How to Install a Microsoft Patch
From time to time, Microsoft will release patches, or small programs designed to fix or improve the performance of Windows or other Microsoft software. These patches are always free to computer users who need them. To find out what patches your computer may need and to install them quickly, all you need to do is spend a little time on the Microsoft website. These instructions apply for versions of Windows as old as Windows 95.
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Instructions
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Launch Internet Explorer and navigate to the Microsoft Update page (see Resources).
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Click the "Custom" button. Wait while Microsoft examines your computer and looks for patches that you might need. This can take a few minutes and will take longer on computers with slower Internet connections.
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Look for the "Select by type" heading on the left side of the screen. Available updates are categorized as "High Priority," "Software, Optional" and "Hardware, Optional." Click on each heading to see the updates listed under that heading.
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Click the box next to each patch or update that you want to install. When you have checked all of the updates you want from each of the three categories, click the "Review and install updates" link near the top of the page.
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Wait for the Microsoft Update window to open. This will open in the middle of the screen, then automatically minimize itself to the system tray in the bottom right corner of Windows. If you want, you can click the yellow shield icon in the system tray to monitor the progress of the patch installations.
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Keep your computer running and connected to the Internet until you see a notification that the updates have been successfully installed. This notification will often come with a request for you to reboot your computer, though this depends on the specific patches you've downloaded and installed. If you get this request and you're ready to reboot, click "Restart now." If you're not ready to reboot immediately, click "Restart later." If you aren't prompted to reboot at all, just click "OK."
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Tips & Warnings
If you're prompted to reboot after installing patches and you don't do it right away, the patches will not take effect until you do reboot.
