Connection problems on LJMU Anywhere laptops
Why we have provided these instructions
We are aware that some users occasionally lose connection to the LJMU network on their University laptops – this is most likely to have at least one of the following symptoms:
- Loss of shared drive connections
- Inability to connect remotely to your University desktop PC (Remote Desktop)
The most common cause of connection problems is that the laptop needs to be updated and restarted.
Applying updates is easy (if a little tedious). The instructions below will get almost all users up and running with no further assistance, by ensuring that all outstanding updates are completed and your laptop is in the best state possible. However you must follow all of the steps as described below.
Running all available Windows updates
1. Type 'Update' in the search box on the task bar
2. Click to run Check For Updates
3. Select the ‘Check for Updates’ button
If you are not up to date then you will see a list of outstanding updates. Select the button to install them.
The installation of updates can take quite a while, so you need to be patient, but your patience will be rewarded with a working laptop!
You will likely need to repeat the above steps several times, and you may need to restart your laptop between checks. You may also see ‘Pending Restart’ in the list of updates for one or more items.
4. It is also important to install Optional Updates. Click Advanced options, then click Optional updates.
If there are any optional updates click to install them. Again this can take some time if you haven't done this for a while.
Some updates will require a restart to complete installation.
5. To restart your laptop:
Select the Start button
Select the Power button (has the same symbol as the on/off button on most TV remotes)
Choose Restart and wait until your laptop comes back to the Login screen.
Log in again.
Repeat the above steps until you have installed all updates – you should see ‘Up to Date’ and the current date when you select ‘Check for Updates'.
Staying Connected
To stay connected, run your Windows updates (as described in the first part of these instructions) frequently. Ideally this means every few days, but at the very least, once per week. Microsoft release updates frequently, to fix bugs, improve software features and most importantly, keep your computer secure. The release of updates is not within IT Services’ control; we cannot apply them for you because we don’t know when your laptop will be switched on and connected to the internet, but you can control your own experience by applying the updates regularly yourself. You will find that by doing so, your laptop is both stable and reliable - most importantly, it just works when you need it.
Putting off updates is the most certain way to cause connection difficulties in future, as eventually, Microsoft will force your laptop to take the update, and that may not be convenient for you. You also may not know it’s happening, so could turn off your computer in the middle of an update, causing even more problems. It’s much better to stay in control and do the updates at the earliest opportunity to suit you.
Try to get in the habit of doing your updates at the same time every week, for example first thing on a weekday morning or at the end of your working week. Most of the time, the updates will be done in a matter of a few minutes, though occasionally Microsoft release a larger ‘Feature update’ that takes a bit longer.
Always repeat the ‘Check for Updates’ and restart your laptop several times to make sure there are no more outstanding, as some updates are ‘on top’ of previous updates, so only become available when the earlier update has been applied.