I’m running the early release version of Microsoft Windows 10 and am a bit confused how I check to see if there are any updates to apply. Can you step me through the process with Win10?
Well, technically you probably shouldn’t be running an early preview release of an operating system if you don’t know the basics, but as Microsoft has publicly announced that there are over 1.5 million people running Windows 10 Technical Preview already, I expect that not all of them are developers or IT professionals! Don’t have a copy yet, but are curious? Go to download Windows 10 technical preview to see if you’re eligible to run it on your system.
The final version of the Win10 user interface will doubtless change, but for now it’s a sort of odd hybrid of Windows 7 and the complete user experience change that is Windows 8. Yes you have a start button, and you have a menu, but that also includes a sort of mini-screen of start tiles too. It’s, um, weird. This also means that there’s no more charms bar, but the keyboard shortcuts still produce related actions anyway.
If there is an available update, when you’re at the login screen, you might well see:
You still need to log in – after all, you don’t want someone not authorized changing your OS! – but once you do, the easiest way to download and install the updates is to use the Start menu. Click on the lower left:
Looks familiar, though rather a mashup of different user experiences. That’s okay. Click on the search box on the lower left and type in “windows update”.
The results:
Lots of different choices, but the fourth looks most promising, as is obvious when we look closer:
At this point you could have navigated through the menus by starting with “PC Settings”, but as the search facility in Windows has gotten so much better in the last few years, I’m a big fan of using it for everything.
Click on “Windows Update” from the search results.
Hey! There are ten updates. That’s a lot.
Now most Windows systems are now set up to automatically update, so if you’re using your Win10 system it’s quite likely that it’d just pop up a tip that there are available updates and ask if you’re ready to apply them. This is, of course, the more Type-A approach of checking and installing them on your schedule, not that of your computer. It’s all good, no judgments! 🙂
Click on “Install updates” and…
Well heck. That didn’t work.
Turns out that sometimes it glitches on the download and install, so a click on “Try again” in this case revealed that all the updates had been successfully downloaded and installed them, quick and easy:
Looks good. Make sure all your other apps are safely shut down, files saved, etc.
Then click on “Restart now”.
Done.
1/17/16 Hello Dave – Yesterday Microsoft did a Windows 10 “update” on my 4 month old HP 22-3010 All-In-One Computer. The updates are appreciated but some of the appearance changes are not. I was able to disable the opening screen with the large date and time (like the curvy road scene), but in my pinned list of favorites they changed two things that I cannot get back to where they were.
My personal Facebook page used to be listed with the Facebook logo and my name. Now it says php…… Eminence Weather – Accuweather Forecast now has just a 5-digit number. How can I get those listed items back to where they were? Thank you.
why is it when i downloaded windows 10 all my drives went out of date and they were fine when i had windows 8.when i went to download the updates to my drivers it wants me to pay for them i dont think so.how do i go back to windows 8.im not paying for something i wasent told about before i downloaded windows 10.not happy at all.
Hi, same happened to me. Did you already receive an explanation?
Start menu, Click Settings, and click Update and Security. Windows Update is under there, plus it’s automatic and cannot be turned off so technically, you don’t need to check anything. Windows is doing it all for you.
Please help someone my computer screen looks like window 7 how do I fix this problem, when I go to window update it say will automatic update I’m new at this please help me.
Dave,
How can I roll back the last Win 10 update that blocks the HP Solution Center for my C510 printer?
This makes scanning a document difficult. This occurred sometime after 12/28/15 because after that the Solution Center would not open. I reloaded the HP programs several times — no luck.
Thanks for your help,
Don
MY win 10 new upgrade version 1511, 10586 show error after completion always
hi just done a update to windows 10 wanted to see what is was done in the update but it says no update done but there has been loads since today 23/12 2015 thanks
Thanks for the guide however its not correct as windows 10 does not have some of these options! please can you just tell me a run command or something #f**Microsoft
Dave I am having the same problem. I had to reset my computer and reinstall windows 10. I am not getting no up dates, it keeps going to the same update every time an update for Windows Defender a definition update not installing at all. I cannot trouble shoot, getting an error message saying that online trouble shooting is not enable for this version
Dave, sometimes I like to use Firefox to play games in but Edge and Chrome won’t let Adobe Flash be installed even when I’m in the firefox browser…Why?
I’ve tried playing games in Edge but it’s to slow.I don’t like it.
I am confused…I used to be able to go through the control panel and look at what updates (all updates-not just Windows) I needed and could select only the ones I wanted. I tried doing your steps above and it doesn’t let me see a list of updates list to check. It just says my windows updates are “all up to date”. Why cant I go through the control panel anymore?! Now how do I check and see if the Windows bit/systems are being updated like they are supposed to? What if other updates need to be done (like apple) has any updates it wants me to do?! I cant find how to approve or delete them!!
You can access control panel by right clicking on the start/windows button. The control panel looks the same as Win 7 (possibly Win 8, but I haven’t used that). Under “programs” there is an option to view installed updates.
Not sure if that helps at all.
For other “non-Microsoft” software, I just use the in-program update feature.
YOu need to update this post now that Windows 10 has been released. This info has now expired.
No I don’t, Hank. It’s based on the released Windows 10 and the info hasn’t expired: I just did this 48 hours ago. 🙂
I have windows 10 but not these screen shots.. No windows update icon like shown above..!!!
Are you running the official Windows 10 or are you still on an early “beta” release, Ozgur?
Yes, you do Dave, this no longer works… I know because I just tried it two minutes ago…
I am running windows 10 a lot to learn But the last upgrade took my bluetooth so where do i go from here any help would be nice by the way no bluetooth icon in settings how about some ideas thanks for your time john
I just went to the site you gave for Win 10, and it states right there, that updates will be automatic, and that you cannot turn that off. Problem solved.