Summary: Microsoft regularly releases updates and patches to the Windows operating systems, called Critical Updates, to solve security vulnerabilities and performance issues.

Requirements:

• Computer running Windows XP.
• High speed network connection.
• Complete steps for Windows Manual Update.

Note: Automatic Updates downloads and installs critical updates and security patches only. Optional patches or driver updates must be installed by running Windows Update manually.

Automatic Updates

Configure your computer running Windows XP to automatically download and install future Windows updates.

1. Log in to your computer using an account with Administrator privileges. Faculty and staff using a BC owned computer should sign in with their BC username and password. Students and others using a personally owned computer should sign in with the Administrator account (the account that came installed on your computer at the time of purchase).
• If you are using a faculty or staff college-owned computer, log in as you would normally.
• If you are using a personally-owned Windows XP computer, log into your computer using your Administrator account (or the first account that was set up on your computer which has Computer administrator privileges).
2. Close all open applications.
3. If you have the My Computer icon on the desktop, right-click on the icon. If you do not have the icon on the desktop, click on the Start button and then right-click on My Computer.
4. Select Properties.
5. The System Properties window will open. Click on the Automatic Updates tab.
   
   
   Figure 1 - Automatic Updates Window
   
6. Check the Keep my computer up to date. With this setting enabled, Windows Update software may be automatically updated prior to applying any other updates checkbox.
7. Select the Automatically download the updates and install them on the schedule I specify radio button.
8. Make sure the pull-down menu on the left is displaying Every day.
9. Using the pull-down menu on the right, select a time of day that you you know your computer will be on.
10. Click OK.

You have completed the Windows Automatic Updates setup. When new critical Windows Updates available, your computer will automatically download and install the updates.