To help protect your computer, regularly install Windows Critical Updates and Security Patches.

Windows XP has an application called Windows Update, which tells you what updates you should be installing on your computer. While Windows Update will inform you of all updates (like to Real Player, IE, etc.), the most crucial ones are the Critical Updates and the Security Patches. Below are instructions on how to access Windows Update on Windows XP. For more information, please review Microsoft's documentation on Windows Update online at http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/about.asp?.

The following instructions were created by Microsoft (www.microsoft.com). For more information and other Microsoft recommendations for securing your computer, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

Important: Before you begin to update your computer, back up your files and information.

Turn on the Automatic Updates feature

The Automatic Updates feature you are about to turn on will only download future Microsoft updates. You still need to use Windows Update to get up to date with previous updates. (We'll tell you how at the end of this step.)

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
   
2. Click Performance and Maintenance.
   
   Tip: If the Performance and Maintenance category is not visible, click Switch to Category View.
   
   
   
3. Click System.
   
4. Click Automatic Updates and then select Keep my computer up to date.
   
5. Select a setting. Microsoft recommends selecting Automatically download the updates, and install them on the schedule that I specify and setting a daily update time.
   
   
   
6. Important: You can schedule Automatic Updates for any time of day. Remember, your computer must be on and connected to the network at the scheduled time for updates to be installed. (We recommend choosing a time when you will not be using the computer for other tasks.)
   
7. If you choose to have Automatic Updates notify you in step 5, you will see a notification balloon when new downloads are available to install.
   Click the notification balloon to review and install updates.
   
   
   

Next, get up to date with Windows Update
Now that you have Automatic Updates turned on, you will receive all new critical and security-related updates automatically. However, Automatic Updates does not download previously released updates or non-critical updates. Use these instructions to bring your computer up to date with previous security updates now, and to get non-critical updates in the future.

1. Bookmark this page. Go to the Windows Update site.
   
2. Follow the directions on the Windows Update site to review and select downloads.
   
3. When finished, return to this page and go to the final step in protecting your PC: Use Up-to-Date Antivirus Software. USF provides, for FREE, Norton Antivirus for use on personally-owned computers for current students, faculty and staff. Check out our Norton website for details. If you choose to install our copy of Norton Antivirus, make sure to uninstall any virus software you may already have on your computer as having two different anitivirus applications installed at the same time can cause system conflicts.
   
   Tip: Some updates cannot be installed until you restart your computer. Be sure to return to Windows Update after restarting and check for additional updates. You might have to do this several times to ensure you have all the latest updates.