Windows 10 Creators Update

5 things you MUST DO before installing it

What you need: Windows 10; External hard drive Time required: 40 minutes

TheWindows 10 Creators Update came out on 11 April, but it could be a few more days (or weeks) before you get it. Even if you’ve got it already, you may want to wait a few weeks before installing it, so that Microsoft can iron out any bugs

from the first release. While the update should be smooth, users have complained that previous big Windows updates have caused them problems. We’ll show you the five things you should do before upgrading to avoid disaster.

STEP 1

The biggest complaint with previous big Windows updates (such as the Anniversary Update) was that it deleted some users’ files. Therefore, the first thing you should do before the Creators Update is back up your important files. Use an external drive if you have one, or an online-storage program – such as Onedrive, Google Drive or Dropbox. Onedrive may be the easiest for you because it’s built into Windows 10. Search for Onedrive on your PC, then log in when prompted. You’ll now see your Onedrive folders within File Explorer 1 . Click and drag your files/folders 2 to the relevant Onedrive folders to back them up.

STEP2

The Creators Update is several gigabytes, which means it’ll require considerable storage space on your C Drive. So the second thing you need to do is free up storage space on your PC. The fastest way to do this is using Windows’ Disk Clean-up tool. Type disk cleanup into the search bar 1 , press Enter and click OK. Next, click the ‘Clean-up system files’ button at the bottom left, then click OK again. After the screen loads, tick ‘Previous Windows installation(s)’, Recycle Bin, and ‘Temporary files’ 2 , then click OK 3 , Delete Files 4 and wait until that’s done.

STEP3

The other ways to recover storage space are to uninstall redundant programs and remove PC junk. Consider using Revo Uninstaller (see page 52) or Iobit Uninstaller ( www.snipca.com/24114). In Iobit Uninstaller, click Large Programs 1 , select all the redundant ones 2 , then click Uninstall 3 . You’ll be prompted to remove junk that’s left behind after the uninstallation. Finally, run Ccleaner ( www. snipca.com/24115) to remove junk leftover by programs, including your browsers and Office software. Open Ccleaner, click Analyze, wait for it to finish, then click Run Cleaner.

STEP4

The main reason why most PCS tend to crash after a big Windows 10 update is because your drivers are outdated and therefore incompatible with the new Windows version. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, you should check and update all your drivers. To do that, search for device manager on your PC. When it opens, click all the dropdown menus 1 . If any red or yellow icons appear next to your drivers, right-click the faulty driver 2 , click ‘Update driver’, ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ 3 , then follow the onscreen prompts to install and update it.

STEP5

In severe cases, a huge Windows update can crash PCS. To safeguard against this, it’s a good idea to create a system-recovery drive. First, insert an empty USB stick or external hard drive (minimum 16GB) into your PC. Next, type recovery drive into your PC’S search bar, then click ‘Create a recovery drive’. Ensure ‘Backup system files to the recovery drive’ is ticked 1 , click Next 2 and wait until that’s done. Now select your inserted drive from the list, click Next, then Create, wait until that’s done, then click Finish.

STEP6

Finally, you should save the product keys for your Windows version and any paid-for software you own (such as Microsoft Office and antivirus programs). This is handy if you need to reinstall any programs after upgrading or if you need to restore your PC from your recovery drive. Install and open the free program Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder ( www.snipca.com/24116). You’ll see your Windows version and any other paid-for programs that you’ve installed 1 , with their product keys 2 . To save this info as a text file, select the first entry on the left, click File 3 , ‘Save as’, rename the file and save it on your PC. Repeat this for other entries. Save this info somewhere safe so you can access it when needed.

STEP7

If your PC doesn’t boot after upgrading to the Creators Update, then insert the recovery drive you created (in Step 5). Your PC will automatically detect it and give you the option to refresh or reset your PC. The former saves your files, while the latter erases everything on your PC. Try Refresh first 1 and see if that works. If it doesn’t, then click ‘Advanced options’ 2 , Automatic Repair, then follow the prompts to fix your PC and restore it from your drive. Use Reset 3 as a last resort if both these methods fail.