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You may be familiar with the kind of software bugs that can cause your computer to crash and lose the document you were working on. But sometimes bugs can have more subtle consequences, allowing malicious people to gain access to your computer without your knowledge. When these bugs are discovered, software vendors release updates to fix them, but these updates don't do any good if people don't install them. Fortunately, most vendors provide easy ways for you to stay up to date.
Microsoft periodically releases critical updates that are vital to your computer's security. It's important that you install these updates as soon as possible, so it's a good idea to set your computer up to fetch and install them automatically.
Microsoft Update and Windows update are two very similar services designed to deliver security fixes to your Windows computer. The big difference is that while Windows Update will only update Windows itself, Microsoft Update will update Windows as well as many other Microsoft products like Office. There's no reason to continue to use Windows Update, and LTS recommends Microsoft Update for all users.
It can be difficult to tell whether a computer is set up to use Microsoft Update or Windows Update, but it's easy to set up correctly. Follow this link, click Start Now, and follow the on-screen instructions.
Follow these directions to ensure that Windows will automatically keep itself up to date.
STEP 1: Go to Start > Control Panel > Automatic Updates
Select Automatic. Your computer must be powered on at the time you select, so don't choose the middle of the night if you shut it down before bed.
Some updates will not automatically install even if you have Automatic Update set properly. Windows XP Service Pack 2, for example, has a license agreenment you must agree to before it can be installed.
STEP 1: If you see the following image in the bottom right corner of your screen, you have updates to install.
STEP 2: Click on the Windows Update icon and follow the on-screen instructions.
STEP 3: If you have any difficulty with Automatic Updates, download the updates via the Web instead: http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/
By default Mac OS X automatically checks weekly for software updates, as long as you have an internet connection. It is important to change this to daily so that your computer always has the latest updates. When your computer finds updates, it will prompt you to install them. You should always do so immediately.
When installing an update you will need to enter your password for the computer. Note that this might not be the same as your UNet password. If you do not remember your password or it doesn't work, contact the Help Desk or Tech Desk.
After the update is complete, restart the computer if your computer tells you to.
Follow these directions to ensure that your Mac will automatically keep itself up to date.
Open System Preferences from the Apple menu (the apple logo in the top left of the screen).
Click on Software Update from the System section.
Click on the Update Software button. Make sure that the boxes next to "Check for updates" and "Download important updates in the background" are checked and the drop-down menu next to "Check for updates" says Daily. Click on Check Now and then if updates are available, click on Install # Items.
In the future, when Software Update opens automatically asking you to install important updates, install them as soon as possible by clicking Install # Items.
Every Linux distribution has its own method of distributing and installing security patches, but it's important for all users to stay up to date.
All Brandeis community members are licensed to use RedHat Enterprise Linux. Information about that distribution, including how to keep it current with security fixes, is available at https://unet.brandeis.edu/accounts/rhn.php.
