Introduction

Sometimes a computer will have a problem, and all of the relevant settings in Windows and other software related to the problem seem to be in order, so everything should be working, and yet the problem persists. Likewise, a monitor may be securely plugged in to power and have its video cable connected correctly to a desktop computer or docking station, but something appears to be going wrong in the communication between the display and the computer driving it.

Surprisingly often, these sorts of all-but-inexplicable issues can be fixed by running Windows updates. Due to network safety and security concerns, Windows is not allowed to run updates automatically. If you feel comfortable doing so, this guide will walk through the steps to getting everything up to date and in good working order.

Note: The full update process may take some time, but a bulk of it can be set up and then allowed to run over night. Your device will need to have a stable internet connection, but it is not necessary for your device to be inside of the district network specifically for this procedure.

Device Battery Requirements

Some system firmware updates will require the device battery to be charged to at least 40%. It's advisable to plug the device in to power for the duration of the procedure as well.

Procedure:

In the interest of clarity and specificity, we have broken down and detailed the individual steps of this procedure to make them easier to follow. Please don't worry; it looks like more than it is, and most of the process is waiting while the update tool works.

Step 1: Access the Windows Update tool

1. Click on the Windows button in the bottom-left corner of your screen, or use the Windows button on your keyboard, to open the Start menu.
2. Type "up" in the search box.
3. Click on "Check for updates", which should have an icon of two arrows going around in a circle next to it.

Step 2: Check for Updates

1. In the Windows Update menu, click on the gray "Check for updates" button. The menu may state that you're up to date, but please click to check for updates.

Step 3: Deny the Windows 11 upgrade - Important! Do not skip this step!

1. When updates begin to stream in, a banner may appear for Windows 11. If so, please click on the blue text, "Stay on Windows 10 for now" (circled in red below).
2. Please be aware that Windows 11 my try to sneak in as an Optional Update in the next step as well and should be denied there again.
3. Windows Update will then restream the list of available updates and continue its process.

Step 4: View and queue up Optional Updates

Not all available updates will appear immediately. Some are labeled as optional, but we do encourage the running of all available updates, apart from the Windows 11 upgrade, of course. At the bottom of the list of available updates, or just below the "Check for updates button" there may appear some blue text that says, "View optional updates".

1. Click on the "View optional updates" link to enter the optional updates menu
2. In the Optional Updates menu, use the dropdown arrows next to each update category to reveal the updates available within that category. One of these updates might be labeled as Windows 11 or a Windows-11-related update. Please do not download or install any that are marked this way.
3. Tick the box next to each update that is not related to Windows 11.
4. At the bottom of the Optional Updates list, click on the gray Download and Install button to add these updates to the update queue and return to the previous menu.

Step 5: Allow Updates to run

At this point, all available updates should be in some state of running. Each update bears a tag, whether: Downloading, Installing, Pending Install, or Pending Restart. When any update has the pending restart tag, a gray button, labeled, "Restart now," will appear at the bottom of the updates queue. 

1. Please allow all updates to run until only those tagged "Pending restart" remain in the queue.

Step 6: Apply Updates via restart

1. When only updates tagged Pending Restart remain in the queue, click on the gray "Restart now" button to restart your device. This will allow the device to apply updates which require more behind-the-scenes work that can't take place while Windows and other programs are running in the usual state.
   1. If a dialogue appears, indicating that an application is preventing the device from restarting, give the situation a moment or two to sort itself out, but if this screen persists, click the light gray "Restart anyway" button.
2. The restart process may take some time, the device may restart more than once, and a variety of screens will display throughout the process. The update process typically concludes in one of two ways:
   1. If everything has gone according to plan, the Windows login prompt will appear.
   2. If something may have gotten confused in the process, the display will show a black background, but the mouse cursor may be present. In this case, device firmware and Windows are waiting on each other to complete the restart process.
      1. Place your finger or thumb on the power button on your laptop so that you can see the light at the center of the button.
      2. Press and hold down the button until the light blinks, and then release. This will force a device restart, which will conclude by showing the Windows login prompt. It is possible that more update processes may occur before the login prompt appears.

Step 7: Confirm that all Updates are applied

1. At the Windows login prompt, log in.
2. Repeat Step 2: Check for Updates, and allow additional updates to run, as needed. The update tool may initially state that, "you are up to date," when the menu appears, as before, but it is always a good idea to click on the "Check for updates" button once more, just to be certain. When all available updates have installed, your device should be ready to resume business as usual. You did it!

We recommend repeating Step 2 here because there may be updates which do not become available until one or more of the updates in the previous update queue have installed.

• If issues persist, after all updates have installed, see Step 8 (Contingency) below.

Step 8 (Contingency): Submit a Helpdesk Ticket or reply to your extant ticket, if issues persist

1. If issues persist, please use the helpdesk to communicate with your Building Technician.
   1. If you have already submitted a ticket for the issues in question, and the ticket is open, please reply to the ticket to inform your Building Technician that you have completed this guide with the remaining issues.
   2. If you do not already have an open ticket for the issues in question, please create and submit a ticket to inform your Building Technician that you have completed this guide with the remaining issues.