How to update Windows to the latest security patches.

Posted by: Nuuruvalar [ITS Security] under How To

Updating Windows is actually a fairly painless process if you only install critical patches and you have a decent internet connection.  Even with dial-up, the critical patches are usually relatively small and not a large hassle to download.  Even the larger ones usually have enough of an impact to warrant any inconvenience caused.

The procedure for updating Windows is as follows:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click on ‘Tools’ in the menu across the top of Internet Explorer (File   Edit   View   Favorites   Tools   Help)
3. Click on ‘Windows Update’ from the drop-down menu.
   If this is your first time doing a Windows update, you will likely get a pop-up that looks something like:
   
   If you don’t see this pop-up, you can skip to step 4.
   You need to click the ‘OK’ button in order to proceed.
   You can, if you would prefer NOT to see this pop-up again, check the box in front of the ‘Don’t show this message again.’ Blurb.
4. Now you will be at the Microsoft Update page. More than likely you will be presented with a page telling you that you need to install an ActiveX control. ActiveX controls are what lets the Microsoft page install the updates on your machine once you download them. If you do not see the notice about installing ActiveX skip to step 5.
   The page should resemble the following:
   
   What you need to do now is click on the yellow bar with the blue shield that says ‘This site might require the following ActiveX control:’
   Once you get the drop-down, click on ‘Install ActiveX Control…’
5. Once the ActiveX control is installed, you will then be presented with a dialog box asking if you want to ‘Install this software’:
   
   This is Windows checking your version of Windows Update to ensure that it is current. Click on ‘Install’ and wait for Windows to check the Windows Update version on your machine.
   If you need to update Windows, you will be presented with a button ‘Update Windows’. Click the ‘Update Windows’ button and wait for the update to download and install.
6. Once Windows Update is updated to current version, you will be presented with a page like the following:


Click on the ‘Express’ button and grab a cup of java while Windows determines what critical patches your machine needs.

7. Once it has determined the critical updates needed for your machine, it will display a page with tem listed and an ‘Install Updates’ button.
8. Since we always want to have Microsoft’s critical updates for Windows, go ahead and click on the ‘Install Updates’ button.
   The time it takes to update your machine will depend on how long it has been since you last updated and your internet connection speed.
   Some updates may require a End User License agreement, but this is rare for critical updates.
   If one is needed, click on the accept button after reading the terms.
9. Some updates will require a reboot of your machine to finish the install. If a reboot is needed, let Windows Update reboot your machine, but always remember to save anything you may be working on in another application before you do.
10. Once Windows update has finished installing its updates and the PC is finished rebooting if needed, repeat the above steps to ensure you have all current updates.
    You may need to repeat several times depending on the exact updates needed, as some updates require earlier ones to be installed prior to getting installed themselves.
11. After you have clicked on the ‘Check for Updates’ link and you receive the ‘No new updates found’ line, you have completed updating Windows to the latest security patches.
12. Congratulations! You are now one step closer to safe internetting. For future updating you need to run this process once a week, minimum, or change your windows settings to do it automatically.
    If you are on dial-up, I don’t recommend setting it up for automatic.

Watch for our next installment when we go further in depth with optional Windows Update options.

Until next time; safe browsing,
Nuuruvalar