If you use Windows, you do!
Windows has made computers easier to use. That's the good news. The bad news is that Windows is fundmentally flawed through and through, right to the core. Windows has evolved over the past 23 years, from a simple, single-user, single-task system to a complex, multi-user, multi-task system. Along the way, however, Microsoft has never bothered to write a complex system from scratch. Instead, Microsoft's approach has been to pile fixes and patches and features on top of a very aged system.
The result is that Windows is full of holes, and is horribly insecure. Unexpected interactions between programs, data, and users bring the system to its knees all the time. Worse yet, now that most computers have access to a network - especially to the Internet - guys in black hats are always trying to find a vulnerable computer to attack.
In the Saturday, January 03, 2004 article, I published
The Absolutely Essential Guide to Computer Security Software. Now that you've taken care of all of that, here's the next step:
Windows Updates.
1. Connect to the Internet.
2. Using your web browser (usually Internet Explorer) go to the
Windows Update Web Site. Some Windows computers have a link to that site built-in to the Windows Start Menu. In that case, click the Start Button, then click Windows Update.
3. Click on "Scan for Updates"
4. In the left-hand pane on the web page, select each category of updates, one at a time.
5. When the site has found the updates, click "Review and Install updates". You do not need to install updates for a language other than the language in which you work on your computer. Most users do not need to install Chinese, Arabic, and so on.
6. Follow the instructions on the web page. This may take a while. When the process is complete, it may require rebooting your system.
7. The first time you do this there will be many updates to choose.
Microsoft's current plan is to release updates on the second Tuesday of each month.
As always, if you need help,
drop me a note.
