- Vista's Stability Improvements
- Checking Your Hard Disk for Errors
- Checking Free Disk Space
- Deleting Unnecessary Files
- Defragmenting Your Hard Disk
- Setting System Restore Points
- Backing Up Your Files
- Checking for Updates and Security Patches
- Reviewing Event Viewer Logs
- Setting Up a 10-Step Maintenance Schedule
- From Here
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Checking for Updates and Security Patches
Microsoft is constantly working to improve Windows Vista with bug fixes, security patches, new program versions, and device driver updates. All of these new and improved components are available online, so you should check for updates and patches often.
Checking the Windows Update Website
The main online site for Windows Vista updates is the Windows Update website, which you load into Internet Explorer by selecting Start, All Programs, Windows Update. You should visit this site regularly to look for crucial new components that can make Windows Vista more reliable and more secure.
Windows Vista also comes with a vastly improved automatic updating feature, which can download and install updates automatically. If you prefer to know what's happening with your computer, it's possible to control the automatic updating by following these steps:
- Select Start, Control Panel, Security, Windows Update. This displays the Windows Update window, which shows you the current update status and enables you to view installed updates.
- Click the Change Settings link to display the Change Settings window, shown in Figure 15.13.
Figure 15.13 Use the Change Settings window to configure Vista's automatic updating.
- Activate one of the following options to determine how Windows Vista performs the updating:
- Install Updates Automatically— This option tells Windows Vista to download and install updates automatically. Windows Vista checks for new updates on the date (such as Every Day or Every Sunday) and time you specify. For example, you might prefer to choose a time when you won't be using your computer.
- Download Updates, but Let Me Choose Whether to Install Them— If you activate this option, Windows Vista checks for new updates and then automatically downloads any updates that are available. Windows Vista then displays an icon in the notification area to let you know that the updates are ready to install. Click the icon to see the list of updates. If you see an update that you don't want to install, deactivate its check box.
- Check for Updates but Let Me Choose Whether to Download and Install Them— If you activate this option, Windows Vista checks for new updates and then, if any are available, displays an icon in the notification area to let you know that the updates are ready to download. Click the icon to see the list of updates. If you see an update that you don't want to download, deactivate its check box. Click Start Download to initiate the download. When the download is complete, Windows Vista displays an icon in the notification area to let you know that the updates are ready to install. Click the icon and then click Install to install the updates.
- Never Check for Updates— Activate this option to prevent Windows Vista from checking for new updates.
- Click OK and enter your UAC credentials to put the new settings into effect.
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Checking for Security Vulnerabilities
Microsoft regularly finds security vulnerabilities in components such as Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. Fixes for these problems are usually available via Windows Update.
However, to ensure that your computer is safe, you should download and regularly run the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer. This tool not only scans your system for missing security patches, but it also looks for things such as weak passwords and other Windows vulnerabilities. Download the tool here: www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsahome.mspx.
After you've installed the tool, follow these steps to use it:
- Select Start, All Programs, Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.0. The program's Welcome screen appears.
- Click Scan a Computer.
- Your computer should be in the Computer Name list. If not, choose it from that list. Alternatively, use the IP Address text boxes to enter your computer's IP address.
- Use the Options check boxes to specify the security components you want to check. For most scans, you should leave all the options activated.
- Click Start Scan. The program checks your system and displays a report on your system's security (and usually offers remedies for any vulnerability it finds). Figure 15.14 shows a sample report.
Figure 15.14 A sample report generated by Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.
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