Apple released iOS-9, a major operating system upgrade, on Sept 16th.
The good news is that the iOS 9 update is smaller than usual, at 1.3GB, the bad news is that there is a lot of other data usage that comes with the update, data demand that will multiply if you have many Apple devices.
The heavy, data demand includes: updating your computer’s iTunes; backing up your devices; updating the operating system; reinstallation of your apps; and, the updating of your apps to be iOS-9 compatible.
In preparation to the update, do the following:
Plan your data use: Prevent auto-updating on all your devices.
Go to >Settings >iTunes & App Store >AUTOMATIC DOWNLOADS
toggle-OFF both ‘Apps‘ and ‘Updates‘.
Make space: Review your apps, photos and videos and uninstall unused items. It will be a tough task for many 8/16 GB iPhone or iPad users to free up enough space. Here’s how.
Get iTunes ready: Install the latest version of iTunes on your computer. Here’s how.
Update Apps. Use iTunes as download-central for app updates across all your devices. Here’s how.
Sync your device to iTunes. Make sure all your devices are synced across iTunes. Here’s how.
Backup your devices. Backup to iTunes (not iCloud) if you are data challenged. Here’s how.
Update iOS update
Once Apple releases the iOS 9 update, you will see a pop-up on your iOS device notifying you that a software update is available. It is recommended that you wait a couple days after the launch to update. There’s always a chance complications will surface. If you’re not the type who wants to spend time troubleshooting issues, it’s best to wait a few days after release to update.
You can download directly through your device but doing this wirelessly will take longer and may exhaust your mobile data. A better suggestion is to update through your computer, using iTunes.
Plug in the device charger, so you won’t run out of battery and lose the download.
Connect your device to your computer and update via iTunes. Here’s how.
After the update, review that your apps are all up-to-date by repeating steps 4 and 5 above.
Many people have been finding that Windows 10 has been a bandwidth hog, and this is due to Microsoft new forced updates policy, but it dosent mean there isn’t a way around this. Windows 8 is also guilty. These simple steps will help you to reduce the amount of data windows uses.
WINDOWS 8:
Navigate to the signal icon on the task bar.
2. Click it to bring up the list of networks and find the one you are currently connected to.
3. Right click and select set as metered network:
WINDOWS 10:
Should I upgrade to Windows 10?
Microsoft is currently offering the operating system for free for a limited time to Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 users – until 29 July 2016.
The free upgrade will not be available for those using Windows XP and Vista, but there are still upgrade options available.
No one is forcing you to update to Windows 10. There are plenty of happy people with computers that “just work” running Windows XP or Windows Vista. Microsoft, however, no longer issues security updates and patches for Windows XP. This means that your PC is more vulnerable to malware. Windows Vista will no longer be receiving these patches in April of 2017. Windows XP support no longer operates. If you are running XP and having issues this is probably the cause and now is the time to upgrade.
You can do an upgrade for XP and Windows but it will cost you to do so. Windows is offering a box version for sale to XP and Vista users.
Remember you have until July 2016 to do the free upgrade and it would be a good idea to wait until a few more bugs are sorted from the upgrade before proceeding if you want to limit the amount of data that you have to use.
If you are short on data and want to install Windows 10 you don’t necessarily have to do it via the Windows Update and use your data allowance. You can download a file (3GB) to a USB stick at https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/software-download/windows10, and the USB will work like an installation disk (to start, click on the ‘setup’ file on the USB).
Maybe if you are able to get to a faster internet connection somewhere, e.g. a library in town, you can download it there. You can also share the USB stick with others, it will work on multiple PCs with authorised copies of Windows 7 and 8.
What if I do not want to update to Windows 10?
Again, no one is forcing you but Windows will no longer be issuing security updates and patches. This makes your computer vulnerable to malware and makes your computer unstable.
If you want to stop the update to Windows 10 until you have the data available :
How To Change Windows Update Settings in Windows 7
Click on the Start button, followed by Control Panel.
