Install Windows 10 Mobile Onto Your Windows Phone 8.1 Phone

Addressing your fears... and hopes

You're absolutely straight away to be apprehensive about taking the Insiders Preview path as an alternative to waiting for a state update show up on your Windows Phone 8.1 device sometime in November or December 2015. Not that all the possible pitfalls are going to be avoided by waiting, but at the least you'll then have the capacity to go back to Microsoft (or maybe your carrier) and complain whether it doesn't all figure out.

The downsides then:

- It will all devote some time. Not so much of your energy, but many real time. And many waiting around while updates download and install. If you're attempting this in a day, allow three hours, minimum. And don't expect to have the capacity to use the phone for almost any of this. So stick your SIM in something more important for the duration, and until you're very pleased with the new OS, should you haven't already done this.

- At some point in the treatment you will need to factory reset the telephone - you may't expect you'll keep a year's in Windows Phone 8.1 system files around rather than expect these phones get from the way of Windows 10. You may be capable of get away with restoring a backup (i.e. of applications and user data), so you aren't faced with rebuilding from synced accounts etc, but you simply can't rely on this. As usual, a lot more backups, the harder Cloud-hosted content, the greater passwords you've got recorded, etc, the higher quality.

- You will need to clear space on your own phone (as bemoaned by me here, somewhat pessimistically), at the very least 3GB (and the greater, better), ideally within the internal disk, and also on microSD, if relevant. Mind you, while using caveat above about resetting, possibly you have more than this anyway, at the very least temporarily!

The upsides are catalogued inside the two articles linked here, needless to say, you will likely have an idea of las vegas dui attorney want to opt for Windows 10 Mobile at the moment anyway. It's worth it when you don't mind several glitches while Microsoft end up all the code, in my view.

The biggest upside of most though will not be having to wait. New Windows 10 Mobile devices will be announced in September, will appear within the streets in October well as over the air updates for existing Windows Phones won't commence to roll out until the end of November or maybe December and into 2016. Whereas by jumping to the 'Insiders' track, you'll be able to sidestep all approvals, all checks, all testing and just start using the brand new OS while it is still being finished. So slightly unnerving, certainly, but in addition exciting when you're a small geek just like me.

Updating from Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 or Update 2 to Windows 10 Mobile Insiders Preview (build 10512 and beyond)

Well, that's some sub-heading, but I seriously considered precise, so you know exactly where you stand. The steps below involve, as you will see, a couple step update. From Windows Phone 8.1 to W10M Build 10166 then from that to 10512 (or beyond). There are architectural explanation why this is currently necessary, though rapid ejaculation thought that eventual customer over-the-air updates may allow a far more direct route.

1. Double and triple check all of your backups, synced accounts, image uploads and then any passwords you imagine you might need. We're not responsible in the event you find yourself up a creek with out a paddle down the line....!

2. Fully charge your battery. Really.

3. On your phone, enter in the Store and appearance for "Windows Insider". Install it inside usual way.

4. Run the Windows Insider application and tap on 'Get preview builds'. You may be inspired to sign in again on your Microsoft account.

5. Choose 'Insider Fast' when prompted (sometimes 'Slow' may also be offered, depending on the device), tap for the selection arrow, then 'accept' the disclaimer that things could go wrong. They still may not, nevertheless, Microsoft will not be held responsible when you lose any data...

6. You'll almost definitely be told that a device must reboot after all this, with all the software taking charge. Let it all restart.

7. Go to Settings and swipe to 'phone update' after which 'check out updates' from the usual way.

8. After around a second, build 10166 of Windows 10 Mobile will will download. Don't be alarmed whether or not this seems stuck on "0%" for several minutes, it'll get there inside end. Within most of an hour, the progress bar really should have completed as well as a new one should set up, marked as 'preparing to fit' - which means things will be unpacked within the hood (for just a moment).

9. When presented together with the principal 'Install' screen, do it now - obviously. This is your last opportunity to do any final backups or syncs, incidentally. If you don't elect to install now, it is going to all happen at night time anyway(!)

10. Your phone will restart shortly afterwards and you need to see the infamous 'spinning gears' animation (which never quite 'works', ever since the cogs have different size teeth!) for half one hour. Yes, what a long time. I did warn you, above!

