Beginning Monday, January 29, 2018, ITSS will migrate PC clients to a new management server. The new server is an updated version of the existing server, so the changes should not be disruptive. This will provide improved and expanded services for our Window users.

Services Affected:

• Windows quality updates, released monthly, delivering both security and non-security fixes. These are not new.
• Application installations and management. These are not new.
• Windows feature updates, available through this updated server. The current Feature update is the Fall Creator’s Update.

Cosmetic changes:

• (The easiest way to detect the change) The Software Center (an app on Windows PCs) has been branded to use Chico’s cardinal red.
• Software Update notifications (i.e.: “Updates are required by your IT Department) have been branded to use Chico’s cardinal red.

Functional changes:

• The Software Center has also been modified to include an Applications tab, that replaces the old Application Catalog website.
• The OLD Application Catalog website will be retired.
• Visits to the old site will receive a notification site instead.
• And coming soon, Windows Feature Updates, newer versions of Windows 10 released in phased deployments through Windows Update.

Improved update delivery and better inventory information drive this change, implemented at the recommendation of Microsoft Consultants.

The majority of campus Windows desktops will have updates sent to them in the next day or so. For security reasons, campus computers are given an installation deadline for monthly patches. The installation deadline this month is Monday, January 29^th at 5:00 PM. On Monday at 5:00 PM, if you have not installed this month’s patches, they will automatically begin installing, and when done, may reboot your computer. If your computer is off at the time of the deadline, updates will begin installing the next time you log in, and when done, may reboot your computer.

 We highly recommend that you install the patches as soon as you are prompted to do so, before the installation deadline. This way, you can be present when the computer needs to restart and you have more control over the restart timing, allowing you to save any open work. If you ignore the update messages you run the risk of updates being applied while you are not present and potentially having your computer restart and possibly even losing unsaved work.

In addition to Microsoft updates, there may be updates for Adobe Flash, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Oracle Java, and other third party applications. These updates will require you to close all your browser windows. Please save any work in your browsers before doing so.