Windows Update

Windows Update is the online extension of Windows designed to help your computer continue to work run better. Windows Update has a central catalog called Product Updates that includes new product enhancements such as system files, device drivers, service packs and new Windows features. These enhancements will be recommended to you based on what is needed for your specific computer.

Frequently Microsoft will discover that their products are vulnerable to attacks and will need to apply security fixes to their software. In order to get these updates to you the customer they distribute it through the Windows Update web page.

Running Windows Update

1. First close all open applications.
   
2. Open Internet Explorer.
   
3. In the Internet Explorer window, go to the "Tools" menu and select "Windows Updates".
   
4. If you are running Windows Update for the first time, when you enter Windows Update you will see a window entitled "Security Warning." It will ask you if you want to run and install Windows Updates.
   
5. Click "Yes".
   
6. If you receive a Security Warning window and are not running Windows Update for the first time, click "Yes" to continue. After your computer has finished updating, you might be asked to restart your computer at this point. If so, click on Restart and return to step 1.
   
7. In the Internet Explorer window, click the link for "Scan for updates".
   
8. When the scanning is completed, under the "Pick updates to install" section on the left side of the Windows Update page, click on the "Critical Updates" and "Service Packs" link.
   
9. If there are critical updates to install, click on the link for Review and install updates to install the necessary updates.
   
   
10. To begin installing the updates, click "Install Now".
    
11. If the list of updates includes exclusive items that must be installed separately from other updates, a Microsoft Internet Explorer window will appear asking if you wish to install the exclusive update. Click "OK".
    
12. A window entitled "Microsoft Windows Update - Web Page Dialog" will appear. It will ask you if you want to accept the terms of the licensing agreement, click "Accept".
    
13. If you are downloading a Windows Service Pack, then a Windows XP Service Pack Setup Wizard window will appear. Follow the steps choosing to archive the files.
    
14. Next, you will probably be asked to restart your computer to complete installation. Click "OK" to restart.
    
15. There may be more critical updates that need to be installed after your computer restarts. After restarting, repeat the instructions in this section starting at step 1 to make sure there are no more updates that need to be installed

Setting up Automatic Updates

Windows 98/ME/2000

1. Click on the "Start" button and select "Settings" then "Control Panel".
   
2. Double-click on the "Automatic Updates" icon in the Control Panel window.
   
3. Select "Automatically download updates and notify me when they are ready to be installed".
   
4. Click "OK".

Windows XP

1. At the My Computer icon on the desktop, right-click.
   
2. Select "Properties".
   
3. In the System Properties window, select the "Automatic Updates" tab.
   
   
4. Make sure the checkbox is checked for Keep my computer up to date.
   
5. Select "Download the updates automatically and notify me when they are ready to be installed".
   
6. Click "OK".