Understanding Windows Updates and Automatic Updates

 Understanding Windows Updates and Automatic Updates

Understanding Windows Update and Automatic Update

Windows is a complicated system with many components and files. To keep Windows reliable and secure, you must check whether Microsoft has released any Windows updates, including fixes, patches, service packs, and updated device drivers. If updates are available, you should apply them to your Windows system. By adding fixes and patches, you’ll keep Windows stable and secure. One way to keep Windows up to date is to use the Windows Update program, which scans your system to determine the updates and fixes your system needs. You then have the opportunity to select, download, and install each update.

Administrators of corporate networks can also use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)—each covered in more detail later in this lesson—to keep your systems updated. The advantage of using one of these systems is that it allows you to test the patch, schedule updates, and prioritize client updates. Once you determine a patch is safe, you can enable the patch for deployment.
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Microsoft routinely releases security updates on the second Tuesday of each month, commonly known as Patch Tuesday. While most updates are released on Patch Tuesday, there might be occasional patches (known as out-of-band patches) released at other times when the patches are deemed critical or time-sensitive. Most other updates are released as needed; these are known as out-of-band updates. Because computers are often used as production systems, you should test any updates to make sure they do not cause problems for you. Although Microsoft performs intensive testing, occasionally problems do occur, either as a bug or as a compatibility issue with third-party software. Therefore, always be sure you have a good backup of your system and data files before you install patches so that you have a back-out plan if necessary.

Microsoft classifies updates as Important, Recommended, or Optional:

• Important updates: These updates offer significant benefits, such as improved security, privacy, and reliability. They should be installed as they become available and can be installed automatically with Windows Update.
• Recommended updates: These updates address noncritical problems or help enhance your computing experience. Although these updates do not address fundamental issues with your computer or Windows software, they can offer meaningful improvements.
• Optional updates: These include updates, drivers, or new software from Microsoft to enhance your computing experience. You need to install these manually.

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Depending on the type of update, Windows Update can deliver the following:

• Security updates: A security update is a broadly released fix for a product-specific, security-related vulnerability. Security vulnerabilities are rated based on their severity, which is indicated in the Microsoft security bulletin as critical, important, moderate, or low.
• Critical updates: A critical update is a broadly released fix for a specific problem addressing a critical, non-security related bug.
• Service packs: A service pack is a tested, cumulative set of hotfixes, security updates, critical updates, and updates, as well as additional fixes for problems found internally since the release of the product. After an operating system is released, many corporations consider the first service pack as the time when the operating system has matured enough to be used throughout the organization.