Configuring Microsoft Windows Automatic Updates

These instructions apply to Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

To configure automatic updates, start by opening your control panel.

1. Select the "Start" button at the lower left side of the screen.
2. From the menu that pops up, select "Settings" by moving your mouse over the selection.
3. On the sub-menu that pops up, move your mouse over the selection "Control Panel" and click on it.
4. Your control panel will appear.

Double click the control panel automatic update applet. The automatic updates dialog box will appear.

Click on the checkbox at the top next to the wording "Keep my computer up to date. With this setting...". Once you click this checkbox, you can select one of three options which are:

• Notification before downloading updates and notification before installing them.
• Automatic downloading of updates and notification before installing them.
• Automatic downloading of updates and automatic installation at a preset time which may be every day or once per week at a specific time.

I use the second option which is automatic downloading of updates and installationupon notification because I like to review my updates before I install them. This provides a chance to back up data and update my emergency repair disk if I suspect the update may cause some problems.