Microcomputer Services

Regular Maintenance for Windows

Microsoft Windows harbors a number of security holes. Microsoft releases patches to close those holes, though these patches are only effective if installed.

To ease the process of downloading and installing patches, Microsoft created Windows Update. This feature, available from the Start menu, checks your copy of Windows to see if any security patches, called critical updates, are available. If so, Windows Update will download and install them on your computer.

Critical updates are released as they are needed, rather than on some predetermined schedule.

Microsoft discovered that many users were not regularly running Windows Update, and, in Windows XP, added a feature that will automatically download and install critical updates as soon as they are made available.

We recommend you enable this feature in Windows XP. Running our Windows Security CD will also offer to turn on automatic Windows Updates.

Enable Automatic Windows Updates in Windows XP

  1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel
  2. Open System

    Tip:     If you do not see System, click Performance and Maintenance,
    then look for System near the bottom of the window

  3. Click the System Updates tab
  4. Click the Keep my computer up to date check box
  5. Click the Automatically download the updates and install them... option

Other Versions of Windows

Versions of Windows prior to Windows XP do not have this automatic update option. We encourage you to run Windows Update daily. If you use your computer less frequently, run Windows Update once per work session.