How to Run Windows Updates

It is essential for all users to run updates for their machines.

If you are reading this, then you are hopefully running or supporting a Microsoft Windows product.

Regardless of operating system (it doesn’t matter if you’re using a Mac, running a linux or unix distro, or any of the flavors of windows) updates are necessary. Some of the updates are minor, others are more intensive.

Virtually all updates include some form of a security updates for your machine. If you don’t run the updates, you leave your computer vulnerable to all kinds of security issues. The updates also include fixes for problems reported from a large number of users.

The more intensive updates are known as service packs on windows machines.

Service packs and updates are free under the windows operating system. It will not upgrade your operating system. They are just patches for issues. If you are running Windows Vista, and the software you are attempting to install requires Windows 7, no number of service packs will change that you are running Vista. In that situation, an operating system upgrade (from Vista to 7) would be necessary.

Running the updates sooner rather than later is generally a good idea.

If you are concerned that a update or service pack will create more issues than it will fix, I would check resources such as www.slashdot.org or mspatchwatch.com the content may not always be the most user friendly, but they do a fair job of reporting issues.

So I need to run updates, how would I do so:

To make sure automatic updates are installed and ready:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Depending on which Control Panel view you use, Classic or Category, do one of the following:
   • Click System, and then click the Automatic Updates tab.
   • Click Performance and Maintenance, click System, and then click the Automatic Updates tab.
3. Click the option that you want. Make sure Automatic Updates is not turned off.

If you select “Download updates Automatically, but let me decide when to install them” it means some additional input from you (the user). Automatic or User supervised updates are going to be the ideal. Telling your operating system to never check for updates puts you at risk.

It also helps to visit the microsoft update page periodically to make sure your operating system is up to date.

For that click here and follow the instructions.