11. A set of progress bars will be, titled 'Almost done...', showing progress while your details is 'migrated', effectively moving everything of yours completely to another position in internal storage, tying in with the modern OS files. This stage is going to take another quarter-hour or so.

12. Once you understand the Start screen, leave the product alone for a few minutes - you can find things happening behind the scenes.

13. You're now running Windows 10 Mobile but try not to even think about celebrating yet, you are not even halfway from the whole process! Head to Settings/System/About and after that on 'Reset my phone'. Technically, this reset can be carried out at several points from the steps here, however it's most reliable done after all this. You're essentially saying goodbye to 'underneath the hood' system files and detritus through your Windows Phone/Mobile history approximately this point.

14. The reset involves more spinning gears and approximately half one hour (again). There, I mentioned. Go off this will let you cup of tea or mow the lawn.

15. When copy, go with the usual welcome procedure, signing to your Microsoft account.

16. When mentioned restoring a backup, I'd recommend tend to 'Don't restore' (i.e. build as a new phone). If you had a lot of custom stuff in a very previous backup then you may risk picking this instead. Just be conscious that working yourself is 'cleaner', obviously. It all depends simply how much you had installed from organizations and how much of the involved documents along with data that will not have been synced or secured.

17. When the dust has settled and you are either back at the stable Start screen or have waited for any restore (should you're feeling lucky enough to get try this!), visit the Store again and locate and install 'Windows Insider' (again). Do remain calm, considering that the Store application are going to be trying to setup a load of updates to core applications inside background. If you are not already about the Downloads page, tap within the little downloads icon, shown top right, then tap on 'Check for updates' (to refresh the Downloads list - this can populate after ten seconds roughly). There you may see what's within the queue and may cancel the majority of things for now by tapping about the little 'X's (don't be concerned, you'll grab them later!) Again, have patience, it of the experience isn't adequately optimised yet!

18. Once installed, run Windows Insider as before making the same choices - 'Insider Fast', etc. You shouldn't need to reboot on this occasion, you'll only be directed to Settings, to check on for updates (again).

19. Go to Settings/'Update & security'/'Phone update' and 'Check for updates'. You should see another big update commence to download - this will likely be Build 10512 (or maybe more, should you're reading this article feature much after mid August 2015).

20. Again, once downloaded and unpacked (so that's another half one hour), you will be prompted that 'a restart is scheduled'. Swipe to and tap the 'Restart now' button.

21. And again, there are going to be some more spinning gears, typically around quarter-hour worth, followed by the device booting in to the latest build successfully. Again, don't celebrate yet, we're almost, yet not quite there!

22. Once rebooted, give the device a minute or two to sort itself out after which head in the Store.

23. This time, you can let everything try to setup, so show patience - not uncommon for there being 20 or 30 updates waiting from the queue (tap for the hamburger menu and Downloads, and then 'Check for updates') and this is going to take a while, especially within the lower specced Windows Phones. Plus, one in the updates is always to the Store application itself, and therefore, since this installs, it can have to seal itself down! When you see this, just wait a second and after that start this again, running the brand new Store version. Again, check out updates, monitor the download/install queue and (ahem) make another bag while whatever else comes down the queue. Expect several failures - some on the original applications assigned for your device (e.g. by Nokia, back inside day) won' longer be accessible.

24. Phew, we're almost done. Now work from the main applications with your default Start screen one at the time, for instance, Outlook Mail, Outlook Calendar, Maps, People, Facebook, Cortana, and so forth. Each can have its own 'first time' welcome screens that may need acknowledging, using the occasional setting or password needing attention.

You will then begin this process, in your time, of fiddling while using Start screen as required, removing tiles you do not need, enlarging ones you have a lot and customarily making things look prettier. You already know the best way to do this bit.

Although it's worth popping back into your Store each day to test for updates, the default in Windows 10 Mobile is the identical as in Windows Phone, i.e. for applications to update automatically inside background. So when something seems over-slow or terminates unexpectedly, it may be some Windows 10 Mobile Insiders Preview instability - or maybe it's the application being updated you. Exciting, eh?

Let me recognize how you get on from the comments. Have I missed a stride that comes up on the device? Let's adjust this 'the way to' and earn it foolproof!