Windows 10 Upgrade Information & Troubleshooting Guide
Windows 10 Upgrade Notification
Check the Windows 10 upgrade list to know if your MSI notebook supports Windows 10.
*If a notebook has the download link on the Windows 10 upgrade list, you can find all Windows 10 driver/application from the notebook download page.
*If you don?t see the driver link for your notebook, you can still upgrade to Windows 10 and use the Windows 8.1 driver/application from your notebook download page or use the Windows 10 built in driver/driver installed by Windows Update. (See B. Windows Update & Driver Update in Windows 10 upgrade guide for instructions.)
*For notebook which is NOT listed in the Windows 10 upgrade list. Please aware the Windows 10 upgrade list only includes recommended MSI notebooks. You still can upgrade if a notebook passed "Get Windows 10 app", but there might be potential compatibility issues regardless of whether or not the device meets the minimum system specification for Windows 10.
Before Upgrade to Windows 10
What you need to know before running Windows 10 upgrade: (FAQ/Video Tutorial) and make sure that your notebook has met the upgrade system requirements.
It?s suggested to create a system recovery media with MSI BurnRecovery tool just in case if you don?t like Windows 10 or prefers your original system better, you can always use this recovery media to restore the system back to the factory settings.
Proceed Upgrade
To get the step by step upgrade guide, please refer to the Upgrade Instruction.
After Upgrade to Windows 10
Connect to the internet and run the Windows Update right after finishing the upgrade process. If you have any problems after the upgrade, please refer to the Troubleshooting Guide for more useful guidance.
Go Back to Original Windows / Restore Factory Settings
F3 recovery function may not work after upgrade due to the different structure of Windows 10 system partition (FAQ), but you can either choose to use the prepared recovery media or the Windows recovery function to restore your system.
The recovery media created by MSI BurnRecovery tool can help you restoring the system back to factory settings (FAQ/Video Tutorial), or use the Windows recovery function to return to your original system if you didn?t create the recovery media before. (FAQ/Video Tutorial)
Troubleshooting Guide
After upgrading to Windows 10, some software or hardware functions of your computer might stop working properly. On most occasions, your original installed driver/application should be compatible in Windows 10. Follow the troubleshooting steps below to help solving problems.
Windows System Feature
Some Windows 10 systemfeature or Windows 10 bundled application cannot work properly (Including App1 suddenly quit after launch, long application loading time when accessing through the Start Menu, or garbled message shows up on the screen? etc.), Microsoft has released some hotfixes to solve these problems through running Windows Update (FAQ).
*App1: Microsoft Edge, Weather, Photos, Store, OneNote App?etc.
Hardware Device
The driver incompatibility might cause some devices stop working or show unknown devices in the device manager after upgrade. Re-install the driver to solve the problem. For example NVIDIA Optimus graphics switching function is not working properly and the power button status light is always locked up with one color.
If you have encountered issues below, re-install the driver to solve the problem.
Bluetooth
Symptom: Can?t find any external Bluetooth device in the Bluetooth setup page, or can?t pair with a Bluetooth device.
Graphics (VGA)
Symptom: Can?t switch automatically between the iGPU (Integrated Graphics) and the dGPU (Dedicated Graphics), and the power button light always locked up at a single color light.
LAN
Symptom: The internet connection via LAN can?t work properly, or the connection is unstable.
Webcam
Symptom: The webcam is not connected, or stops working.
Solution: Webcam uses Windows build-in driver, so it doesn?t need any additional driver update. Make sure you have SCM installed and the webcam is turned on by using Fn+F6.
Wireless
Symptom: The WLAN adapter stops working, the connection is unstable, disconnected or the connection speed is slow
*FAQ: How to improve the quality of wireless connection? (For 802.11AC Wireless Adapter: Intel? Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160 / 7260 & Killer Wireless AC 1525)
Touchpad
Symptom: The touchpad stops working.
*FAQ: What should I do if the touchpad stops working after upgrading to Windows 10?
Audio sound through HDMI
Symptom: The audio sound is coming out from the build-in speaker not the external monitor when connected via HDMI. *FAQ: How to set the default playback device when connecting with an external monitor?
Even though Windows 10 always keeps your system up to date with the generic driver, the generic driver installed by Windows Update might cause issues with your notebook. You need to uninstall and hide the driver update from Windows Update and then install the MSI touchpad driver. For example:
Application Problem
On most occasions, the latest version of pre-installed application should be compatible with Windows 10. However, if the pre-installed version on the system is not the latest version, it may have the compatibility problem.
If the application can?t work properly after upgrading to Windows 10, uninstall the application first and then update to the latest version shown in the FAQ
If you still encountered problems after upgrade to Windows 10, please visit MSI website for more General Windows 10 FAQs and Windows 10 Upgrade FAQs.
Windows 10 Upgrade Notification
Check the Windows 10 upgrade list to know if your MSI notebook supports Windows 10.
