Prepare your PC for the Windows 10 October 2020 update version 20H2

Windows 10’s October 2020 update also known as version 20H2 is almost set to roll out within few weeks with a number of new features, such as cloud-powered clipboard history that syncs between your devices, a long-awaited dark theme for File Explorer, Your Phone app that allows Text From Your PC, new Snip & Sketch tool that makes easier to take a screenshot, automatic Video Brightness Feature that automatically adjusts video brightness depending on the ambient light, SwiftKey keyboard that gives you more accurate autocorrections and predictions by learning your writing style and more.

Also, Microsoft work on existing features such as Microsoft edge getting huge improvements, including old text editor (Notepad), skype app, Gamebar etc and Microsoft has put an immense amount of work into making sure Windows 10 updates happen smoothly. But sometimes users face difficulty while upgrade process, Windows update installation stuck for hours, windows do not work properly after a recent upgrade, getting different error code or PC stuck at the Black screen at startup, Data loss “documents folder had gone missing” after an upgrade to the October 2020 Update etc. Here this post we share few things to do in advance to well Prepare your PC for the Windows 10 2020 2020 Update. And make the upgrade process smoother and error free.

Note: It’s important to understand the system will only download Windows 10 October 2020Update without any manual action when it thinks your PC is ready and compatible. But if you can’t wait, you can open the Settings app and check for updates manually.

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What do I need to do before upgrading to Windows 10 October 2020 update

In this guide, we’ll walk through: backing up your important data, including digital license, creating recovery media, and disabling software and hardware that might interfere with the upgrade. Use this guide for reference for what you need to do to make sure the Windows 10 update goes off without a hitch.

Make sure PC have the latest cumulative update installed

The latest Windows 10 Cumulative update now advertises the Windows 10 update to users who might be interested in becoming early adopters. In Settings > Update & security > Windows Update, you’ll see a message that says “Good news! The Windows 10 version 20H2 is on its way. Want to be one of the first to get it?” Yes, show me how” link to join the upgrade. If you don’t see the link, make sure you have the latest public updates installed.

You can check and install latest updates from settings -> update & Security -> windows update -> check for updates.

Backup your important data before upgrading to windows 10

It’s always a good idea to back up your data before you install any big OS update. It’s more necessary if your PC is old and it had issues with the previous updates. You can upload your photos or important files to other hard disks, cloud service (OneDrive) or external drive.

Microsoft has developed a backup tool for Windows 10 that lets you save your important data to external hard disk. It can be found by going to Settings > Update & security > Backup.

Have Free Disk space to Download and install updates

Make sure you have enough disk space on your C:\ drive to apply the update, especially if you’re using a low capacity SSD as your main drive. This is a bit of a guessing game since Microsoft has not said exactly how much disk space is required for the Windows 10 October 2020 update Make sure you have a minimum of 10 to 15 GB free disk space.

Uninstalling unwanted games and programs is one way to clear up storage space if you’re running low. Beyond that, you can free up storage using the Disk Cleanup tool that’s built into Windows 10. Just type “Disk Cleanup” into search, or right-click your C:\ drive and select Properties > General > Disk Cleanup. The Disk Cleanup tool rids your system of temporary files, dumps your Recycle Bin, and optionally removes other files, such as memory dumps from system errors. Depending on your system, you can potentially free up several gigabytes of space.

If you are running the latest Windows 10 version 2004, Check how to Use Storage Sense To Automatically Free Up Space In Windows 10

Note down software licenses

Applying the Windows 10 October 2020 update should be painless, but sometimes In a worst-case scenario, something might go catastrophically wrong during the upgrade, leaving your system so messed up that it no longer boots. In that case, you’re looking at reinstalling Windows and starting from scratch—oomph!

That shouldn’t happen, but if it does, you can do yourself a solid by having any applicable software licenses handy. Magic Jelly Bean’s free KeyFinder program will look up your Windows license and many other keys. Write down any keys you might need if starting over, or snap a picture with your smartphone.

Disable Peripherals and External USB Devices

If you are performing an offline upgrade using USB media. Common USB storage devices such as external hard disks can also confuse setup, so, if you have those attached, disconnect them. The same goes for peripherals such as your printer, webcam, microphone, scanner or other unnecessary gadgets attached to it. The best recommendation is to have a simple configuration, no more than a keyboard and mouse. This would help Windows update the system without trying to update the drivers for these devices.

