Spring Update Wi/Fi & Ethernet concern

clayto · 18 Apr 2018

For a few months I have had an annoying problem with my internet connection (both Ethernet & WiFi) which keeps dropping, usually several times in an hour. I have tried but not found solutions. With the help of a Gadget I am normally able to switch it back on quickly with a couple of clicks, so it has not been a major issue --- but I am now concerned that the dropouts might cause problems with the pending Spring Update. Is this a real concern, or will the update proceed OK despite any (hopefully) brief interruptions?

Bree · 18 Apr 2018

clayto said:

... it has not been a major issue --- but I am now concerned that the dropouts might cause problems with the pending Spring Update. Is this a real concern, or will the update proceed OK despite any (hopefully) brief interruptions?

Allowing windows update to manage the install of the Spring Creators Update should (in theory) keep retrying to download the update in the background until all the required files have been downloaded successfully. Only then would it begin the install. Intermittent connection would be a delay, but not stop the update installing.

For the automatic update through windows update you would have to wait until the SCU is offered to your machine. As before, the rollout will be in stages and your machine may not get the SCU until some months after the start of the rollout. In past rollouts, machines with known issues for particular hardware have been blocked by MS from receiving the update until a fix has been put in place.

If you want to be certain that interruptions to you internet connectivity can't interfere with the install, then you can manually install the update. Once the SCU has been released you can use the Media Creation Tool to make install media as an ISO file or on USB. Once you know you have successfully created the install media you can use it to perform an in-place upgrade to the SCU. The steps are describe in this tutorial.

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

You can do this at any time after the launch, but this side-steps any of the MS blocks for known hardware issues. You may wish to wait until windows update says your machine is ready for the SCU, then upgrade manually.

clayto · 18 Apr 2018

Thank you for the useful information and advice, which confirms what I was hoping for. I will wait for the update to be offered. My remaining concern is that I have read that a minimum of 20 Gb is required, for my 64 bit / 64 GB (nominal) small hybrid device. Despite continually cleaning and much else it is now hovering just below 20 GB. In the past 8 to 10 GB minimum has been OK so maybe the 20 GB is a bit generous. I have not had much trouble with updating, the update options seem better than was the case a couple of years ago.

Bree · 18 Apr 2018

For small drives, Setup can ask you to provide external storage. The options available to do that may be more flexible with a manual update, but as I don't have a small drive I've no experience to call on. More details in this Microsoft Forum Article...

How to Upgrade to the latest Windows 10 Feature Update on a Drive with Limited Space

Some tips to free up space that you might not have thought of. Turn off hibernation while you upgrade. That will remove the hibefil.sys file. You may not think you are using hibernation, but if Fast Startup is enabled you will have a hibefil.sys. In a Command Prompt (Admin) type:
POWERCFG /HIBERNATE OFF

If you have 4GB or more of RAM, then you could also remove pagefile.sys until the upgrade is complete. That's Step 7 in this tutorial.
Manage Virtual Memory Pagefile in Windows 10

clayto · 18 Apr 2018

Thanks for the suggestions. Although I have fewer problems with this issue than in the past I am always on the lookout for more that might be done. I have follow up the link, very interesting and worth further study. Temporary removal of pagefile.sys is a new one for me. At one time there seemed to be no advice for the increasing number of 'small storage devices' such as my hybrid (which has twice the GB size of its processor which still ran W10). My strategy for my 64 (really 60) GB / 64 bit hybrid --- which replaced a 32 GB / 32 bit --- has the following features:

Hibernation and Fast Start has never been enabled on my machines
Daily cleaning with CC, Disc Cleanup and half a dozen similar apps which always find more MB to remove
Every app / program, which allows it, is installed on or moved to the integral SD card (drive D)
Virtually all files, documents, images are held on external USB drives or on OneDrive
Keeping only one Restore Point (I rarely use it anyway)
Removing Windows Old as soon as I am confident about the update
Removing duplicate files with CCs facility, which is less thorough but easier than others I have tried
Using an external 'high' capacity USB hard drive for backups, which I think are less necessary now, along with File History which does not work well anyway
Always having an empty (though not necessary) USB flash drive with ample storage in port 3 (E)
and now, temporary removal of the page file

As you can see I have done quite a lot on this, it is the only thing on which I have any expertise (gained from trial & error) which might be of us to other, so I will add my list to the MS Forum article.

Bree · 18 Apr 2018

clayto said:

Temporary removal of pagefile.sys is a new one for me....

It's a personal suggestion, something I do when I want to make a system image. The built-in system imaging (stupidly) includes pagefile.sys and hiberfil.sys in the system image. As pagefile.sys is typically the same size as the installed RAM it saves a significant amount of space. Can't say I've ever noticed any effect on the system, everything still seems to work normally without a swapfile. Task Manager still says I'm nowhere near using all of my 4GB of RAM.