Software engineers continuously develop software enhancements and drivers and occasionally they will release updates to address technical vulnerabilities. At Tufts, updates are sent to your computer automatically. If you wish to manually update your Windows Operating System*:
1. Open Internet Explorer (not Firefox or another browser).
2. Navigate to http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/.
3. Click Custom. A listing of the latest updates avaiable displays.
4. You will be presented with the available updates for your system grouped in sections by Type and Product, with the default High-Priority updates selected.
It is highly recommended, at the very least, that you install the patches contained in the High Priority section. These will include updates for both Windows and Offfice products, which are also listed in the Product section. You may review the optional Software updates, and install only the patches that apply to your system. Do Not install the updates contained in the Hardware section; Windows' site does not always detect the hardware correctly or have the latest drivers from all manufacturers.
5. Click Install Updates.
Not all updates can be installed concurrently. To ensure you receive each of the updates, return to the Windows Update site after each download until the critical updates section is empty. It is recommended that you visit this site once a month to stay current with the latest updates.
*Note: Many FSPs at Tufts prefer to do this on behalf of the people they support. Check with your FSP before attempting to download any security information from the Internet.
