How to Update and Maintain Windows Computers

These instructions are for computers that are not frozen with Faronics Deep Freeze. Typically, these are computers managed by SEU faculty/staff, desktops/laptops designated to student workers, and/or laptops used by students in lab courses.

Teacher Stations, Munday Library, Trustee 109 Lab, Johnson Hall Lab, and most classroom desktops are maintained by OIT, frozen with Deep Freeze, and do not apply here.

OIT recommends updating your computer at least once a month. Please contact support@stedwards.edu with any questions.

Windows Update

Open Windows Settings > Windows Update

• Search for Settings in the Windows Start Menu, then click the Settings app to open it.

• Once you're at the homepage of the Windows 11 Settings app, you should see two different buttons at the top-right and bottom-left that can open Windows Update.

• Windows 10 will show Update and Security at the bottom of the Settings homepage instead.

Check for Updates

• Click the Check for Updates button to search and start downloading/installing updates. If available, use the Check for Updates from Microsoft option instead.

• It's recommended that you install any optional updates as well - these are usually drivers for your computer's devices or version updates (updating to a new version will take longer than other updates).
• When the notification to restart pops up, users will have the option to delay restarting to finish updates if they are currently working on the computer.

Verify the Settings

• OIT should have turned on all of the Advanced Options (except for the metered connections option on laptops) when we imaged the computer, but it's a good idea to make sure these are set correctly the first time you run updates.

Dell Command Update

Open the Dell Command Update app

• OIT recommends using the latest version of Dell Command Update - [You can download it here].
  • This requires admin rights to install.
  • The app will update itself, but this will interrupt the update process and take more time than just installing the newest version yourself.
• Search for Dell in the Windows Start Menu, then click the Dell Command Update app to open it.

• If the DCU app doesn't start, try installing the latest version via the link above.
• Contact support@stedwards.edu if the DCU app still isn't working or if you need admin rights.

Verify the Settings

• To view the DCU apps settings, click the gear button in the top-right of the app.

• Underneath Update Settings...
  • Check for Updates should be set to Automatic Updates
  • When updates are found should be set to the third option Download and install updates (Notify after complete)
  • To change these settings, you'll need to run DCU as an administrator.

• Underneath BIOS, there should be a System Password set.
• If there is no password set, please contact support@stedwards.edu.

Check For and Install Updates

• On the DCU apps homepage, click the Check button to check for updates, and the app will list any available updates in a few moments.

• Once DCU has loaded the available updates, you can click Install to start downloading and installing updates.
  • If BitLocker is updating at the same time, then DCU will not allow you to update the BIOS — this will take a couple of minutes to become available.
  • You can check the Automatically restart system (when required) option if you want the computer to reboot on its own once it finishes updating.

Reconnect to SEU WiFi (Windows 10)

• Sometimes laptops will lose their connection to the SEU WiFi either because certificates have updated or because the user who logged into the WiFi changed their password.
• If it's available to you, using an on-campus wired/Ethernet connection will accomplish the same thing as connecting to SEU Wifi.
• If you're unable to reconnect to the SEU WiFi from the login screen, follow these steps.

Log in to an account that's already on the computer

• New users will not be able to log in because the computer needs to verify their account with the SEU network.
• You will need to log into an account that has already logged into the computer at least once to access these settings.
  • New passwords will not sync until the computer has reconnected to the SEU network.
  • So you may need to log in with your old password if you've changed it since the last time you logged in.
• Contact support@stedwards.edu if no one can log into the computer.

Go to WiFi Settings > Forget SEU WiFi

• Click the Wifi icon in the bottom-right of the Windows Taskbar and select Network and Internet Settings.

• Go to WiFi on the left side and select Manage known networks.

• Then select the SEU Wifi and click the Forget button.

• Once the SEU WiFi is forgotten, you should be able to reconnect to it.
• Contact support@stedwards.edu if these steps are not working.

Reconnect to SEU WiFi (Windows 11)

• Sometimes laptops will lose their connection to the SEU WiFi either because certificates have updated or because the user who logged into the WiFi changed their password.
• If it's available to you, using an on-campus wired/Ethernet connection will accomplish the same thing as connecting to SEU Wifi.
• If you're unable to reconnect to the SEU WiFi from the login screen, follow these steps.

Log into an account that's already on the computer

• New users will not be able to log in because the computer needs to verify their account with the SEU network.
• You will need to log into an account that has already logged into the computer at least once in order to access these settings.
  • New passwords will not sync until the computer has reconnected to the SEU network.
  • So you may need to log in with your old password if you've changed it since the last time you logged in.
• Contact support@stedwards.edu if no one can log into the computer.

Go to WiFi Settings > Forget SEU WiFi

• Click the WiFi icon in the bottom-right, then click the arrow next to the WiFi button.

• Click the More WiFi Settings option in the next menu.

• Once you get to the WiFi settings page, click the Manage known networks button.

• Then select the SEU Wifi and click the Forget button.

• Once the SEU WiFi is forgotten, you should be able to reconnect to it.
• Contact support@stedwards.edu if these steps are not working.

 

 

Delete Users to Save Space (Requires Admin Rights; Windows 10)

 

 

• You can ask support@stedwards.edu if you need admin rights.
• When shared computers aren't frozen with DeepFreeze, users' accounts are not deleted every time they reboot, so the computer can run out of space.
• Every few months, you may need to delete users from the computer to prevent issues.
• You can also ask support@stedwards.edu to push a script to clean all users off a computer.
  • The computer will need to be on, logged into, and connected to the SEU network for about 30 minutes when we run the script.
  • If you go this route, make sure anyone who manages these computers logs in again, so their account is stored on the computer.
  • Just in case the computer loses connection to SEU later, anyone with their account stored on the computer will still be able to log in.

Go to Windows Settings > System > About > Advanced System Settings

• In Windows 10 and 11, you'll search Settings in the Start Menu like before to open Windows Settings.

• Once you're in the Settings app, click the first button for System settings.

• Then, at the bottom of the left side, you'll see the About section.
• The Advanced System Settings will be located underneath Related settings, which can be at the bottom or the right side of the window, depending on how wide the app is on your screen.

 

Delete Temporary Users (not SEU!)

• Once you open Advanced System Settings, you'll see a User Profiles section in the middle of the window with a button for Settings

• Once you arrive at the User Profiles settings, you'll see a list of users that are stored on the computer.
• Delete any users who do not need to keep their profiles on there.
  • For faculty/staff computers, this might be the previous user of that computer. You should contact support@stedwards.edu if this computer was given to you without OIT's help.
  • For lab computers, this would likely be students from previous semesters.
  • For student worker computers, this will likely be students who no longer work in that position.

• You mustn't delete the SEU account!
  • This is what OIT uses to work on computers.
  • It is preceded by the computer's name in the format Department-ServiceTag (ex., ITRX-5VC3T4G/seu).

Delete Users to Save Space (Requires Admin Rights; Windows 11)

• You can ask support@stedwards.edu if you need admin rights.