Windows XP Professional Update Procedure

Updating Windows XP Professional Operating System

Updating your operating system with the "Critical Security Updates/Patches/Hotfixes" is crucial to maintaining the highest security possible on your Windows XP Professional operating system. The following procedures are provided so you can perform the update in a quick manner. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to let me know.

Click on the "Start" button:		Navigate to the "Programs" then to the link that will open the "Internet Explorer" browser.

Once you have the browser opened enter the URL for the windows update into the "Address" window at the top of the browser:

Hit the "Enter" key or click the "Arrow Go" button to the right side of the "Address" bar. This will take you to the windows update main web page.

Once you have this page displayed click on the "Microsoft Update" link located on the left side under the "Product Resources" heading. Click on this link to open the update site.

The site, if all goes well, should provide you with two choices for updating your system. You can choose either "Express" or "Custom". Make sure you select the "Custom" button. This button/option allows you to review and then select which updates you will install. This will allow you to de-select those updates indicated in an email from me that you should not install until fully tested.

Click the "Custom" button to continue... the custom process will run for a few minutes...

When this process is finished you will then receive a page with the recommended updates, etc.

You will see a listing similar to the above. Depending on your system configuration this list may be different. It will also be different if you have not done updates in a period of time. Remember, all updates should be done when either your system notifies you automatically or when you receive an email from me.

You will notice under the heading "Microsoft Windows XP" a list of updates with a + sign and a check box . This is so you can select which software update to either install or ignore. Normally when it is a list of critical updates all the boxes will be checked. If you wish to de-select an item so it will not install then you uncheck the check box and then the item will expand.

Then you will check the box next to "Don't show this update again". This will prevent the update from re-appearing daily until you either update it or select this option. When the item has been tested and if it is to be installed then I will provide you a link to the web site that will show you how to get the update back for installation.

Warning: Microsoft will occasionally provide a tool such as their "Malicious Software Removal Tool" which we have chosen to NOT INSTALL. They will try to put the tool back into the update cycle regardless of your selection of "Don't show this update again". This is why we need to use the "Custom" installation method. We have to check for this type of activity from Microsoft to ensure we don't install software deemed unnecessary to the security of the system.

Now that you have selected those items you do not want installed you can go ahead and run the "Install Updates (x)" link located to the left side of the window as indicated by the red and white arrow to the left of the link. The (x) indicates the number of updates the system will install.

The updates can take several minutes to process. The pop up window will show the downloads first then the progress for installing each downloaded update. Be patient, it will finish quickly.

Note that if you do not have critical security updates to install the update page will show that and your system will not notify you automatically if there are none. If you receive an email from me to do an update you should go ahead and run through it just in case you have not done the latest updates. Sometimes you can run the update a few days prior to receiving an email and the system will show no updates available.