Hacks reinforce need to stay updated and patched
Q: I am having a problem doing a software update on to my iPad. The update is for iOS 10.3.2. The “Download & Install” and “Update Requested” goes on for about four minutes. Then “Preparing Update” appears, and then a few minutes later I get the message “Software Update Failed.” Then I am given a choice of “Close” or “Settings.” If I choose “Settings,” the same thing happens over and over. Can you tell me an alternative to making this update work?
A: First, let me say that today, more than ever, making sure your computers and mobile devices are completely updated and patched is possibly the most important thing you can do. Threats like the recent WannaCry ransomware attack really drive this point home as this kind of malicious hacking takes advantage of known exploits that patches and updates are designed to fix.
As to the issue you are having applying the 10.3.2 update to your iPad, there are a few things to check.
The first would be to make sure your device has enough free storage space to apply the update. Check to see how much space you have free by tapping Settings, then General and then Storage & iCloud Usage to see how much free space you have.
If you are using most of your available storage, then tap on Manage Storage to see what is using up space. Photos & Camera tends to be the usual culprit.
Try uninstalling apps you don’t need and moving photos to secondary storage to free up space, and then try installing the update.
Another thing to try would be to update the device via iTunes rather than what is known as Over The Air, where you download the update to your phone via WiFi or your mobile plan. Updating via iTunes allows your computer to download the update and then apply it to your device.