Starting with Windows 98 Critical Updates, Microsoft has been making it easier to keep your computer up to date. In the older days, you would have to go out to the Microsoft site and do the updates yourself. With the newer versions of Windows such as XP and 2003 Server now you can have your computer go out and get the updates and even install them itself.
Windows updates are essential for keeping your computer up to date and to fix any bugs or security holes that may be present in Windows. Automatic updates are configurable as to when your computer goes to look for them and what it does when it finds them. If you go to your Control Panel and then double click the Automatic Updates icon you will see a screen similar to the following XP SP2 screen below.
Here you can see your options for downloading and installing Automatic Updates.
If you select Automatic then Windows will go out to the Microsoft site and get the updates on its own and then install them on its own. You can tell it how often and at what time to do so.
The next option lets Windows download the updates and then lets you know that they are ready to be installed and lets you decide when to do so.
Next you can have Windows tell you that there are updates available and then give you the option as to when to download and install them.
Finally you have the option to turn off Automatic Updates. This is not a good idea. But even if you have this off you can still manually go to the Windows update site and do your updates. If you click on Start there should be an icon for Windows Update. You can also go to http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate to get to the same page.
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