*If a notebook has the download link on the Windows 10 upgrade list, you can find all Windows 10 driver/application from the notebook download page.
*If you don?t see the driver link for your notebook, you can still upgrade to Windows 10 and use the Windows 8.1 driver/application from your notebook download page or use the Windows 10 built in driver/driver installed by Windows Update. (See B. Windows Update & Driver Update in Windows 10 upgrade guide for instructions.)
*For notebook which is NOT listed in the Windows 10 upgrade list. Please aware the Windows 10 upgrade list only includes recommended MSI notebooks. You still can upgrade if a notebook passed "Get Windows 10 app", but there might be potential compatibility issues regardless of whether or not the device meets the minimum system specification for Windows 10.
Before Upgrade to Windows 10
What you need to know before running Windows 10 upgrade: (FAQ/Video Tutorial) and make sure that your notebook has met the upgrade system requirements.
It?s suggested to create a system recovery media with MSI BurnRecovery tool just in case if you don?t like Windows 10 or prefers your original system better, you can always use this recovery media to restore the system back to the factory settings.
Proceed Upgrade
To get the step by step upgrade guide, please refer to the Upgrade Instruction.
- To know what does the installation error means and how to fix it, clickHERE.
After Upgrade to Windows 10
Connect to the internet and run the Windows Update right after finishing the upgrade process. If you have any problems after the upgrade, please refer to the Troubleshooting Guide for more useful guidance.
- If you have encountered a Windows activation problem, please click HERE for help.
Go Back to Original Windows / Restore Factory Settings
F3 recovery function may not work after upgrade due to the different structure of Windows 10 system partition (FAQ), but you can either choose to use the prepared recovery media or the Windows recovery function to restore your system.
The recovery media created by MSI BurnRecovery tool can help you restoring the system back to factory settings (FAQ/Video Tutorial), or use the Windows recovery function to return to your original system if you didn?t create the recovery media before. (FAQ/Video Tutorial)
Troubleshooting Guide
After upgrading to Windows 10, some software or hardware functions of your computer might stop working properly. On most occasions, your original installed driver/application should be compatible in Windows 10. Follow the troubleshooting steps below to help solving problems.
Windows System Feature
Some Windows 10 systemfeature or Windows 10 bundled application cannot work properly (Including App1 suddenly quit after launch, long application loading time when accessing through the Start Menu, or garbled message shows up on the screen? etc.), Microsoft has released some hotfixes to solve these problems through running Windows Update (FAQ).
*App1: Microsoft Edge, Weather, Photos, Store, OneNote App?etc.
Hardware Device
The driver incompatibility might cause some devices stop working or show unknown devices in the device manager after upgrade. Re-install the driver to solve the problem. For example NVIDIA Optimus graphics switching function is not working properly and the power button status light is always locked up with one color.
If you have encountered issues below, re-install the driver to solve the problem.
Bluetooth
Symptom: Can?t find any external Bluetooth device in the Bluetooth setup page, or can?t pair with a Bluetooth device.
Graphics (VGA)
Symptom: Can?t switch automatically between the iGPU (Integrated Graphics) and the dGPU (Dedicated Graphics), and the power button light always locked up at a single color light.
LAN
Symptom: The internet connection via LAN can?t work properly, or the connection is unstable.
Webcam
Symptom: The webcam is not connected, or stops working.
Solution: Webcam uses Windows build-in driver, so it doesn?t need any additional driver update. Make sure you have SCM installed and the webcam is turned on by using Fn+F6.
Wireless
Symptom: The WLAN adapter stops working, the connection is unstable, disconnected or the connection speed is slow
*FAQ: How to improve the quality of wireless connection? (For 802.11AC Wireless Adapter: Intel? Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160 / 7260 & Killer Wireless AC 1525)
Touchpad
Symptom: The touchpad stops working.
*FAQ: What should I do if the touchpad stops working after upgrading to Windows 10?
Audio sound through HDMI
Symptom: The audio sound is coming out from the build-in speaker not the external monitor when connected via HDMI. *FAQ: How to set the default playback device when connecting with an external monitor?
Even though Windows 10 always keeps your system up to date with the generic driver, the generic driver installed by Windows Update might cause issues with your notebook. You need to uninstall and hide the driver update from Windows Update and then install the MSI touchpad driver. For example:
- Why can?t the touch pad be turned on or off by pressing [Fn] + [F3]?
- What should I do if the Num Lock switch on my GT80 stops working?
Application Problem
On most occasions, the latest version of pre-installed application should be compatible with Windows 10. However, if the pre-installed version on the system is not the latest version, it may have the compatibility problem.
If the application can?t work properly after upgrading to Windows 10, uninstall the application first and then update to the latest version shown in the FAQ
If you still encountered problems after upgrade to Windows 10, please visit MSI website for more General Windows 10 FAQs and Windows 10 Upgrade FAQs.