Scheduled Maintenances And Best Practices
Your workstation will undergo a weekly maintenance window to keep it secure, updated, and performing reliably. To ensure updates apply correctly, restart your computer at the end of each workday and leave it powered on and connected over the weekend.
To ensure your workstation remains reliable, secure, and performing at its best, Technology Services – Student Affairs is introducing a new weekly maintenance window.
How to leave your device ready each workday
To ensure updates and system performance remain optimal, please restart your Windows 11 computer before leaving work each day. Restarting is not the same as logging off or shutting down it fully refreshes the operating system and applies pending updates.
Here’s how to restart correctly:
- Click the Start button (Windows icon) in the bottom-left corner.
- Select Power.
- Choose Restart (do NOT select Shut Down or Log Off).
Why is this important?
- Restarting allows critical updates to install.
- It helps prevent system issues and ensures compliance with IT requirements.
How to leave your device ready for the weekend
To ensure these updates are successful and to protect your work, please complete the following steps on Friday before leaving for the weekend:
- Save Your Work: These updates include a forced restart. Please ensure all documents and applications are saved and closed to prevent any data loss.
- Stay Powered On: Our network cannot “wake up” a computer that is off. Please leave your workstation powered on and awake (disable “Sleep” mode if possible).
- Check Your Connection:
- On-Campus: Simply leave your device plugged into the network.
- Off-Campus (Cisco AnyConnect users): If your device is not managed by DSA and you utilize Cisco AnyConnect, please ensure your VPN is connected so your device can receive the necessary security patches.
What should you expect?
- Timing: Restarts occur at midnight on Friday and Saturday.
- Experience: If you happen to be working during these times, you may notice restart dialogue boxes on screen, brief interruptions or multiple restarts.
Why are we doing this?
Regular restarts are the most effective way to clear out system “clutter,” apply critical security patches, and ensure that your software tools run without lag during your busy work week. If you have any questions or encounter any issues following these updates, please reach out to the DSA Service Desk. Scheduled Weekend Maintenance: Keeping Your Workstation Secure and Optimized.
