Update your Windows for FREE

Update your Windows for FREE
By: Scott Hendison � Published: August 2001

Hardly a day goes by without someone, somewhere, finding yet another irritating flaw, or �bug� in Microsoft Windows. Usually these bugs are minor, and many users would never even notice them. In some cases though, these flaws are newsworthy, such as the case of the security hole that left an open door for the �Red Worm� virus which attacked Windows 2000 servers all over the world this past July.

Contrary to popular belief, Microsoft really is trying to make a good product and one of the greatest things they did, was to build a Windows update feature right into the first version of Windows 98, and it�s gone into all subsequent Windows releases. If those Windows 2000 servers had run their Microsoft updates, they would not have been affected by the Red Worm, and there would have been no crisis.

While you are online with Windows 98 or higher, you can log in to the Microsoft Update website, and after they do a brief analysis of your system, you can pick and choose what updates you would like to download and install for your computer. There are a large number of updates available for your computer, no matter how new it is. I guarantee it.

As with any software installation, one of the keys to a successful Windows Update is to close down any active programs that may be running in the background. Specifically, I�m referring to Antivirus software, Real Player, America Online, Instant Messenger, and pretty much everything else that has an icon sitting down in the right by your clock.

To close these ever present programs, right click on each icon by the clock, and choose �exit�. If there�s no option for �exit� then you�ll need to press CTRL � ALT � DEL one time, and press �end task� for each listing while it is highlighted in blue. (see �Three Finger Salute � July 2000) Some of them might take three tries to close, but it�s worth doing. The only thing you don�t want to �end task� on, is �explorer� which is the Windows Desktop. If you read my article entitled �The Perfect Computer� (October 2000) and you already use msconfig to manage your startup software, (and you should be!) then your job is already half done.

First establish your connection with your ISP, and verify you can get to a website. Then, to get started with your Windows Update, just go to the Start Button � Settings- Windows Update.

You will be taken to the Windows Update Website immediately, and this is where it gets pretty neat. When you first get there, you will see a link called "Product Updates". Click on that, and wait while Microsoft analyzes your system needs.

Once you arrive at the next screen, the directions are a bit fuzzy, but you will see a checked box entitled "Critical Updates". At this point, just hit the upper right blue arrow that says "Download". If you click the plus sign to the left of the "Show Individual Updates" line, then you can see exactly what Microsoft intends to update, but you can assume that if Microsoft says it's critical. then you need to do it.

After clicking the "Download" arrow, choose option 3, "Start Download". You will immediately be taken to the software update screen, and you can download and install the update package automatically.

After the update, you'll be prompted to reboot. Once you do that, and you wait for the rather lengthy reboot process, you'll have the latest updates available for your version of Windows. At that point, you can log on again, and go back to the Windows update site to see what other is other fun or useful stuff you might want to download. None of this is necessary, but you may find some other optional things listed there that you would like, such as Internet Explorer 5.5 or new Windows desktop themes, etc.

Updating your critical Windows files may not make everything work perfectly, but it certainly will go a long way towards making your Windows installation as compatible as it will be with today�s modern hardware and software applications.