Click on the System and Security link.Note: If you’re viewing Control Panel by Category, you’ll see this link. If you use the Large icons or Small icons view, just choose Windows Update and then skip to Step 4 below.
In the System and Security window, click on Windows Update which is one of the bigger links and located about mid-way down the list.
With Windows Update now open, click the Change settings link on the left.This will open a window with the heading Choose how Windows can install updates.
The settings on this page give you a fair amount of control regarding how Windows 7 will receive and install updates from Microsoft.
What about the major problem everyone had with Windows 10?
Like everyone else on the BIRRR you probably saw the horror stories about the continuous rebooting and downloading that happened with the initial Windows 10 upgrade. This was caused by an update KB 3081424.
Windows released an update – KB3081436 – and this has reportedly fixed the rebooting issue.
So if you were one of the early updaters and you stopped the process because of the rebooting you should be right to re install.
If you have not done so already follow this link , to reserve a copy and get the download
If the update does not work automatically then you may want to remove KB 30081424
Press start button, scroll to control panel, opening the Control Panel, clicking on ‘View installed updates’, selecting ‘KB3081424’, clicking uninstall in the toolbar and restarting the computer.
If this is all too much and you want to go back to your previous operating system (OS) then this is how you can uninstall the Windows 10 update until the bugs are fixed. REMEMBER TO DO A BACK UP FIRST
The other issue with Windows 10 is that they have decided we will not have a choice when and how we receive updates. This is a problem for those of us on limited downloads.
There is no way to turn off automatic downloads in Windows 10 but users can turn their network connection to a metered connection. When you set a connection as metered, you’re telling Windows it’s a connection with restricted data — such as a mobile data connection. Windows won’t upload updates on a metered connection — it won’t even automatically download Windows updates.
To set your current Wi-FI network as a metered connection, open the Settings app and navigate to Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Advanced options. Activate the toggle under “Set as metered connection.” The current Wi-Fi network will become a metered connection.
In Windows 10 open up the list of networks as in Windows 8, then click Network settings at the Bottom to open up the following window:
This will allow users to choose when they do updates depending on the amount of data they have or access to free Wi-Fi. This means users will have to regularly change the setting back to un metered at which point the upgrades will automatically download.
The updates are not going to be as large as the initial upgrade and they do keep your operating system running as efficiently and safely as possible. There is also the issue that if you switch to metered and forget to upgrade for a while, you will have to do a large upgrade when you do remember.
Note – Ethernet network connections can’t be set to metered. If your internet connects to your computer with a cable that looks like this, then you are using an ethernet connection which cannot be set to metered.
Ethernet Cable
If you are connecting by a different type of cable/connection (for example, so types of mobile broadband modems) then it may or may not be possible to set it as metered, depending on your modem.
If you are connecting using WiFi, then you can set as metered.
Internet service providers can charge by the amount of data used (the amount of data sent and received by your PC). That’s called a metered Internet connection. These plans often have a data limit, and if you exceed the limit you might have to pay extra. In some cases, you aren’t charged extra but your connection speed becomes slower until the billing cycle ends.
If you have a metered Internet connection, setting your network connection to metered in Windows can help you reduce the amount of data you send and receive
It depends on whether your Internet service provider charges you by the amount of data you use. Here are some general guidelines:
WiFi networks—Windows sets WiFi networks to non-metered by default. But if your Internet service provider charges you by the amount of data you use, setting your network connection to metered can help you limit your data usage.
Mobile broadband networks—Windows sets mobile broadband networks to metered by default. But if your mobile broadband service is actually unlimited, then you might want to change the network setting to non-metered.
If you’re not sure what to do, keep an eye on your data usage. If you find that you’re being billed for extra data usage, setting your network connection to metered can help you manage this.
You may also need to ensure that your Windows 10 Computer is not using data to update other computers nearby. It is useful to read this article, which shows how to turn it off.
Better Internet for Rural, Regional & Remote Australia (BIRRR) 