list of compatible systems with specific versions of Windows x. Check the following links to come across if the Creators Update supports your organization. If an OEM indicates a particular model is not compatible with Windows 10 1803, it is possible you could nevertheless install the update using the clean install method. Of course, the best way to do this is to ensure yous have a good backup program. Windows 10 has included a rollback feature since the kickoff release, but it's not perfect, so that I wouldn't count on it as well much.

Toshiba
Panasonic
Packard Bell
ASUS
Fujitsu
Hewlett Packard (HP)/Compaq
Dell Inc
Lenovo
Acer
Samsung
Sony Vaio
GIGABYTE
MSI
ASROCK
BIOSTAR
Gateway

2. Download and Create Backup Reinstall Media for Your Current Version of Windows

You don't desire to burn your bridges while trying to upgrade to the latest Windows 10 Feature Update. It'due south pretty much a sure bet that Microsoft releases the new version on the 24-hour interval they will remove the previous version of Windows 10 from the Media Cosmos Tool. That ways yous won't exist able to download the older Windows ten release anymore or before versions, such as 1511 or 1507 if yous need to go back. It turns out, some systems, while compatible with a particular version of Windows 10, might not work with the latest release. Reference our comprehensive guides for backing upwards your system before initiating the installation. If it'southward however before the latest Windows 10 Feature Update is launched, you can use the Media Cosmos Tool now to download a backup copy of the Anniversary Update, Creators Update ISO, or you can update your recovery drive, which volition create a bootable re-create of the version y'all currently have installed, which you can employ for reinstallation.

iii. Make Sure Your System Has Enough Disk Space

Windows x requires a minimum of 10 GB of free space; to exist safety, the bare minimum I would recommend is sixteen GBs. Recent Windows 10 Feature Updates setup is more sensitive to disk space challenges. Now would be a practiced fourth dimension to invest in a USB thumb drive or external hard disk with a minimum of 16 GB of free space. Setup can use such storage devices to help facilitate the upgrade, only in case.

You can also run the routine clean-upwardly chores, such every bit Windows 10's born storage make clean-up tools and the skilful sometime disk cleanup sorcerer. If you still can't make a dent in cleaning up enough space for the upgrade, cheque out our tutorial for Jam Software'southward TreeSize, a free utility that makes it piece of cake to find those stubborn large files.

4. Connect to a UPS, Ensure Battery is Charged, and PC is Plugged In

The Windows x Feature Update would download in 25 minutes in a perfect globe, so install within 10 to 15 minutes. This might be the case for many users, but it won't be smooth sailing for other users. While Microsoft has made significant progress in reducing the size of Windows updates, the new version of Windows 10 volition be a large update. That's just the Windows update part—the installation is the nearly complex sequence of setup. Windows 10 will accept to decompress files, move around key operating organization files and personal files, and reconfigure everything to work with your hardware. Essentially, Windows gives you a make clean installation of the new operating system without disrupting your configuration or personal information. It's a delicate balancing act that can actually extend the time it takes to consummate the upgrade. So, make sure your laptop'south battery is working and charged up, and if you lot are upgrading a desktop, connect it to a UPS. In that location'south nothing more disastrous than an interrupted Windows update.

Editor'due south note: Okay, those are the things everyone ought to do earlier upgrading. The residuum of these tips, I would say, are optional for nearly users. But if y'all've e'er experienced difficulty upgrading Windows, or if you want to be 100% certain your upgrade goes smoothly, cheque out the following.

5. Disable Your Antivirus Utility – In fact, uninstall it…

Trust me on this one. Reverse to what industry experts might say, security software remains one of the most common causes of issues during major operating arrangement upgrades. After all, it'southward doing what it's supposed to do: blocking changes to your organization configuration. Antivirus software volition sometimes detect and assume an unexpected update; making a major modification to system files might be an assail in progress. The same goes for software such as your firewall. To avert false positives, Microsoft usually recommends updating the antivirus software before upgrading; you could endeavour your luck and see if it works. If it doesn't, then you probable know the reason why. Below are some links to instructions on how to disable popular security utilities. Afterwards the upgrade is consummate, y'all can e'er reinstall your antivirus utility.

