You Should Be Checking Regularly for Optional Windows Updates

Most people don't know that all updates from Microsoft are not automatically downloaded to their computer.  You should regularly check for optional updates to your computer.  These keep your drivers updated as well as your operating system.  You have to manually download & apply all optional updates .

If you do not know how to check for updates, here's how.

XP-open control panel-click on Windows Update on left side of page.
Click on "check for updates".

After it scans you will have 2 options-express & custom. Select Custom.

On left side of page it breaks down the updates by high priority software and hardware.
Click on high priority and check all updates it found.
Click on Software and check all the updates it found.
Then click on Hardware (these are you driver updates) Check everything it found.

You will be given a chance to review all updates.

Click on "install updates"

Restart your computer if required.

(There may be some software updates you do not want-such as Bing Desktop, etc.  You can hide these updates by clicking on the individual update and check hide update box)

Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8 is much more straightforward.-open control panel.  Click on the drop down arrow next to "view by" and select small icons. 

Scroll down to the bottom to Windows Update.

Once you have Windows update open, on left hand side click "check for updates".

Once the scan is complete it will tell you that you have optional updates.  Click on the blue message and check each update.  Unlike XP both software and hardware optional updates appear together.  You can right click any update you don't want and select the "hide update" option. After updates are selected click on install updates.

(if you choose not to apply an update you can right click on it and select "hide" so you will never see it again)

Restart your computer if required.