If you have an SD card reader, eject your media before upgrading. You can also uninstall your SD card reader as n extra measure. Press Windows key + X > Device Manager > Memory technology devices. Right-click SD Controllers, then click uninstall. If there is more than one, right-click each, then click Uninstall.

Once your PC is updated, you can reconnect your peripherals and let Windows find the drivers for you or you can get it from the manufacturer’s site if you face any issues.

Disable/uninstall Your Antivirus Utility

Agin security software remains one of the most common causes of issues during major operating system upgrades. After all, it’s doing what it’s supposed to do: blocking changes to your system configuration. Antivirus software will sometimes detect and assume an unexpected update making a major modification to system files might be an attack in progress. The same goes for software such as your firewall. To avoid false positives, Microsoft usually recommends updating the antivirus software before upgrading; you could try your luck and see if it works. If it doesn’t, then you likely know the reason why. I would like to recommend simply uninstall the antivirus protection and After the upgrade is complete, you can always reinstall your antivirus utility.

Update or Disable Display Adapters

Make sure all of your hardware is up to date with the latest drivers and firmware. In some cases, there may even be driver updates that add or enhance functionality in the windows 10 upgrade. On major updates, such as this, it might even be a good idea to download the latest version of your network drivers first. Sometimes a major system update can render you without network connectivity and no way to grab a new set of drivers. Better yet, download all your drivers in the standalone format first!

Your display adapter can actually be an upgrade blocker, too. This commonly occurs when you see a black screen during the installation then setup automatically rolls back. Uninstalling your video card driver is known to help. Also, if you have multiple displays connected, only keep one attached for the duration of the installation. In some cases, updating the video card driver to the latest version can help too. To uninstall a video card driver, press Windows key + X > Device Manager > Display Adapters. Right click your video card driver then click uninstall.

Connect to a UPS, Ensure Battery is Charged and PC is Plugged In

Normally windows 10 download take more than 20 minutes to download ( it depends on your internet speed ) and ten to twenty minutes to complete the installation process. So, make sure your laptop’s battery is working and charged up, and if you are upgrading a desktop, connect it to a UPS. There’s nothing more disastrous than an interrupted Windows update.

Disconnect from the Internet When Using an ISO

If you plan on using the ISO media to upgrade, disconnect from the Internet during setup. There are multiple ways to do this: you can disconnect the Ethernet cable manually, or if you are connected to a wireless network, you can manually disable Wi-Fi by turning off the Wireless switch on your laptop. An easier way to do it is to open Action Center (press Windows key + A), then click Airplane Mode. This will disable all network technologies. Proceed with the upgrade.

If you are updating through Windows Update when the download reaches 100% disconnect from the Internet LAN (Ethernet) or Wi-Fi then proceed with the installation.

Run these Commands to Resolve Any System Integrity Issues

The Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command is a handy diagnostic tool for resolving file integrity issues that might prevent a successful install. Users can run the following commands as part of their prep routine before initiating the upgrade.

Press Windows key + X, click Command Prompt (Admin) then type each command then hit Enter on your keyboard. Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Another command you should run is the cleanup driver. Press Windows key + X, click Command Prompt (Admin) then type the following command and hit Enter on your keyboard.

rundll32.exe pnpclean.dll,RunDLL_PnpClean /DRIVERS /MAXCLEAN

Also run the System file checker utility which checks for missing, corrupted system files, If found any the utility will restore them from a compressed folder located on %WinDir%\System32\dllcache

Restart your computer when complete. This should help with the notorious failed or non-responsive installation during the driver migration.

If the windows upgrade stuck downloading

You have prepared everything and you may notice the update download process stuck at any specific point for a long time. That cause make sure your internet connection is working properly, wait some more time to complete the download process. If you notice still there is no improvements then simply open windows services ( press Windows + R, type services.msc ) right click on BITS and Windows update service and stop. Open c:\windows\ Here rename the software distribution folder. Again open windows services and restart the service which you previously stopped.

Now open windows settings -> update and Security -> troubleshooter -> click on windows update and run the update troubleshooter. Follow on-screen instructions and let windows check and fix if any basic problem causing the issue.

After that restart windows and check for updates from settings -> update & Security -> windows update -> check for updates.

I am sure following these steps your Windows 10 October 2020 Update upgrade will become smoother and error free. Still, need any help, face any error during the windows 10 Upgrade process feel free to discuss on the comments below. Also, read