Norton – correct-click Norton in the Notification Area, then click Disable Antivirus.
McAfee
ESET NOD32
Kaspersky
Avast
AVG
Tendency Micro
Bitdefender
Webroot Secure Anywhere
F-Secure
Panda
Comodo

6. Disable All Background Software

Startup programs can too interfere with setup; disabling them by performing a clean kicking can help.

7. Disable Peripherals and External USB Devices

It turns out devices such as your smart card reader can confuse setup. This is especially the example if you are performing an offline upgrade using USB media. Mutual USB storage devices such as external hard disks can also confuse setup, then disconnect them if y'all have those attached. The aforementioned goes for peripherals such as your printer and scanner. The all-time recommendation is to accept a elementary configuration, no more than a keyboard and mouse.

If you lot have an SD menu reader, eject your media earlier upgrading. You can also uninstall your SD card reader equally an extra mensurate. Press Windows key + X > Device Managing director > Memory technology devices. Right-click SD Controllers, then click uninstall. If at that place is more than ane, right-click each, so click Uninstall.

8. Update or Disable Brandish Adapters

Some installations call for more than advanced training. Your brandish adapter can actually be an upgrade blocker, too. This ordinarily occurs when you see a blackness screen during the installation and so the setup automatically rolls back. Uninstalling your video menu driver is known to help. Besides, if you have multiple displays connected, but keep one fastened for the duration of the installation. In some cases, updating the video card driver to the latest version can help likewise.

To uninstall a video card driver, press Windows cardinal + X > Device Manager > Brandish Adaptersand Right-click your video card driver, and so click uninstall.

9. Disconnect from the Internet When Using an ISO

If yous plan on using the ISO media to upgrade, disconnect from the Internet during setup. In that location are multiple ways to practise this: you can disconnect the Ethernet cable manually. If y'all are connected to a wireless network, you can manually disable Wi-Fi by turning off the Wireless switch on your laptop. An easier way to exercise it is to open up Action Center (printing Windows fundamental + A), and so click Airplane Style. This will disable all network technologies. Proceed with the upgrade.

If you lot update through Windows Update when the download reaches 100% disconnect from the Internet LAN (Ethernet) or Wi-Fi, and then proceed with the installation.

10. Skip "Get Important Updates"

Over the by few releases of Windows 10, the upgrade sorcerer can have its ain sweet fourth dimension to kickoff if you choose the option to Get important updates. I recommend you cull Non right now. If you cull it and the setup appears to exist taking ridiculously long to move past this stage, close the setup magician and restart your machine.

11. Switch to a Local User Account

Computers continued to a Windows Server Domain should either switch to a local user account on the auto or get out the domain earlier attempting setup. Run into the section of the following article, Exit a Domain: How to Bring together a Windows 10 PC to a Domain – groovyPost

12. Run these Commands to Resolve Whatsoever System Integrity Issues

The Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command is a handy diagnostic tool for resolving file integrity bug that might preclude a successful install. Users can run the following commands equally role of their prep routine earlier initiating the upgrade.

Press Windows cardinal + X, click Command Prompt (Admin), blazon each command, so hit Enter on your keyboard.

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Epitome /CheckHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Paradigm /ScanHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Another control you should run is the cleanup driver. Printing Windows key + Ten, click Command Prompt (Admin), then type the following command and striking Enter on your keyboard. Restart your reckoner when complete. This should help with the notorious failed or non-responsive installation during the driver migration.

rundll32.exe pnpclean.dll,RunDLL_PnpClean /DRIVERS /MAXCLEAN

Determination

The signal of this guide isn't to scare you lot into avoiding a Windows x Creators Update upgrade. For near users, the upgrade can and volition be successful without performing any of the steps above. Simply for those who seem to have bad luck or can't afford a failed upgrade, knowing common causes of upgrade issues can save yous a lot of time and hassle.

With each new Windows revision, in that location will always exist the unexpected, and it volition exist a learning experience in the procedure. You tin check out our handy Windows 10 article for more details about resolving some of the common install errors users are likely to encounter. Our vibrant Windows ten forum is also a great resource for finding solutions too.

Have you upgraded to the latest Windows x Characteristic Update? How did it go? Let united states know in the comments.