Skip Navigation
 Search | Directories | Reference Tools
UW Home > UWIN > Computing and Networking > Security 

Using automatic security updates

As we all know, the Internet is an unsafe place, and it's increasingly important that all computers that ever go online be patched regularly against bugs and other security vulnerabilities. In addition to updating Operating System software, computer owners must make sure that any programs installed on their computer are kept up to date and free from security vulnerabilities.

We know this is a daunting task. Fortunately one way to ease the burden of remembering to do software updates is by configuring Microsoft Windows to automatically download and install Operating System software updates. The following describes how you can do that. Select your version of Microsoft Windows from the list below for specific instructions:

Microsoft Windows 2000

  1. Click START | Settings | Control Panel.
  2. Double-Click 'Automatic Updates'.
  3. Make sure the checkbox next to 'Keep my computer up to date...' is checked.
  4. Select the radial button next to 'Automatically download updates, and install them on the schedule that I specify'.
  5. Click in the first box and make a choice. 'Every day' is fine.
  6. Click in the second box and choose a time that your computer is typically turned on. (You do not have to be at your computer for this to work; it just needs to be turned on).
  7. Click OK.
  8. Close the remaining windows.

Microsoft Windows XP

  1. If you are running in 'Category view' (the default):
    1. Click START | Control Panel.
    2. Click 'Performance and Maintenance'.
    3. Under 'or pick a Control Panel icon', click 'System'.
    Or, alternatively,
    If you are running in 'Classic view':
    1. Click START | Settings | Control Panel.
    2. Double-click 'System'.
  2. Select the 'Automatic Updates' tab.
  3. Make sure the checkbox next to 'Keep my computer up to date...' is checked.
  4. Select the radial button next to 'Automatically download updates, and install them on the schedule that I specify'.
  5. Click in the first box and make a choice. 'Every day' is fine.
  6. Click in the second box and choose a time that your computer is typically turned on. (You do not have to be at your computer for this to work; it just needs to be turned on).
  7. Click OK.
  8. Close the remaining windows.

Macintosh OSX

  1. Click System Preferences and select Software Update
  2. Make sure the checkbox next to "Check for updates" is checked
  3. From the pull-down menu next to that, select how often you would like to check for updates. "Daily" is a good choice.
  4. Optionally, you may enable the option to "Download in Background" if desired
  5. Quit from System Preferences