Windows 10 upgrade - information for staff
From March 2018, IT Services will begin upgrading all supported University Windows 7 computers to Windows 10. We will upgrade staff computers first, with student labs and teaching room computers to follow later.
Who will receive an upgrade?
All staff who are still using Windows 7 computers and belong to a department or section listed in the upgrade schedule.
When will I receive my upgrade?
- IT Services will allocate upgrade timeslots to departments and sections - we will contact your departmental or section administrator to arrange this. If the timeslot would disrupt critical University work then you may be able to request an alternative timeslot.
View upgrade schedule
What will happen to my computer, and the data and software I have on it?
- Our engineers will perform the upgrade remotely. They do not need to visit you or take your computer away. The update should take about one to two hours. In some cases upgrades can be set to run overnight to minimise disruption.
- In the unlikely event your computer does not meet the minimum requirements for Windows 7, or if it is incompatible, you may receive a replacement computer.
- You will not lose any data because of the upgrade and we have tested the compatibility of Windows 10 with IT Services supplied software.
Why are we moving to Windows 10?
- Microsoft will end their extended support for Windows 7 on 14 January 2020. This means they will no longer provide security updates or fixes after this date. This could expose the University to potential security risks.
- Microsoft will provide extended support for Windows 10 until 2025, so it is important we upgrade to continue to receive security updates and fixes.
- Better integration with the future implementation of Office 2016.
Upgrade schedule and timescales
The dates below are approximate and may be subject to change.
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Upgrade schedule for departments and sections
Departments - last updated 25/06/2018
| Section/Department |
Upgrade scheduled for |
| East 15 Acting School |
To be confirmed |
| Economics |
To be confirmed |
| Essex Business School |
To be confirmed |
| Essex Pathways |
To be confirmed |
| Faculty Office (Humanities) |
To be confirmed |
| Faculty Office (Science and Health) |
To be confirmed |
| Faculty Office (Social Sciences) |
To be confirmed |
| Government |
To be confirmed |
| Health and Social Care |
September 2019 |
| History |
August 2018 |
| Languages and Linguistics |
October 2019 |
| Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies |
To be confirmed |
| Mathematical Sciences |
To be confirmed |
| Philosophy and Art History |
To be confirmed |
| Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies |
July 2018 |
| Sociology |
May 2019 |
| Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences |
To be confirmed |
The following departments are not part of this upgrade:
- Biological Sciences
- Institute for Social and Economic Research
- UK Data Archive / UK Data Service
- Psychology
- Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
Sections - last updated 25/06/2018
| Section/Department |
Upgrade scheduled for |
| Academic Section |
To be confirmed |
| Communications and External Relations |
To be confirmed |
| Estates |
June/August 2019 |
| Finance Section |
To be confirmed |
| Human Resources |
October/November 2018 |
| IT Services |
Completed |
| Library Services |
July/August 2018 |
| Research & Enterprise Office |
September 2018 |
| Strategic Planning and Change Section |
October 2018 |
| Vice Chancellor's and Registrar's Office |
August 2018 |
Help and support post upgrade
Learn more about Windows 10 features on the GCF Learn Free website.
We've also created Lynda.com playlists for Windows 10 and Office 2016 which you can dip in and out of courses whenever you want:
Questions you may have after upgrading
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How do I change the default PDF viewer?
When Microsoft Edge is set as your default browser, your PDF viewer will also default to Microsoft Edge. If you would like to change the default application associated with a file type, follow these steps:
- In Windows 10, click the windows icon and type 'default app settings' then press the enter key
- Scroll to the end of the page
- Select "Choose default apps by file type"
- Scroll to the .pdf file type listed on the left
- Left click on the associated item to the right of the file type
- Select the default app you want to use for opening .pdf files e.g. Adobe Reader
-
If a webpage isn’t displaying correctly in Microsoft Edge, how can I open it in Internet Explorer?
To open a page in Internet Explorer from Microsoft Edge, click the ellipsis icon ("...") in the upper right corner, then click Open with Internet Explorer. Alternatively, you can open Internet Explorer directly by clicking the Windows icon and typing "Internet Explorer" and then select the Internet Explorer icon..