How to update managed iPads (COMPLETE)

Here is my very short summary of what needs to be done to update the apps and iOS on managed iPads in the mobile cart. As you can see, this is very brief and concise, and you can do the update process in just a few minutes each day.

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Ha hah ha, that was a good joke, eh?

No, the truth is that you must be prepared to be frustrated and annoyed, wasting possibly hours of your time on this learning the process, and finding this all to be way too complicated and difficult and annoying.

Updating the supervised iPads one at a time, is only just slightly less difficult than updating all of them, all at once, in parallel using the USB hubs in the cart.

Sorry, but there doesn't seem to be any simpler way to do this. This is what all schools that use managed iPads have to deal with.

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The iMac admin account is "@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@"

I have set the admin account password to "###########"

Please inform me of any password changes.

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1. System software / iTunes / QuickTime update:

Turn on Mac, logon as administrator

Go to the Apple menu (top left corner)

Choose "Software update…"

Install any updates it finds, restart the computer if needed.

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2. Apple Configurator (iPad manager) update

Go to the Apple menu (top left corner)

Choose "App Store…"

Look across top of window, far right says "Updates"

If there is a number next to it, click on Update, then click the Update button.

App Store update account: @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Password: #######################

Restart computer if needed.

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3. Updates for iPad Apps

On the dock (move mouse to bottom center of screen)

Run iTunes

Select Library -> Apps on left side

In dark gray band below app icons, look for a message like "Updates available"

If yes, click arrow next to updates message.

Top right of window, select "Download all free updates"

Quit iTunes

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4. Updates for iPad iOS (operating system)

On the dock (move mouse to bottom center of screen)

Run Apple Configurator

At top of window choose Supervise

In left column select "Cart - 30 iPads"

"All iPads (xx)" should be shown in middle column

In right column "Settings" should be highlighted already next to iOS.

Click button "Check for Update"

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5. Updates for Apple Configurator iPad Apps

(Should do this section if any updates were downloaded in iTunes)

Continuing from section #4 above:

In right column click on "Apps"

Click on + at bottom of Apps list. A file browser window appears.

At top of file browser window, 4th item from left should be selected, for "List view with details"

The "Date modified" column should be highlighted. If not, click on it.

Under "Mobile Applications" click on top program name in list, note in modified column it says "Today"

Scroll down until you find the last item updated "Today"

Hold down the Shift key and click on the last item. That and everything above is now selected.

Click Open button on window

Logon with management account:

U: **************************

P: ##########################

In bottom left corner it will say "Updating…"

For every program that was updated, a window will pop up that says "Item exists, do you want to replace it?" and you have to keep clicking Update over and over and over until all the Updates are done.

The Update button moves around depending on window size, so you can't just leave the mouse in one spot to hit all the Replace buttons.

Click the Apply button at the bottom center of the Apple Configurator window

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6. Updating all the supervised iPads at once

You are now ready to connect the iPads and Apple Configurator will automatically install the latest iOS version, and the latest iPad app versions.

If Apple Configurator is not already running:

- On the dock (move mouse to bottom center of screen)

- Run Apple Configurator

- At top of window choose Supervise

- In left column select "Cart - 30 iPads"

If the iPad cart has cable trays that can slide, open the back of the cart so they are able to slide backwards. Otherwise if not, make sure there is enough slack to plug in an iPad and insert it backwards with the cable and plug to the rear.

Flip all the iPads over in the cart, so the "top edge" with the power button is exposed. This allows you to power on the iPads during the update, explained in the section below.

On the back of the cart, unplug all iPad cords from the white Apple power bricks, and plug into open ports on the USB hubs

Plug the USB cable from the cart into the back of the iMac

Wait for the iPads to be recognized by the iMac, about a minute or so. They should start to automatically update.

It will take a while for each iPad to download any iOS updates and install apps, maybe 30-45 minutes.

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!! UPDATE CAN FAIL IF YOU AREN'T VIGILANT !!

When you see an iPad listed as "restoring backup" (after about 30 minutes), you must check the iPad to see if its screen is black. If it is black, you must reach over and press the power button for that iPad about 2-3 seconds, or the restore will FAIL.

You have to sit there and periodically watch for any iPad that says it is "restoring backup". The iPad shows a spinning timer, then the Apple logo, and the screen goes black. This is where you must manually turn on the iPad, or the process fails and you will have to start over for that iPad.

You have a couple minutes to turn on the iPad after it says "restoring backup", but there is no notification at all when Apple Configurator shifts from "Installing Apps" (30+ min) to "Restoring Backup". So you just have to sit there, and wait, and watch.

Once all the iPads have been updated, you need to unplug all of them from the USB hubs and back into the Apple charging bricks. This is because the USB hubs shut down and will not charge the iPads, if they are not always connected to the iMac, which is in a stationary location in the elementary library.

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7. Dealing with passcodes on iPads

Some iPads will inexplicably fail to update, with error messages such as "could not apply policy". These usually have passcodes installed by students.

There is no way to simply remove the passcode and keep on using the iPad. It is necessary to completely erase the device and all data on it, reinstalling the operating system and all programs.

There is no way to disable the passcode or prevent students from setting a passcode.

A partial solution is for me to set a passcode, set the device auto-lock time to never, and staff must unlock the iPads themselves before handing the devices out to students. Students must not be told this passcode, or they can again change it and lock the device.

So, to remove a passcode, first look at the device in the supervised group list. Select it and copy the name of the device to the clipboard, or write it down.

Right click on the device and choose Unsupervise. It will be erased and rebooted, which takes about 30 minutes. It then appears on the leftmost Prepare section for setting up new devices.

Set this device to be Supervised, enter the name you copied previously, tell it to update the iOS, apply the Student security profile, and use the most recent backup (I've added dates to the backup names).

On the Apps tab, select all apps (checkmark next to everything).

Click Apply

Setting up for supervision takes an additional 30-45 minutes, and you will need to wait for it to say "restoring backup", at which point you need to manually power on the iPad as discussed previously, or this whole process fails and you will have to start over.

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Yep, that's all it takes! As you can see, it should be a piece of cake to learn to do this, right?