ARCHIVE Windows 7 to Windows 10 FAQ

•  What are the benefits of upgrading to Windows 10?
  
  • Windows 10 offer improvements over Windows 7. Some of these are listed below. Additionally, Windows 10 will receive the latest Microsoft content releases. Whereas, Windows 7 discontinued new content releases as of January 13, 2015.
• Improved performance with quicker boot up time
• • Microsoft Edge (Microsoft's new browser)
  • Intelligent security
  • Multiple desktops

•  How do I get my computer ready for the Windows 10 Self-Service process?
  
  • Your machine must be a member of the Rice Active Directory (ADRICE)
  • If you are uncertain, contact the Help Desk to schedule a Support Specialist to facilitate the readiness process.
  • Upon completion of this process, the Support Specialist will kick-start the Self-service Windows upgrade or you can perform the self-service upgrade at your earliest convenience after the readiness process has been taken care of .

•  What will happen to my data during the Windows 10 upgrade process?
  
  • Even though data will be migrated, we strongly recommend backing up your data to an external storage device, Box, Google Drive, or Crashplan before upgrading. 

•  Will my applications change during the upgrade process?
  
  • Most modern applications, such as Microsoft Office, are compatible with Windows 10. Self-service upgrade such as Microsoft Office 2016 will eventually be available in the Software Center. 

•  Will all of my current applications and devices (webcam, printer, etc.) work on Windows 10? 
  
  • Current Windows 7-compatible software and devices may not have support for Windows 10. Completing a pre-upgrade compatibility assessment is vital to a seamless upgrade process. Please consult the support webpages for any specialized software applications and devices you use, to determine whether any compatibility issues exist with the Windows 10 operating system.

•  Will my office add-ins be preserved during the Windows 10 upgrade? 
  
  • Office add-ins will need to be reinstalled.

•  When I opened the Microsoft Office program, why did I get a first-time setup wizard?
  
  • The Windows 10 upgrade changes operating system files. The first time you open a Microsoft Office product (Outlook, Access, Excel, Powerpoint, Word), the office suite will go through a short re-configuration to adjust to the new operating system. Once it completes, your Office program should function normally.

•  My Microsoft Office is showing as an evaluation version or reporting it doesn’t have a valid license after the upgrade. Where do I find the license?
  
  • The system file changes that occur as part of the upgrade will normally cause Windows and Microsoft Office to revalidate their licenses. This should occur automatically however in some cases faculty and staff have reported their Windows or Microsoft Office are not showing as correctly licensed after the upgrade. Rebooting the computer should resolve the issue.

•  Why did my default browser change?
  
  • The Windows 10 upgrade uses a process created by Microsoft to move a computer from Windows 7 to Windows 10. The logic built into this process sets the new default browser to Microsoft Edge. 

•  Why are my desktop icons all out of order?
  
  • The unique arrangement of your desktop icons is not carried forward by the Windows 10 upgrade process. All your icons should be present, but they will be arranged in standard alphabetical order. You should be able to rearrange them as you see fit in Windows 10.

•  Why doesn’t my computer have the latest version of Microsoft Office after the upgrade? 
  
  • The Windows 10 upgrade will only upgrade the operating system, it does not make changes to any of the programs installed on your computer. If your computer was running Microsoft Office 2013 before the upgrade, it will still be running Office 2013 when the Windows 10 upgrade completes. If you want to upgrade to Office 2016, you can find the installer in the Software Center.

•  Windows 10 is reporting my Windows firewall is disabled or off. Should I be concerned?
  
  • The Windows firewall is a security feature on your computer that is centrally managed. You do not need to make any changes to the Windows firewall and any Windows 10 notifications you see concerning the Windows firewall can be safely ignored.

•  My dual monitors are not working after the upgrade. How do I fix this?
  
  • Some display adapters are not fully compatible with Windows 10. If you find after the upgrade that only one monitor displays or they both display but only mirror images of each other please contact the OIT Help Desk to address the issue.

•  Why doesn’t Windows Media Player play DVDs
  
  • Microsoft has removed DVD play functionality from the Windows Media Player and added a pay-for DVD player App. Central IT has provided access to a free media player called VLC Media Player. You can download and install the VLC Media Player from Software Center.

•  Why do my printouts look distorted with unusual characters?
  
  • The printer drivers will need to be updated. Please contact OIT Help Desk to address the issue.

•  How do I upgrade to Windows 10? 
  
  • If your computer is on Rice Active Directory, you can select the following link for the Windows 10 Self-Service Upgrade Instructions
  • Windows 10 Self-Service Upgrade Instructions

See Also:

• ARCHIVE Windows 10 Self-Service Upgrade Instructions
• OIT - Using Windows 10 Notifications