Windows Updates

Whilst running updates on any device can feel like a total inconvenience and general pain, we assure you that the pain is much less than an attack on your computer through ‘unpatched’ software. Windows Updates help to ensure that your computer has protection from the latest exploits and vulnerabilities that security researchers locate. Running regular Windows Updates is a really good way to stay safe and secure online, even if you use a separate anti-virus/anti-malware app.

Updates and ‘patches’ are run directly from Windows and there is no cost for this providing you have a valid and legitimate Windows license. A ‘patch’ is a software term for a fix that is applied to the computer in order to repair or close a security hole, hence the term patch.

Here’s how you can check for any updates in Windows 10, and run them.

Windows 10 Updates

1. Navigate to your start menu at the bottom left of the screen and click on the ‘Windows’ logo.
   
2. This will load your ‘Start’ menu, in which you can begin typing ‘Updates’.
   
3. Locate the ‘Check for updates’ option (this lives within Windows settings). Once you have found it, click on it to launch the app.
   
4. ‘Windows Update’ will be shown on your screen. You may be told you have pending updates
   
5. It is always worth double checking for any updates by clicking on the grey ‘Check for updates’ button. This will check with Microsoft over the Internet for any updates.
   
6. If any updates need to be run, they will be listed like below. Your screen will have different updates to the screenshot below, however it should look similar. The screen will change to let you know once updates are completed, have failed, or if your computer requires a restart for the updates to take effect.
   
7. Once you have completed all outstanding updates, your ‘Windows Update’ window should show that ‘You’re up to date’, and continue to show this even when clicking on ‘Check for updates’.
   

Please note: Sometimes updates will require a reboot of your computer. This can usually be scheduled at a convenient time, but don’t forget to run this restart!